In a proud moment for India’s culture and heritage, The Intergovernmental Committee of UNESCO’s 2003 Convention on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage has put ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This remarkable moment happened during the 16th session of the Convention on Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage which is held from 13th to 18th December 2021. The Committee also applauded Durga Puja for its initiatives to involve marginalized groups, and individuals as well as women in their participation in safeguarding the element.
G Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DONER made a tweet regarding this moment and said that this is a recognition of the confluence of our rich heritage, culture, rituals and practices and a celebration of the feminine divinity and the spirit of womanhood.
With the inscription of Durga Puja in Kolkata, India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity. In recent years, the ICH elements that saw inscriptions are Kumbh Mela (inscribed 2017), Yoga (inscribed 2016) among others. India is a signatory of the 2003 UNESCO Convention which aims for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Heritage along with traditions and living expression.
