Deepavali in UNESCO Intangible Heritage List: Significance, Criteria & India’s Living Traditions

Deepavali Latest News

• Deepavali, the Festival of Lights, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity during the 20th Intergovernmental Committee session held at New Delhi’s Red Fort. 
• It is now the 16th Indian cultural element on the prestigious list. 
• The inscription recognises Deepavali as a living tradition continuously recreated by communities, fostering social cohesion and contributing to cultural continuity and development.

Understanding UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List

• UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List recognises living traditions and skills — unlike monuments or archaeological sites. 
• It includes oral traditions, performing arts, festivals, social practices, traditional craftsmanship, and knowledge of nature. 
• These practices, such as India’s Garba and Kumbh Mela or France’s baguette-making, are passed across generations, strengthen cultural identity, and preserve humanity’s shared heritage.

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How a Tradition Gets Inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Heritage List

• For a cultural practice to be inscribed, UNESCO requires it to be inclusive, representative, and rooted in the community. 
• The aim is to recognise living traditions that embody shared identity and social habits — such as France’s baguette-making, which UNESCO says reflects everyday rituals and conviviality.
• To include an element on UNESCO’s Representative List of ICH, states must submit a nomination dossier for evaluation. Each country can nominate one element every two years. 
  • India nominated the ‘Deepavali’ Festival for the 2024–25 cycle.
• As globalisation and conflict threaten cultural diversity, UNESCO emphasises preserving these social histories. 
• The list also highlights traditions at risk: in 2022, four elements were marked for urgent safeguarding, including Vietnam’s Chăm pottery-making, Chile’s Santa Cruz de Cuca pottery, Albania’s Xhubleta garment craft, and Türkiye’s traditional Ahlat stonework.

India’s Cultural Heritages Recognised by UNESCO

• Apart from Deepavali added in 2025, India has several cultural traditions inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. 
• These include:
  • Festivals & Rituals: Durga Puja in Kolkata (2021), Kumbh Mela (2017), Nowruz (2016), Ramman festival of Garhwal (2009).
  • Performing Arts & Theatre: Sankirtana of Manipur (2013); Chhau dance, Kalbelia dance of Rajasthan, Mudiyettu of Kerala (2010); Kutiyattam Sanskrit theatre and Ramlila (2008).
  • Oral & Spiritual Traditions: Buddhist chanting of Ladakh (2012); Vedic chanting (2008).
  • Traditional Craftsmanship: Brass and copper utensil-making of the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab (2014).
• These entries reflect the diversity and richness of India’s living heritage.

Deepavali in UNESCO Intangible Heritage List

• Deepavali, India’s iconic festival of lights, has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, alongside 19 other global traditions in 2025. 
• This came a year after West Bengal’s Durga Puja made it to the prestigious list. The decision was taken during a key meeting of UNESCO being hosted at the Red Fort. 

What UNESCO Recognition Means for Deepavali

• Deepavali’s inscription enhances the festival’s global stature, strengthens efforts to preserve its traditions, and supports India’s cultural diplomacy, including among the diaspora. 
• The Intergovernmental Committee guiding the 2003 Convention promotes safeguarding measures, best practices, and funding support. 
• The recognition also boosts tourism, fosters cultural exchange, and helps sustain the artisans and communities who keep Deepavali’s living traditions vibrant.

UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List 2025: Key Additions

• The 2025 Representative List features a diverse set of cultural traditions from across the world. 
• Highlights include:
  • Performing Arts & Music: Amateur theatre of Czechia; Cuarteto music of Argentina; Cuban Son; Joropo of Venezuela; Mvet Oyeng musical art of Central Africa.
  • Festivals & Rituals: Deepavali (India); Gifaataa New Year festival (Ethiopia); Festivity of the Virgen of Guadalupe (Bolivia); Christmas Bram and Sambai (Belize).
  • Crafts & Traditional Skills: Brussels’ rod marionettes; Behzad’s miniature art (Afghanistan); Bisht weaving and practices across West Asia; Tangail saree weaving (Bangladesh); zaffa wedding tradition in parts of the Arab world.
  • Culinary Heritage: Commandaria wine (Cyprus); Koshary dish traditions (Egypt).
  • Community Practices: Guruna pastoral retreats (Chad–Cameroon); family circus tradition (Chile); Confraternity of flowers and palms (El Salvador); bagpipe craftsmanship in Bulgaria.

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