NEW DELHI, Feb 6: India has submitted a proposal to UNESCO to recognize the Diwali festival as part of its Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity, announced Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Thursday.
In response to questions during the Rajya Sabha session, Shekhawat noted that the central government initiated this proposal in 2023.
He mentioned that UNESCO is expected to review the proposal this year.
Furthermore, Shekhawat indicated that the central government has not yet received any proposal for the inclusion of Pandharichi Vari, an annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur in Maharashtra, in the UNESCO ICH list.
Addressing a query from BJP member Dhairyasheel Mohan Patil, Shekhawat explained that it is the responsibility of state governments to send nominations to the central government or the Sangeet Natak Akademi, which acts as the primary agency for evaluating ICH proposals.
He highlighted that for an element to be included in UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH, state parties must present a nomination dossier for assessment by the UNESCO Committee.
“No proposal in the required format has been received,” he reiterated.
Additionally, Shekhawat mentioned that the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with the Sangeet Natak Akademi and support from the Solapur district administration and the Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple Trust, organized the Kala Pravah temple festival at the Shri Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj Bhavan last year.
This festival, which took place on June 23-24, featured performances including Bharud, Warkari Kirtan, Sapta Khanjiri Bhajan, Dashawtar, and the Warkari Dindi procession.
