Proposal sent to UNESCO to include Diwali as Intangible Cultural Heritage: Centre

India has sent a proposal to UNESCO for inclusion of the Diwali festival in its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity, Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Thursday. Replying to supplementaries in the Rajya Sabha, Shekhawat said the Central government had sent the proposal to include the Diwali festival in the list of ICH of UNESCO in 2023.

He said the proposal is expected to be examined by UNESCO this year.

Shekhawat said the Centre has not received any proposal for inclusion of Pandharichi Vari, the annual pilgrimage to Pandharpur, of Maharashtra in the ICH list of UNESCO.


Responding to a question by BJP member Dhairyasheel Mohan Patil, Shekhawat said the state government sends proposals to the Centre or the Sangeet Natak Akademi, which is the nodal agency to examine the ICH proposals.

He said for inclusion of an element in the UNESCO's Representative List of ICH, the state parties are required to submit a nomination dossier on the relevant element for evaluation and examination by the UNESCO Committee.

"No proposal in prescribed format has been received," Shekhawat said.

He said the Ministry of Culture, through Sangeet Natak Akademi and the support of the Solapur district administration and the Shri Vitthal Rukmini Temple Trust, Pandharpur, had organized Kala Pravah, a temple festival at Shri Jagadguru Sant Tukaram Maharaj Bhavan last year.

The festival, held on June 23-24 last year, included performances of Bharud, Warkari Kirtan, Sapta Khanjiri Bhajan, Dashawtar and Warkari Dindi procession, Shekhawat said.