The Chhath festival, dedicated to the Sun god and the goddess CHHHhati Maiya, is one of the oldest Indian festivals that are widely celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and across the Diaspora communities in Mauritius, Fiji, Aeraname. File | Photo Credit: Hind
The Ministry of Culture of the Union on Tuesday (September 16, 2025) organized a meeting with the leaders of the diplomatic representatives of SAE, Surinam and the Netherlands to seek to cooperate for the multinational nomination of the “Chhath” festival for the representative list of intangible cultural heritage in 2003.
The meeting was organized at the National Art Center Indira Gandhi for Art (IGNCA), chaired by Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture and Officials of the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of External Affairs, Sangeet Natak Academs and Ignco.
Diplomatic representatives welcomed the initiative and acknowledged the importance of the festival between the Indian diaspora in their countries and ensured the support of the nomination.
Then, the Secretary of the Union of Culture also held virtual interaction with Indian ambassadors and high commissioners on Mauritius, Fiji, Surinam, SAE and the Netherlands. They expressed full cooperation in the identification of communities and facilitating data for the nomination process.
The Chhath festival, dedicated to the Sun god and the goddess CHHHhati Maiya, is one of the oldest Indian festivals that are widely celebrated in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and across the Diaspora communities in Mauritius, Fiji, Aeraname.
The festival, known for its ecological and equality ethos, promotes respect for nature, sustainability, inclusivity and community spirit. Participation exceeds caste, religion and religion and rituals emphasize simplicity, devotion and self -discipline.
The proposed multinational nomination of “CHHHhat” is of immense importance to India. His recognition of UNESCO would show Indian live cultural traditions and universal values on the global scene, and at the same time strengthened the cultural pride between the Diaspora communities around the world, the Ministry of Trade Union Culture said in an official statement.
With 15 intangible elements of cultural heritage, which have already been written on the UNESCO list, India is one of the leading countries in the protection of intangible cultural heritage.
Published – 16 September 2025 20:38
