Source: UNESCO
Context: Deepavali has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee in New Delhi.
About Deepavali on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List:
- What it is?
- Deepavali is a multi-regional, multi-faith festival symbolising light over darkness, hope, renewal and community harmony, celebrated across India and the global diaspora.
- Historical Roots:
- With references in Itihasas, Puranas and regional traditions, Deepavali commemorates diverse legends—return of Rama to Ayodhya, Krishna’s victory over Narakasura, worship of Lakshmi, and harvest rituals—reflecting India’s cultural pluralism.
- Key Features of Deepavali as Living Heritage:
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- Social practice: Lighting diyas, rangoli, community feasts, rituals and intergenerational transmission of customs.
- People-centric festival: Sustained by potters, artisans, farmers, sweet-makers, florists and priests, forming a vast cultural-livelihood ecosystem.
- Diaspora celebrations: Celebrated across Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe, the Gulf and the Caribbean, strengthening India’s cultural diplomacy.
- Values embodied: Inclusivity, unity, generosity, wellbeing and the moral ideal of Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya.
About Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH):
- What it is?
- ICH refers to living traditions, expressions, rituals, performing arts, craftsmanship and knowledge systems that communities recognise as part of their cultural identity.
- Origin:
- UNESCO adopted the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003), which came into force in 2006; India ratified it in 2005.
- Aim: To safeguard living heritage, support practitioners, promote cultural diversity, transmission, community participation and intercultural dialogue.
- Features of the ICH Framework:
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- Community-based: Heritage must be recognised by the communities who practise it.
- Dynamic & living: Includes traditional and contemporary expressions adapting across time.
- Five domains: Oral traditions, performing arts, social practices & rituals, knowledge concerning nature, and craftsmanship.
- Representative List: Highlights practices that contribute to humanity’s cultural diversity.
- Safeguarding Measures: States must inventory, conserve, support practitioners and report periodically.
