West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took part in a colourful rally to thank UNESCO for according the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) tag to Durga Puja.
Representatives of more than 1,000 Durga Puja committees took part in the rally that began in the Jorasanko area in north Kolkata. The TMC supremo led the rally, and was accompanied by party colleagues Firhad Hakim, Sudip Bandyopadhyay, Aroop Biswas and Shashi Panja which will end on Red Road.
"I would like to thank UNESCO for according ICH tag to Durga Puja. From today onwards, our festivities have begun one month in advance. I welcome people from all walks of life to participate in the rally, and thank everyone watching this rally from around the world," she said, while inaugurating the rally.
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Before the rally, Banerjee described Durga Puja as an emotion of the Bengalis that unites people above the "parochial barriers". "Durga Puja is an emotion that rises above parochial barriers and brings us together. It unites the magnificence of art with spirituality. We thank UNESCO for recognising Durga Puja as an intangible cultural heritage and honouring the labour of love of everyone involved," she tweeted.
In the concluding programme on Red Road, Banerjee is scheduled to hand over an earthen idol of Goddess Durga to the representatives of UNESCO. Representatives of at least 1,200 renowned Durga Pujas in Kolkata, Howrah and Salt Lake took part in the rally dressed in traditional Bengali outfits. Participants were seen playing 'dhak', flute, singing puja songs and dancing. Similar rallies were also organised in other districts.
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(With PTI inputs)
