New Delhi, 10 Dec

Deepavali, the festival of lights, was on Wednesday, added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, triggering celebrations at the Red Fort, where the announcement was made during a key UNESCO committee session.

As the inscription was confirmed, chants of ‘Jai Hind’, ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’ echoed across the venue. Artists in traditional attire performed on stage while visuals of the festival played on large screens.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the recognition, saying it would enhance the festival’s global appeal. “People in India and around the world are thrilled,” he posted on X, responding to UNESCO’s announcement.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat delivered India’s official statement moments after the committee finalised the inscription during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This marks the sixteenth Indian entry on UNESCO’s Representative List. Existing inscriptions include the Kumbh Mela, Durga Puja, Garba, yoga, Vedic chanting and Ramlila.

Shekhawat and the Indian delegation wore traditional headgear to mark the occasion. Describing Deepavali as a “timeless” festival now celebrated far beyond India, he said it symbolised renewal, peace and the triumph of good.

He added that from potters to artisans, “millions of hands keep this heritage alive”, and emphasised that the UNESCO listing brought with it a responsibility to preserve the festival’s living traditions. “Our children must know that Deepavali is the festival of Ram Rajya, of good governance,” he said.

The minister urged people to light “an extra lamp” next Deepavali, one for gratitude, peace, shared humanity and good governance. He concluded his address with the chant ‘Tamso Maa Jyotirgamaya’, followed by ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Raja Ram Chandra Ji ki Jai’.

India submitted the Deepavali nomination dossier in 2023 for the 2024–25 evaluation cycle. The country is also hosting the UNESCO ICH committee session for the first time, with the 20th meeting running from 8 to 13 December at the Red Fort complex, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Congratulating India, Pakistani diplomat Shoaib Sarwar Sandhu told PTI, “My congratulations to India on Deepavali inscription.”

The ongoing session is examining 67 nominations from nearly 80 countries across various heritage categories. On Tuesday, Bangladesh’s Tangail saree weaving tradition and Afghanistan’s Behzad-style miniature painting were added to the Representative List, along with the skills of crafting the ‘Bisht’, a traditional men’s gown.

A day earlier, Boreendo, an ancient folk wind instrument from Pakistan, along with Paraguay’s ancestral ceramic craftsmanship and the Mwazindika spiritual dance of Kenya, were among 11 elements placed on UNESCO’s List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.

Fresh inscriptions announced on Wednesday also included Iraq’s Al-Muhaibis social game, Jordan’s knowledge and rituals linked to the Al-Mihrass tree, and Kuwait’s Diwaniya, a traditional cultural gathering.