India’s Deepavali has been officially inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during a landmark session at Delhi’s Red Fort. Disclaimer: We do not own any of the content, ideas, images, or text presented here. All rights belong to their respective owners. For more information and to view the original source, please visit the following link: Source link
Last Updated:December 10, 2025, 16:02 IST Deepawali is now on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, honoring its cultural significance, artistic traditions, and celebration by millions across India and the world. Deepawali is now on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list, honoring its cultural significance, artistic traditions, and celebration by millions across India and the world. (Image: AI-Generated) India’s Festival of Lights, Deepawali, has been officially added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The inscription, announced on December 1, recognises the festival’s deep cultural significance and its role in strengthening community bonds across India and the world. The inscription was adopted in the presence of Union Minister of Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and delegates from 194 Member states and international experts. Minister noted that the festival embodies the universal message of “Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya” the transition from darkness to light, symbolising hope, renewal, and harmony. Minister noted that the festival embodies the universal message of “Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya” the transition from darkness to light, symbolising hope, renewal, and harmony. (Image: PIB) …
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on Wednesday hailed the inscription of the festival of Deepavali to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Intangible Heritage List, saying the recognition reflects the festival’s deep connection with India’s culture and civilisational ethos and will further enhance its global appeal. In a post on X, PM Modi said, “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 of Deepavali to the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List will contribute to the festival`s global popularity even further. May the ideals of Prabhu Shri Ram keep guiding us for eternity.” Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also welcomed UNESCO’s decision. In his post on X, he said the inscription recognises Deepavali’s immense cultural, religious and spiritual significance, as well as its role in fostering unity and togetherness. UNESCO formally inscribed Deepavali on its list of intangible cultural heritage on Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs …
A total of 67 nominations submitted by nearly 80 countries, including India’s ‘Deepavali’ festival, will be examined during the course of the nearly week-long key session of the UNESCO on safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage that began at Delhi’s Red Fort on Monday. New Delhi: UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany during the inaugural ceremony of the 20th Session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.(PTI) The 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) is being held at the iconic Mughal-era heritage site from December 8 to 13. This is the first time that India is hosting a session of the UNESCO panel. The committee will examine a “total of 67 nominations submitted by 79 countries” for inscription on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage lists, according to the Paris-headquartered world body. “More than recognition, these lists are a powerful tool for preservation — as the last weavers of the Poncho Para’i in Paraguay can attest,” it said. The ancestral and traditional techniques for the elaboration of …
Garbage kept uncleared at a city transfer station caught fire on the night of October 31, as per a news report, which has seen the light of the day rather late. Several tonnes of trash collected from areas around Secunderabad had piled up at the Neredmet garbage transfer station managed by the Hyderabad Integrated MSW Limited. The sources said that the cause of the fire was a random firecracker that fell on the trash pile. A fire tender was reportedly called to the location along with the police, which doused the blaze. There were no casualties or injuries. While the news was sought to be kept under wraps, video clips which surfaced later showed the blaze and the attempts to douse it. “The next day after the festival, about eight to 10 trucks of garbage were reportedly moved out from the facility, with each truck carrying about eight tonnes of waste,” sources said. Transfer stations are the intermediary locations where the garbage collected from households, roads and commercial entities is dumped, before it is segregated …
