New Delhi [India], December 10 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday hailed the inscription of Deepavali on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list. In a post on X, he said the recognition underscores the festival’s immense cultural, religious, and spiritual significance, as well as its role in bringing people together.
“Glad to learn of the inscription of ‘Deepavali’ in the @UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It is a recognition of the festival’s immense cultural, religious and spiritual significance and of its role in bringing people together,” Jaishankar wrote.
UNESCO has formally added Deepavali to its list of intangible cultural heritage, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced on Wednesday. “A joyous moment as Deepavali, the festival of lights, marking the triumph of good over evil and the return of Lord Rama to his kingdom, Ayodhya, which is celebrated globally, is added to the @UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list,” he posted on X.
Describing the festival, UNESCO said on its official website, “Deepavali, also known as Diwali, is a light festival celebrated annually by diverse individuals and communities across India that marks the last harvest of the year and the start of a new year and new season. Based on the lunar calendar, it falls on the new moon in October or November and lasts several days. It is a joyous occasion that symbolises the victory of light over darkness and good over evil. During this time, people clean and decorate their homes and public spaces, light lamps and candles, set off fireworks, and offer prayers for prosperity and new beginnings.”
In 2008, Ramlila—the traditional performance of the Ramayana—was added to the UNESCO list. More recently, Navroz from India was added in 2024. Other Indian elements on the list include Garba from Gujarat (2023), Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021), Kumbh Mela (2017), Yoga (2016), and the traditional brass and copper craft of utensil-making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab (2014).
UNESCO defines intangible cultural heritage as the practices, knowledge, expressions, objects, and spaces that communities consider part of their cultural identity. Passed down through generations, this heritage continues to evolve, strengthening cultural identity and appreciation of diversity.
To safeguard such heritage, UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage on October 17, 2003, during its 32nd General Conference in Paris. The convention addresses global concerns that living cultural traditions—including oral practices, performing arts, social customs, rituals, knowledge systems, and craftsmanship—were increasingly threatened by globalisation, social change, and limited resources.
India is hosting UNESCO’s 20th Intangible Cultural Heritage Committee session for the first time, from December 8 to 13. The historic Red Fort complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has been chosen as the venue, symbolising the convergence of India’s tangible and intangible heritage. India’s permanent delegate to UNESCO, Vishal V. Sharma, is chairing the meeting, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of India’s ratification of the 2003 Convention, underscoring the country’s continued commitment to preserving living cultural traditions. (ANI)
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