বাংলায় পড়ুন
If there’s one festival that West Bengal plans from the beginning of the year and mark the dates- it is Durga Puja. The five-day celebration is no less than emotions for Bongs. The city looks fabulous in the dazzling lights, the artistic puja pandals, the awe-inspiring decorations, the attractive dhunuchi naach and dhaaker beats. Add a little spice to the already grand mixture; we get the soulful morning anjaali, the alluring smell of bhog and the fervid chanting of prayers. Apart from Maa Durga’s tale as Mahishashurmardini, the airport expresses tales and tears as it welcomes Bengalis from across the world who visit their families and enjoy this week with utmost delight. The exhilaration of the thousands of Bengalis during this time is unmatched. Now, we get more reasons to celebrate this iconic festival as this is India’s official entry to the UNESCO heritage list.
The worthy nomination has been put forward by Sangeet Natak Akademi, which is dedicated to performing arts and is supervised by the Government of India. Official statements declare that Durga Puja festival is India’s official entry to the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) by UNESCO for the upcoming year of 2020. The ICH aims at ensuring better protection of intangible cultural heritage worldwide and makes people aware of its significance. One who hasn’t experienced the grandeur of the Durga Puja festivities will be now made aware to delve into its uniqueness. In the past years, Kumbh Mela, Yoga, Chhau Dance, Kutiyattam, Vedic Chanting, Sankirtana and seven other events have made it to the ICH list from India. The uniqueness in this year’s nomination is that Durga Puja is the first festival to be nominated for ICH on behalf of our country. The worldwide acceptance and love for this festival is indeed a proud moment for all of us.
