Kolkata: ‘Durga Puja from Kolkata’ is now a world heritage site.
The 16th UNESCO committee to maintain the intangible cultural heritage (ICH), at a meeting on Wednesday in Paris, read the largest festival of Bengal on the list of representatives of intangible cultural heritage.
This is the first festival in Asia to accept recognition.
Durga Puja joins the practice and expression of other Indian culture, such as Kumbh Mela, Chhau Dance from Bengal and Odisha, Sankirtana from Manipur, Yoga, Ramlila, Buddhist singing in Ladakh and Nawruz on the ICH list.
The news was filled with euphoria.
“Proud problems and joy for every Indian! Durga Puja highlights the best of our traditions and ethic.
And, Durga Puja Kolkata is everyone’s experience,” Tweeted PM Narendra Modi.
CM Mamata Banerjee also tweeted her hypiness: “Proud moment for Bengal! For every # basically around the world, Durga Puja is far more than a festival, it is an emotion that brings together everyone.
And now, #durgapuja has been added to its representatives.
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List of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.
We are all radiant with joy! ” It was a long dream to see the festival found a prominent room above.
global map.
“Recognition as a World Heritage will not only attract more international tourists to Kolkata and Bengal, I believe it will also cause foreign investment at the festival,” said the founding forum of Partho Ghosh.
Guhah Thakurta’s historian, whose research on Durga Puja and his archive material and his team has compiled in the Jadunath Bhavan Museum & Resources, the Study Center Unit in Social Sciences (CSSS), helps to prepare documents sent.
For UNESCO by the Ministry of Cultural Union, believing the country and the creative economy that developed around Durga Puja will get a big boost after recognition.
“Durga Puja is a religious festival that has become a cultural and secular event.
It is also a room for social and artistic activities.
This prestigious tag will open this developing festival into the world,” he said.
Others who worked on documents and provided clarification for the query caused by UNESCO including CSSS research scholars Sandipan Mitra and Devi Chakrabarti, and filmmakers Ninanjan Bhattacharya.
A study assigned by the British Council on behalf of the Bengal Tourism Department to map the creative economy around Durga Puja also played an important role.
To get a larger community, a public meeting was held in 2018 with the active assistance of the State Tourism Department.
Forum members for Durgotsav, Puja theme artists, traditional households where Durga Puja has been held for more than a century and many others related to the festival have come.