In a landmark decision that celebrates a cornerstone of global cultural expression, UNESCO has inscribed Diwali, India’s iconic Festival of Lights, onto its prestigious Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The announcement, made during the 2025 session of UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in New Delhi, marks a significant international acknowledgment of the festival’s profound cultural and spiritual value.
This recognition by UNESCO is far more than a ceremonial title. It serves as a global mechanism for safeguarding living traditions, ensuring that knowledge, rituals, and skills are passed to future generations. For Diwali, inclusion signifies an international commitment to preserving the intricate web of practices, stories, and community bonds that the festival embodies, protecting it from the homogenizing forces of globalization.
Diwali, or Deepavali, is a pan-Indian festival with regional variations celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. At its universal core, it symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. The festival’s timing, based on the lunar calendar, typically falls between mid-October and mid-November. The five-day observance is not a single event but a carefully sequenced ritual journey: it begins with the cleansing of homes and financial ledgers (Dhanteras), peaks on the new moon night (Amavasya) with the lighting of countless diyas (earthen lamps), and concludes with the celebration of the bond between siblings (Bhai Dooj).
The rituals of Diwali create a powerful sensory and communal experience. Homes and public spaces undergo a transformative purification and decoration. The lighting of diyas and candles is an act of inviting the divine inner light (Atman) and Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, into one’s life. Fireworks, while increasingly debated for environmental reasons, historically represent the joyous noise that wards off negative energies.
One of the most visually stunning elements is the creation of rangoli. These intricate, geometric, or free-flowing designs made from colored rice flour, sand, or flower petals are laid at entrances. Far from mere decoration, rangoli is a sacred, transient art form. It functions as a welcoming gesture for deities and guests, a focus for meditation during creation, and, as the original text notes, a symbolic labyrinth to confuse and deter negative spirits. This practice showcases the fusion of art, spirituality, and mathematics in Indian tradition.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the decision, stating, “Delighted that UNESCO has recognized the deep spiritual and cultural significance of Diwali. It is not just a festival; it is the soul of Indian civilisation, radiating the message of unity, hope, and the eternal triumph of good.”
Diwali now joins 15 other elements from India on UNESCO’s list, forming a remarkable tapestry of the nation’s living heritage. This collection includes the disciplined science of Yoga, the ancient sonic precision of Vedic chanting, the planet’s largest peaceful gathering of the Kumbh Mela, and the vibrant communal worship of Durga Puja in Kolkata. Each inscription highlights a different facet of India’s intangible cultural wealth—from philosophical systems and performing arts to massive ritual congregations and urban festivals.
The inclusion of Diwali by UNESCO elevates it as a heritage of all humanity. It encourages cross-cultural understanding and dialogue, inviting people worldwide to appreciate the festival’s universal themes of renewal, gratitude, and the pursuit of light. For the global Indian diaspora, it provides a strengthened sense of identity and pride, validating their efforts to keep traditions alive far from the subcontinent. Ultimately, this recognition ensures that the luminous message of Diwali—a call to dispel inner and outer darkness—will continue to inspire generations to come.
