UNESCO’S RECOGNITION OF BENGAL’S DURGA PUJA AS INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE

UNESCO’s recognition of Bengal’s Durga Puja as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Durga Puja is ten days worship of the Hindu mother Goddess Durgā. It is held in the month of September or October in spring season among Bengalis, a community of India. In the months preceding the artisans sculpt the images of Mā Durgā and her family in their small workshops. The sculpts are done using bamboo, dry hay and unfired alluvial clay which are taken from the rivers. The festival begins on Mahālayā, the inagaural day of Devi Pakshā (Period of Celebration). The Goddess comes to life when the artisans paint the eyes on her and it ends on the Bijayā Dashami (Tenth day), when the idols are immersed on the river from where the clay came thereby completing the life cycle.

Center for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata prepared the dossier on the subject which was sent from The Ministry of Culture, Government of India  to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (popularly known as UNESCO) sixteenth session (2021) of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage for recognising “Bengal’s Durga Puja” as the “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity”. The institute also replied to all the queries raised by UNESCO satisfactorily.

The Intergovernmental committee which consisted of elected members from 24 countries from around the world, held the session from 13^th to 18^th December 2021where the decision was taken to give the prestigious tag to the Durga Puja of Bengal.

Babubagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee thought of creating more awareness among the general public regarding this honour of Bengal’s Durga Puja as well on various coins released by the Government of India. Thus on the Durga Puja 2022, a theme of “Indian Coin Park”, under the aegis of Prof Ms S.Gupta, was created to spread this awareness. At the pandal the replicas of commemorative coins from 1947 to till date were installed which were circulated in our country so that people know our important events and legends that shaped our country and also to know the importance of commemorative coins. The idol of Ma Durga, was symbolically made on a relief in an imaginative coin on which was written “UNESCO’s recognition of Bengal’s Durgapuja as Intangible Cultural Heritage 2022”.

To make this more relevant and everlasting, Babubagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee requested India Government Mint, Kolkata (a Unit of SPMCIL) (Under Min. of Finance, Govt. of India to make a Souvenir coin to honour this great recognition from UNESCO. Based on the request above, India Government Mint, Kolkata produced this coin to create an everlasting memory of this very special occasion and also to create awareness among one and all. The design of the coin has been based on the design provided by Babubagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee. The manufacturing of this coin involved a very complex process right from developing the mould to stamping the final impression on the coin. The coin has been produced utilising the artistic skill of highest quality (of artisan) and state of art technology machineries to ensure output of best possible quality.

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