Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the UNESCO's 'Intangible Heritage list'. “Durga Puja in Kolkata has just been inscribed on the #IntangibleHeritage list," UNESCO said in a tweet.

The decision to inscribe ‘Durga puja in Kolkata’ in the list was taken on Wednesday, the second day of the 16th session of the intergovernmental committee, which is being held is Paris from December 13 to 18.

“The festival was particularly praised for its all-inclusive approach cutting across barriers of religion, gender and economic strata,” said an official of the Union ministry of culture who is posted in West Bengal.

The inscription on the UNESCO’s website reads, “Durga Puja is seen as the best instance of the public performance of religion and art, and as a thriving ground for collaborative artists and designers. The festival is characterized by large-scale installations and pavilions in urban areas, as well as by traditional Bengali drumming and veneration of the goddess. During the event, the divides of class, religion and ethnicities collapse as crowds of spectators walk around to admire the installations.”

Durga Puja is an annual festival celebrated in September or October, most notably in West Bengal's Kolkata, also in other parts of India. It marks the ten-day worship of the Hindu mother-goddess Durga.

The last time an Indian festival got this recognition with the Kumbh mela in 2017 and Yoga in 2016. Traditional brass and copper craft of Punjab got the recognition in 2014, while Manipur’s Sankirtana ritual singing got it in 2013.

Image courtesy: SNS