**Executive Summary**
The document announces that Deepavali has been inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The inscription took place during the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee held at the Red Fort, New Delhi. The Ministry of Culture urges citizens to embrace the spirit of inclusivity and unity reflected in Deepavali.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **UNESCO Inscription:**
* Deepavali is now on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
* The inscription acknowledges Deepavali as a living heritage that strengthens social bonds and supports traditional craftsmanship.
* **Significance & Impact:**
* The inscription marks a moment of immense pride for India and communities worldwide that keep the spirit of Deepavali alive.
* Deepavali embodies unity, renewal, and social cohesion, with practices like lighting diyas and making rangoli.
* Deepavali carries the universal message of “Tamso Ma Jyotirgamaya" (the transition from darkness to light).
* Celebrations carried across continents by the Indian diaspora have strengthened cultural bridges.
* **Ministry of Culture's Role:**
* The nomination was prepared by the Ministry of Culture through the Sangeet Natak Akademi, following extensive consultations.
* The Ministry welcomed the decision, expecting it to promote global awareness and safeguard community-based traditions.
* **Citizen Responsibility**
* The inscription brings a renewed responsibility to safeguard and transmit this heritage to future generations.
* The Union Minister urged citizens to embrace the spirit of inclusivity and unity reflected in Deepavali and to continue supporting India's rich intangible cultural traditions.
**Impact Analysis**
**Indian Communities and the Diaspora**
* **Impact:** Increased recognition and pride in their cultural heritage, strengthening their cultural identity.
* **Action Required:** Continue celebrating and preserving Deepavali traditions, transmitting them to future generations.
**Artisans, Craftspeople, and Tradition Bearers**
* **Impact:** Acknowledgment of their contributions to Deepavali and their role in sustaining cultural traditions.
* **Action Required:** Continue their crafts and practices, ensuring the continuity of Deepavali traditions.
**Ministry of Culture**
* **Impact:** The Ministry of Culture has successfully helped India get recognition on UNESCO's List.
* **Action Required:** Continue promoting awareness of India's intangible cultural heritage and reinforcing efforts to safeguard community-based traditions for future generations.
**UNESCO**
* **Impact:** UNESCO has acknowledged the importance of cultural traditions in promoting sustainability.
* **Action Required:** Continue their efforts toward livelihood enhancement, gender equality, cultural education and community welfare.
Key Entities Referenced
Deepavali: Indian festival inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, whose Intergovernmental Committee inscribed Deepavali on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Ministry of Culture: The Indian ministry that prepared the nomination for Deepavali's inscription and welcomed UNESCO's decision.
Sangeet Natak Akademi: Organization through which the Ministry of Culture prepared the nomination for Deepavali.
India: Country for which Deepavali's inscription represents a moment of pride and whose intangible cultural heritage is promoted by the inscription.
Ministry of Culture
Deepavali Inscribed on UNESCO’s
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity
A moment of immense pride for India and for communities
across the world who keep alive the timeless spirit of
Deepavali: Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
प्रव तथ: 10 DEC 2025 12:09PM by PIB Delhi
Deepavali, one of India’s most widely celebrated living traditions, has now been inscribed on the
Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity today during the 20th Session of the
UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee, held at the Red Fort, New Delhi
The inscription was adopted in the presence of Union Minister of Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,
Shri Vivek Aggarwal Secretary, Ministry of Culture, along with the senior officials of Ministry of Culture
and delegates from 194 Member States, international experts, and representatives of UNESCO’s global
network.
Addressing the international delegates, the Union Minister of Culture stated that the inscription marks a
moment of immense pride for India and for communities across the world who keep alive the timeless
spirit of Deepavali. Minister noted that the festival embodies the universal message of “Tamso Ma
Jyotirgamaya” the transition from darkness to light, symbolising hope, renewal, and harmony.
Highlighting the living and people-centric nature of the festival, the Union Minister emphasised that
Deepavali thrives through the contributions of millions including potters crafting traditional diyas, artisans
preparing festive decor, farmers, sweet makers, priests, and households that uphold age-old customs. The
recognition, the Minister noted, is a tribute to the collective cultural labour that sustains this tradition.
Union Minister also acknowledged the vibrant role of the Indian diaspora, whose celebrations across
Southeast Asia, Africa, the Gulf, Europe, and the Caribbean have carried the message of Deepavali across
continents and strengthened cultural bridges.The inscription brings with it a renewed responsibility to safeguard and transmit this heritage to future
generations. Union Minister urged citizens to embrace the spirit of inclusivity and unity reflected in
Deepavali and to continue supporting India’s rich intangible cultural traditions.
Recognised for its deep cultural significance and its role as a people’s festival celebrated across regions,
communities, and the global Indian diaspora, Deepavali embodies the principles of unity, renewal and
social cohesion. Its diverse practices such as lighting of diyas, rangoli making, traditional crafts, rituals,
community gatherings, and intergenerational transmission of knowledge reflect the festival’s enduring
vitality and its ability to adapt across time and geography.
The nomination, prepared by the Ministry of Culture through the Sangeet Natak Akademi, followed an
extensive nationwide consultation involving practitioners, artisans, agrarian communities, diaspora
groups, individuals with special needs, transgender communities, cultural organisations, and tradition
bearers from across India. Their collective testimonies highlighted Deepavali’s inclusive character, its
community-led continuity, and its wide ecosystem of livelihoods from potters and rangoli artists to sweet-
makers, florists, and craftspeople.
UNESCO’s inscription acknowledges Deepavali as a living heritage that strengthens social bonds,
supports traditional craftsmanship, reinforces values of generosity and wellbeing, and contributes
meaningfully to several Sustainable Development Goals, including livelihood enhancement, gender
equality, cultural education and community welfare.
The Ministry of Culture welcomed the decision, noting that the inscription will further promote global
awareness about India’s intangible cultural heritage and reinforce efforts to safeguard community-based
traditions for future generations.
***
M Annadurai
(रलीज़ आईडी: 2201320) आगंतुक पटल : 3361
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