Deepavali added to UNESCO heritage list; PM Modi hails global recognition

New Delhi, Dec 10: Deepavali, the festival of light, was on Wednesday inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, marking a major cultural milestone for the country.

The announcement was made during a key session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), currently underway at Delhi’s Red Fort from December 8 to 13.

This is the first time India is hosting a session of the ICH committee.

As the inscription was announced, chants of “Vande Mataram” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai” echoed across the venue.

Artistes in traditional attire performed before the main stage as images of Deepavali celebrations played on a large screen.

Members of the Indian contingent, including Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, wore traditional headgear to mark the moment.

Speaking immediately after the announcement, Shekhawat said UNESCO had honoured “the eternal human longing for renewal, peace and the triumph of good” with this recognition. “For every Indian, Deepavali is deeply emotional; it is felt, lived and absorbed across generations,” he said.

He added that millions of artisans and potters keep this heritage alive and that the UNESCO tag places a responsibility on society to ensure Deepavali remains a living tradition.

He also urged people to light “an extra lamp” during the next Deepavali, adding, “A lamp of gratitude, a lamp of peace, a lamp of shared humanity, and a lamp of good governance.”

With this inscription, India now has 16 elements on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Other entries include the Kumbh Mela, Kolkata’s Durga Puja, Gujarat’s Garba, yoga, Vedic chanting traditions and Ramleela.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the development, saying the recognition would further boost Deepavali’s global popularity.

“People in India and around the world are thrilled,” he said in a social media post.

“For us, Deepavali is very closely linked to our culture and ethos. It is the soul of our civilisation… The addition of Deepavali to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List will contribute to the festival’s global popularity even further,” the post further read.

PTI