New Delhi: Diwali, the festival of lights, was on Wednesday inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, sparking celebrations on earning the coveted tag.
The decision was taken during a key meeting of UNESCO being hosted at the Red Fort in Delhi.
Chants of ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ rent the air as UNESCO announced that the festival has been added to the prestigious list after a discussion by its committee. Artistes dressed in different traditional attire performed in front of the main stage while images of the Diwali festival played on the big screen.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the addition of Diwali to UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage List, saying it will contribute to the festival’s global popularity.
“People in India and around the world are thrilled,” PM Modi said in a post on X, responding to a post from UNESCO listing Diwali in its intangible heritage list.
Union 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 (ICH).
This is the sixteenth element from India to be inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Fifteen 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 ‘Ramayana’.
Shekhawat and other members of the Indian contingent sported a traditional headgear to mark the occasion.
Diwali is one of the timeless festivals of India, which is also now celebrated in many other parts of the world.
On this occasion, people decorate their homes with traditional lamps or ‘diya’, and buildings are illuminated, presenting a dazzling sight at night.
India had sent the Diwali nomination dossier to UNESCO in 2023 for the 2024-25 cycle.
“For every Indian, Diwali is deeply emotional; it is felt, lived, absorbed across generations,” Shekhawat said in his address.
The Union minister said that with this inscription, “UNESCO honours the eternal human longing for renewal, peace and the triumph of good”.
He said from potters to artisans, millions of hands keep this heritage alive.
This UNESCO tag is also a responsibility, and “we must ensure Diwali remains a living heritage,” Shekhawat said. Our children must know that Diwali is the festival of Ram Rajya, that is good governance, he said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in a post on X on Wednesday, said the inscription of ‘Deepavali’ on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list is a “recognition” of the festival’s immense cultural, religious and spiritual significance and of its role in bringing people together.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, also in a post on X, termed it a “proud moment for India” and said this “signifies the importance of our ancient cultural ethos even in the modern era”.
This is the first time that India is hosting a session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).
Shekhawat, in his address, further said that on the coming Diwali, people should “light an extra lamp, a lamp of gratitude, a lamp of peace, a lamp of shared humanity, and a lamp of good governance”.
He 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 Jai”.
The 20th session of the panel is underway from December 8 to 13 at the Red Fort complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
