EVERY Bong has reason to feel elated as the Paris headquartered UNSECO is considering India’s plea for recognizing Durga Puja held annually in September –October for protection and preservation. Kolkata’s Durga Puja is India’s official nomination for UNESCO’s 2020 list of cultural institutions that requires protection and preservation. This view has been conveyed by Sangeet Natak Akademi under the Union Ministry for Culture to The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Durga Puja, a ‘conglomeration of different cultures’ is India’s choice for its 2020 update. Professor Tapati Guha Thakurta led research team which has scripted the nomination dossier, has opined that “Kolkata’s Durga Puja has developed a special artistic profile which no other festival has with modern artists and designers coming together to produce a new urban art. This gives it a unique dimension.”Read More