Global honour for Deepavali as UNESCO includes it in Intangible Cultural Heritage list

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people in India and around the world are thrilled on Deepavali receiving the UNESCO honour.

Deepavali, India's festival of lights, was on Wednesday (December 10) inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity (ICH).

The decision was taken during a key meeting of UNESCO being hosted at the Red Fort in Delhi.

This is the first time that India is hosting a session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

The 20th session of the panel is underway from December 8 to 13 at the Red Fort.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said people in India and around the world are thrilled.

"People in India and around the world are thrilled. 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. May the ideals of Prabhu Shri Ram keep guiding us for eternity," Modi posted on X.

India currently has 15 elements inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and these 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'.

(with inputs from agencies)