UNESCO selects Durga Puja ‘Preview Show’ for its convention

Kolkata: UNESCO has selected the ‘Preview Show’ of Durga Puja Art 2023 as part of its 20th anniversary celebration of the convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.

The Preview Show is centred on the temporary art installations associated with Durga Puja of the city. Kolkata’s Durga Puja has been included in 2021 in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The five-day event ahead of the Puja, from October 11 to 15, is aimed at creating space for the audience to appreciate the artistry before they are officially opened to the public.

A city-based social and cultural organisation, ‘massArt’, has joined hands with UNESCO and British Council to host the event which will be attended by diplomats, tourists and art lovers.

Ambassadors around the world are also being invited to the event.

“Our goal has been to promote Durga Puja as the largest art festival of the world since we believe this spectacle is one-of-its-kind in the world. There will be a tour of 26 puja pandals at night, offering an opportunity to see the making of the art installations at Town Hall,” said Sayantan Maitra, vice-president, massArt.

The tour will cover 22 theme-based pujas, including Chetla Agrani, Suruchi Sangha, Tridhara, Kashi Bose Lane, Dum Dum Park Bharat Chakra, Thakurpukur SB Park etc. Two traditional pujas, Sreebhumi Sporting Club and Ballygunge Cultural, and two household pujas of Colootala Roy Bari and Jorasanko Daw Bari, will be part of the conducted tour.

Since the pandals will remain overcrowded from October 20, a preview show was planned for foreign tourists with the objective of making the visits hassle-free and giving them a chance to interact with the artists.

Interested tourists need to pre-register to be considered for the tour invitation. The first edition of the event held last year witnessed about 20000 tourists getting a sneak peek into the best of the art that eastern India has to offer.