India not only got to host the 20th UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee session from December 8-13 this year, but also saw its beloved festival of lights, Deepavali, being added to UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, making it the country’s 16th element on the list.

The announcement was made at the Red Fort in New Delhi in the presence of delegates from 194 member states, international experts, and other UNESCO representatives worldwide.

The festival has been inscribed under the 'Social practices, rituals and festive events' domain. The session was chaired by Vishal V. Sharma, Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO.

Countries must submit a nomination dossier for evaluation in order to potentially have an element added to the prestigious heritage l

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