In a key cultural-policy milestone, UNESCO has inscribed Deepavali on its Intangible Cultural Heritage List for 2025—marking India’s 16th entry. The recognition strengthens the festival’s international legal status, triggers safeguarding obligations, and enhances global visibility for community-led traditions central to India’s cultural identity.
In a major policy development, UNESCO has finally inscribed “Deepavali – the Festival of Light” on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for the 2025 cycle. The decision was taken during the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee, currently underway at the Red Fort in New Delhi. Deepavali has now become India’s 16th recognised intangible heritage element, after earlier inscriptions including Gujarat’s Garba and Kolkata’s Durga Puja.
Nature of the Intangible Cultural Heritage List
Thus, the ICH list differs from UNESCO’s tangible heritage framework in that it focuses on living cultural practices rather than physical monuments or sites. It includes oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, social practices and rituals, knowledge concerning nature and the universe, and traditional craftsmanship. The objective is to ensure the safeguarding of community-based practices rooted in cultural identity and diversity.
India’s Growing Visibility on the World’s Cultural Map
UNESCO’s ICH list now has around 700 elements from 140 member states. With Deepavali, India joins the list with a total of 16 such elements. The country’s accepted elements are Kumbh Mela, Yoga, Vedic chanting traditions, Ramlila, Garba, and Durga Puja. India has also submitted Bihar’s Chhath Puja for consideration in the next cycle.
Criteria and Process for Inscription UNESCO requires inscription to be inclusive, community-driven, and representative of living heritage. Previous inclusions have included the artisanal heritage of the French baguette, which UNESCO highlighted as integral to the cultural identity and social ritual of quotidian life in France. As conflicts continue to rise across the world and cultural homogenization ensues, the safeguarding of diverse social histories becomes an issue of high importance. Implications of Recognition of Diwali The recognition is bound to enhance the festival’s international status and also aid India in its quest to preserve and promote community-based traditions. The Intergovernmental Committee provides technical guidance on safeguarding measures and access to the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund. For India, the inclusion also serves some diplomatic and cultural-policy ends—particularly in terms of its worldwide diaspora. Practically, the listing may promote cultural tourism, improve international cultural exchange, and help ensure long-term livelihoods for artisans, performers, and traditional craft communities associated with Deepavali.
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