STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday welcomed the addition of Deepavali to the UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage List, saying it will contribute to the festival’s global popularity.
“People in India and around the world are thrilled,” Modi said in a post on X, responding to a post from UNESCO listing Deepavali in its Intangible Heritage List.
“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,” the prime minister said.
“May the ideals of Prabhu Shri Ram keep guiding us for eternity,” Modi said.
Deepavali — the festival of lights — was on Wednesday inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
The decision was taken during a key meeting of the UNESCO being hosted at the Red Fort in Delhi.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the inclusion of Deepavali in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list is a “proud moment” for India signifying the importance of the country’s ancient cultural ethos even in the modern era.
Deepavali or Diwali — the festival of light — was inscribed on the UNESCO’s ‘Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’at a meeting of the global body hosted at the Red Fort in Delhi.
In a message posted on ‘X’, Shah said, “Proud moment for India as Deepavali enters into the UNESCO’s intangible heritage list. This signifies the importance of our ancient cultural ethos even in the modern era.
“The festival of lights has inspired us since antiquity to believe in the victory of the good and the righteous. It is now profoundly heartening that it will now encourage global well-being.”
The 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) and the first one hosted by India is underway from December 8 to 13 at the Red Fort. India currently has 15 elements inscribed on the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, including 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’.