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Durga Puja in Kolkata recognised as intangible cultural heritage

Durga Puja in Kolkata recognized as intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO

Entire India, including Kolkata, thanks UNESCO for including Kolkata's Durga Puja in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Durga Puja of Kolkata as Intangible Cultural Heritage

Kolkata's Durga Puja, considered as one of India's biggest cultural carnivals and street art festivals, has now gained a significant international recognition by making it to the UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Durga Puja is celebrated all over India including Kolkata, that too with great enthusiasm.


As soon as it was confirmed by a tweet from UNESCO's New Delhi office, it was welcomed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy and the Government of West Bengal. “A matter of great pride and joy for every Indian! Durga Puja highlights the best of our traditions and ethos. And, Kolkata’s Durga Puja is an experience everyone must have”, PM Modi tweeted.

The recognition of Kolkata's Durga Puja as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO is a proud and historic moment for us, decribed in a press statement issued by the Government of West Bengal. “It is a red-letter day for us. In real sense Bengal is now Biswa Bangla,” they added through the press note. They also added in the statement that UNESCO also appreciated the concerned organizations for their initiative to involve marginalized groups and individuals as well as women in their participation for the protection of this intangible cultural heritage.

Eminent art historian Tapati Guha - Thakurta, who played the key role in drafting the Ministry of Culture's dossier for UNESCO, said that the creative and commercial economy of Kolkata would get a huge boost from this recognition by UNESCO. “The artistic profile which the Durga Pujas of Kolkata has taken in the past two decades is unique. In the past few years, the Durga Pujas have provided a forum for artistic activism where artists are making statements about contemporary social and political issues,” she added through her quote.

Kolkata's Durga Puja is not the only one to be included in the list of intangible cultural heritage from India. Earlier in 2017 this list also included the world famous Kumbh Mela, which is the largest peaceful gathering of pilgrims on earth. Yoga was also inscribed in this list in 2016.

Although Kolkata's Durga Puja has many special features, it is unique in that it is a source of livelihood for a large number of people, including artisans. Durga Puja also plays a big role in the economic structure of West Bengal. According to the British Council in India, the creative economy of Durga Puja was more than ₹32,000 crore in the year 2019 and it contributes 2.6% to the GDP of West Bengal.
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