In pics: ‘Durga Puja in Kolkata’ bags UNESCO heritage status

New Delhi, Dec 15: The UNESCO on Wednesday accorded heritage status to West Bengal's Durga puja festival, a move that has been hailed by the people of the state.

"Durga puja in Kolkata has just been inscribed on the intangible heritage list. Congratulations India," the UN agency posted on Twitter with a picture of an idol of the goddess attached to it.

Durga Puja is a carnival

Suvaprasanna, the chairman of State Heritage Commission, said the Red road carnival, which displays the craftsmanship that goes into the making of Durga puja pandals, have made more people across the world aware of the grandeur that is synonymous with the festival.

A matter of pride says PM Modi

A matter of great pride and joy for every Indian!

Durga Puja highlights the best of our traditions and ethos. And, Kolkata's Durga Puja is an experience everyone must have, tweets PM Modi.

Durga Puja is an expression of dance, music, crafts,

Durga Puja not only is a celebration of the feminine divinity but is a consummate expression of dance, music, crafts, rituals, practices culinary and cultural aspects. The festival transcends the boundaries of caste, creed and economic classes and joins the people together in its celebration.

India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements

With the inscription of Durga Puja in Kolkata, India now has 14 intangible cultural heritage elements on the prestigious UNESCO Representative List of ICH of Humanity. In recent years, the ICH elements that saw inscriptions areKumbh Mela (inscribed 2017), Yoga (inscribed 2016) among others.

Image credit: @UNESCO

India is a signatory of the 2003 UNESCO Convention which aims for the Safeguarding of the Intangible of theIntangible Heritage along with traditions and living expression.

Intangible cultural heritage means the practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills - as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated with them that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as a part of their cultural heritage.

Furthermore, its importance is not in the cultural manifestation itself, but in the wealth of knowledge, know-how and skills that are transmitted from one generation to the next.