Those who accused me of causing hindrance during festival should hide faces: Mamata after Durga Puja gets UNESCO heritage tag
Dec 16, 2021
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], December 17 : A day after UNESCO accorded a heritage tag to Durga puja in Kolkata, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that those who had accused her of causing hindrance during the observation of the festival should hide their faces.
The Chief Minister further said that she wants to make West Bengal number one in the world.
"I am overwhelmed with the prize that I got yesterday. Durga Puja has been inscribed on UNESCO's 'Intangible Heritage List'. Some people, who said Mamata didn't let people perform puja, should hide their faces. I want to make WB number one in the world," said Banerjee.
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Wednesday inscribed "Durga Puja in Kolkata" on the "Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity".
"Congratulations! Durga puja is now inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity! 14 ICH elements from India have been inscribed on this list by the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage," tweeted UNESCO.
Following the announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his delight calling it a "great pride and joy" for the countrymen.
Celebrated in Shukla Paksha of the month Ashwin in the Hindu calendar (September-October), Durga Puja is the major annual festival in West Bengal. It is also celebrated in other parts of India and especially amongst the Bengali diaspora.
The ten-day festival marks the worship of Goddess Durga. Months before the festival, artisanal workshops in Kolkata sculpt idols of Durga and her children (Lakhsmi, Saraswati, Kartik and Ganesh) using unfired clay from the river bed of Ganga.
The festival marks its beginning on the day Mahalaya when the ritual of 'pran pratistha' is done by painting the eyes on the goddess idol. Sasthi, Saptami, Ashtami...every day the festival has its own significance and set of rituals. The celebrations culminate on the tenth day known as Vijaya Dashami when the idols are immersed in the river from where the clay was sourced.
The significance of Durga puja goes beyond religion and is revered as the celebration of compassion, brotherhood, humanity, art and culture. The city of Kolkata turns into a dazzling diva with the decoration of colourful lights. The sound of 'dhaak' reverberates across the city. From new clothes to delicious food, there remains a merry-go-round mood during these days.
