'Deepavali' inscribed on UNESCO Intangible Heritage list

Indias Deepavali the festival of lights was on Wednesday inscribed on the UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity sparking celebrations to mark the earning of the coveted tagThe decision was taken during a key meeting of UNESCO being hosted at the Red Fort in DelhiChants of Jai Hind Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata ki Jai rent the air as UNESCO announced that the celebrated festival has been added to the prestigious list after a discussion by its committeeArtistes dressed in different traditional attire performed in front of the main stage while images of the Deepavali festival played on the big screenPrime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the addition of Deepavali to the UNESCOs Intangible Heritage List saying it will contribute to the festivals global popularityPeople in India and around the world are thrilled PM Modi said in a post on X responding to a post from UNESCO listing Deepavali in its Intangible Heritage ListUnion Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat delivered a statement on behalf of the country right after the inscription was announced during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage ICHThis is the sixteenth element from India to be inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of HumanityFifteen other elements already inscribed on this UNESCO list include the Kumbh Mela Durga Puja of Kolkata Garba dance of Gujarat yoga the tradition of Vedic chanting and Ramlila the traditional performance of the epic RamayanaShekhawat and other members of the Indian contingent sported a traditional headgear to mark the occasionDeepavali the festival of lights is one of the timeless festivals of India which is also now celebrated in many other parts of the worldOn this occasion people decorate their homes with traditional lamps or diya and buildings are illuminated presenting a dazzling sight at nightIndia had sent the Deepavali nomination dossier to UNESCO in 2023 for the 202425 cycleFor every Indian Deepavali is deeply emotional it is felt lived absorbed across generations Shekhawat said in his addressThe Union minister said that with this inscription UNESCO honours the eternal human longing for renewal peace and the triumph of goodHe said from potters to artisans millions of hands keep this heritage aliveThis UNESCO tag is also a responsibility and we must ensure Deepavali remains a living heritage Shekhawat said Our children must know that Deepavali is the festival of Ram Rajya i e good governance he saidHe said that on the coming Deepavali people should light and extra lamp a lamp of gratitude a lamp of peace a lamp of shared humanity and a lamp of good governanceShekhawat in his address invoked the Sanskrit chant of Tamso Maa Jyotirgamaya from darkness take me to light and ended it with Jai Hind Bharat Mata ki Jai Raja Ram Chandra Ji ki JaiThis is the first time that India is hosting a session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage ICHThe 20th session of the panel is underway from December 8 to 13 at the Red Fort complex a UNESCO World Heritage SitePakistani diplomat Shoaib Sarwar Sandhu who is posted at the countrys High Commission here in an interaction with PTI said My congratulations to India on Deepavali inscriptionA day ago Boreendo or Bhorindo an ancient dying folk musical instrument and its melodies knowledge and skills from Pakistan Paraguays ancestral ceramic craftsmanship and Mwazindika spiritual dance of the Daida community of Kenya among 11 elements were inscribed on UNESCOs List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent SafeguardingA total of 67 nominations submitted by nearly 80 countries will be examined during the course of the nearly weeklong key session of UNESCOOn Tuesday the traditional saree weaving art of Tangail from Bangladesh and Behzads style of miniature painting from Afghanistan were among the elements inscribed on UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of HumanityThe skills and practices of making Bisht mens Abaa or gown a transnational nomination were also inscribed on this listOn Wednesday other fresh inscriptions in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity category included AlMuhaibis social practices and traditions associated with it from Iraq AlMihrass tree knowledge skills and rituals associated with it from Jordan and the Diwaniya a unifying cultural practice in KuwaitThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever