(Image source from: What's Up Life)

Kolkata’s renowned festival ‘Durga Puja’ has been nominated for UNESCO’s 2020 list of cultural institutions from around the world that require protection and preservation.

According to Sangeet Natak Akademi, the autonomous body under the Union ministry of culture has nominated Durga Puja as their official entry for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

As per the Akademi website, India currently has 13 cultural traditions under the UNESCO list.

Briefing more about the development, Professor Tapati Guha Thakurta said, as reported by Hindustan Times, “Kolkata’s Durga Puja has developed a special artistic profile, which no other festival has with modern artists and designers coming together to produce new urban art. This gives it a unique dimension.” Prof Thakurta led a five-member research team in preparing the nomination dossier for the Akademi.

Each year Durga Puja is celebrated with delight during the Hindu calendar of Aswin (September-October) each year for ten long days. During the entire period, people worship the nine different avatars of Hindu Goddess Durga, and the entire city of Kolkata is decorated.

Earlier in 2016, yoga was added to the list in 2016, while Kumbh Mela became part of world heritage in 2017. For 2018, ‘Sowa-Rigpa’ commonly known as the Tibetan system of medicine was nominated by the Union Ministry.

By Sowmya Sangam