Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the representative list of ‘intangible cultural heritage of humanity’ by UNESCO. In its 16th session in France, the intergovernmental committee of UNESCO’s 2003 convention on cultural heritage made the decision.
Durga Puja’s initiatives to involve marginalized groups and individuals, including women, during Durga Puja, were praised by UNESCO’s committee. UNESCO’s representative list on irreplaceable cultural heritage now includes 14 ‘intangible cultural heritage’ elements from India, including Durga Puja and Yoga. A 2003 UNESCO convention aimed at safeguarding cultural heritage was signed by India.
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As defined by UNESCO, cultural heritage includes ‘practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills, instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces associated with communities and groups’. Occasionally, it recognizes individuals as part of ‘cultural heritage’. India’s culture and tourism minister G Kishan Reddy applauded the recognition as a ‘celebration of feminine divinity and the spirit of womanhood’.
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