With Deepavali season fast approaching, white pumpkins are in great demand in the market. | Photo Credit: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar Mounds of white pumpkins made an appearance on the roadside all over Tirupati over the last three days. It is an ancient practice to fill pumpkins with vermilion and break them on the road to ward off the ‘evil eye’. The practice is extensively observed during the Dasara-Deepavali season spread over a fortnight. It is during this part of the year that the trading community cleans up their premises and performs the annual Puja coinciding with Deepavali-Amavasya. Though Deepavali festival generally coincides with the new moon day (Amavasya), they fell on two successive days this year, i.e., Thursday and Friday (October 31 and November 1, 2024), pushing the traders into a fix over when to celebrate the event. Consultations with astrologers and priests led them to a conclusion of observing it on either of the two days. The pile started melting, with the hot sale of pumpkins happening from Thursday morning till Friday noon, only …
Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital in Hyderabad received 50 patients who suffered from firecracker injuries. | Photo Credit: Siddharth Kumar Singh Deepavali, the festival of lights, turned somber for several Hyderabad residents this year, as government hospitals in the city reported cases of people suffering from firecracker injuries. The air in the emergency block of Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital was quiet but tense on Friday (November 1, 2024) morning. Rows of beds lined the Female Ophthalmic Ward (FOW). Though most were empty, three young patients were in the ward, each admitted within the last 12 hours. They were young children, each with bandages over one or both eyes—a silent testament to a night of celebration turned into pain. Naresh sat beside one of the beds, watching over his six-year-old daughter, Srinidhi, as she rested. Just hours earlier, their Diwali celebration at their home in Kismatpur was filled with the usual excitement of sparkles and laughter. But in a split second, the joy had turned to alarm. “She was holding a sparkler. Most of it was burnt, …
TANTEA workers staging a protest demanding a raise in bonus in Coonoor on Monday. | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Workers from the Tamil Nadu Tea Plantation Corporation (TANTEA) staged a protest near the office headquarters in Coonoor on Monday, demanding increase in their Deepavali bonus. Stating that over 2,000 to 3,000 people were still employed at TANTEA estates in the Nilgiris and Valparai, the workers demanded that they be given bonus amounting to 20 percent of their salary, in addition to their monthly salary, Deepavali. They said that while employees of certain PSUs were given a bonus amounting to 20 percent, the government had announced only 10 percent bonus for TANTEA employees. “TANTEA workers work in extremely dangerous and difficult circumstances, risking their lives. It is a huge disservice to deny them commensurate bonus, especially as only a few thousand workers are still employed,” said K. Vetrivel, from the Socialist Thozhilalar Munnetra Sangam. The workers have decided to go on strike from Monday onwards, till the government agrees to pay them 20 percent bonus. The …
Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar | Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Andhra Pradesh is set to launch distribution of three free LPG cylinders annually to eligible households this Deepavali. Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar has announced that the government has completed preparations for this programme, aimed at easing financial strain for families across the State. Addressing a press conference at the Secretariat here on Friday (October 25, 2024), the Minister said that the scheme would begin on October 29, allowing beneficiaries to book their first gas cylinder, with deliveries starting on October 31. Beneficiaries need to meet basic eligibility requirements, including possessing an LPG connection, a white ration card, and Aadhaar linkage. The initiative, covering 1.47 crore ration cardholders, was expected to cost the government approximately ₹2,684.75 crore annually. The government arranged an advance payment of ₹894.92 crore to oil companies to ensure its smooth implementation. The subsidy payments would be directly credited to recipients’ bank accounts within 48 hours of the delivery of a cylinder. Each family could claim …
Task Force teams of Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety conducted inspections at sweet shops in the Ameerpet area of Hyderabad on Thursday (on October 24, 2024). | Photo Credit: @cfs_telangana As the festive season of Deepavali approaches, sweet shops across Hyderabad have been drawing large crowds. In an effort to ensure food safety, the Task Force teams of Telangana’s Commissioner of Food Safety conducted inspections in the Ameerpet area of Hyderabad on Thursday (on October 24, 2024). The inspections revealed hygiene violations at several popular sweet shops. Delhi Mithai Wala was found lacking essential documentation, such as medical fitness certificates and water analysis reports. Additionally, the shop did not have a FOSTAC-trained supervisor on-site. The inspectors noted that the doors and windows were not equipped with insect-proof screens, and expired food items – including peanuts and pan matri – were discovered in the kitchen. Unlabelled curd and milk were stored, while sugar bags were placed directly on the floor, violating storage norms. Rat droppings were found in the storeroom, and open dustbins were observed inside …
