Let there be light: Deepavali now a global heritage festival

Deepavali, the festival of lights celebrated by millions across India and the diaspora, was on Wednesday inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanitya milestone that comes as New Delhi hosts the ongoing session of the Intergovernmental Committee at the Red Fort.

- Vrinda Tulsian

The recognition, arriving a year after Kolkata’s Durga Puja made it to the global heritage register, marks a fresh international endorsement of India’s living cultural traditions.In a rare gesture of unanimity at the committee meeting, UNESCO announced that the inscription was adopted with no request for debate, amendment or objection, and congratulated India for submitting a “perfect” dossier. The evaluation body, while endorsing the nomination, advised India to “maintain and amplify ecological and inclusive practices in the production of the festival” and recommended measures to “strengthen dissemination of the festival's elements in both digital and physical spaces.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the inscription as a moment of collective pride. “For us, Deepavali is very closely linked to our culture and ethos. It is the soul of our civilisation. It personifies illumination and righteousness. The addition of Deepavali to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List will contribute to the festival's global popularity even further,” he said, adding that people in India and abroad were “thrilled” to see the festival acknowledged on the world stage.