Grand celebration to be held at Dilli Haat over likely inscription of Diwali in UNESCO list

New Delhi: Delhi Art and Culture minister Kapil Mishra said a grand Diwali-like celebration will be held on Wednesday at Dilli Haat over the likely inscription of the Deepavali festival in the UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage.

In a first, India is hosting a session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH). The 20th session of the panel, which began on December 8, is taking place at the Red Fort and will conclude on December 13.

According to officials, the decision on Deepavali will be announced on Wednesday.

Expecting a favourable outcome, the Delhi Government, as per the information, is preparing for grand programmes across the national capital, including one at Dilli Haat, which will be attended by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her entire Cabinet.

India currently has 15 elements inscribed on the coveted UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and these include the Kumbh Mela, the Durga Puja in Kolkata, the Garba dance of Gujarat, yoga, the tradition of Vedic chanting and Ramlila -- the traditional performance of the epic Ramayana.