A festival the world recognises

In 2021, Durga Puja in Kolkata was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

The festival falls in the month of Ashvin (September–October). It lasts ten days, and the final five are the most prominent. Alongside Durga, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Ganesha and Kartikeya are worshipped.

EditorialWhat UNESCO recognised is not a single temple or ritual. It is a whole city's practice: artisans, para committees, light-makers, dhakis, cooks and the millions who walk the streets to look.