Deepavali gets UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage tag

Deepavali, the festival of lights, has joined the likes of Yoga, Durga Puja, Kumbh Mela, and Vedic chanting to become the 16th element from India to be inscribed on the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Primarily a Hindu festival, Deepavali, which translates to 'row of lamps' in Sanskrit, represents India's rich tapestry of intangible cultural heritage, with communities across regions and religions attaching their own narratives, beliefs, and traditions, ranging from ritualistic to agrarian, to the celebrations. Across the diverse manifestations of the festival runs the common thread of renewal, joy, and connection, with the multi-day celebrations enriching creative expression and fostering solidarity besides serving as a boost to the local economy and traditional livelihoods.

Other new additions to the list include Italian cuisine, Switzerland's alpine yodelling tradition, the Gifaataa festival of Ethiopia, the art of Tangali saree weaving from Bangladesh, the wheat culture of Georgia, and the family tradition circus in Chile, to name a few.

These cultural treasures were picked from a pool of 67 nominations examined at the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi, chaired by Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO Vishal V. Sharma. The session, the first to be hosted by India and coinciding with the anniversary of the country's ratification of the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2005, was held at the Red Fort, the 17th century red sandstone UNESCO Heritage site on the banks of the river Yamuna in the heart of the national capital.

The diversity of cultural practices is a shared asset, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said at the opening ceremony, adding: “Intangible heritage lives within people, is transmitted across generations, and empowers communities to safeguard the roots of our shared humanity".

Click here to explore the full Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.