Deepavali inscribed on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list

India’s Deepavali, 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 Unesco meet being hosted at the Red Fort in Delhi.

- KUNAL DUTT

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (centre) at the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the ICH, in New Delhi on Wednesday

Artistes dressed in different traditional attire performed in front of the main stage while images of the Deepavali festival played on the big screen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the addition of Deepavali to the list, saying it will contribute to the festival’s global popularity. “People in India and around the world are thrilled,” Modi posted on X.

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).