A year after Durga Puja made it to the prestigious list, India’s Deepavali — the festival of lights — was on Wednesday inscribed on Unesco’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.

The decision was taken during a key meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) being hosted at the Red Fort in Delhi . For the next year’s cycle, India has sent a nomination dossier for Bihar’s Chhat Puja for the consideration of the Unesco committee.

Hailing the nomination, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that “people in India and around the world are thrilled”.

“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

See Full Page