Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage decided, in its 16th session, to inscribed ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Highlights

• 16^th session of UNESCO is being held, starting from December 13, 2021. It will conclude on December 18, 2021.
• Till now, Durga Puja was celebrated in many parts worldwide. But an official global recognition was pending.
• Durga Puja is a classic fusion of religion and culture. It is regarded with a lot of pride. This festival is performed and celebrated predominantly by the Bengali community.

About Durga Puja

Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival. It is also known as Durgotsava or Sharodotsava. The festival originates in the Indian subcontinent which reveres and pays homage to Hindu goddess Durga. It is celebrated to mark goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasur. This festival is particularly popular and traditionally celebrated in states like West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Tripura, Assam, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttarakhand as well as in Bangladesh. Durga Puja is a ten-day festival. Out of this, last five are most significance.