Culture Ministry seeks partner support for multinational UNESCO nomination of Chhath Mahaparva
The Ministry of Culture held consultations on 16 September 2025 with envoys of the UAE, Suriname and the Netherlands to seek cooperation for a multinational nomination of Chhath Mahaparva to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.
Summary
The Ministry of Culture held a meeting at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), New Delhi, on 16 September 2025 with senior diplomats of the United Arab Emirates, Suriname and the Netherlands. The meeting sought their cooperation for a multinational nomination of Chhath Mahaparva to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the 2003 Convention. Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal chaired the meeting and later held a virtual interaction with Indian envoys to Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, the UAE and the Netherlands. Chhath Mahaparva, dedicated to the Sun God and Chhathi Maiya, is celebrated widely in Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal and among the diaspora in these countries.
Key facts
- Festival
- Chhath Mahaparva (Sun God and Chhathi Maiya)
- Target list
- UNESCO Representative List of the ICH of Humanity (2003 Convention)
- Venue
- IGNCA, New Delhi, 16 September 2025
- Partner countries consulted
- UAE, Suriname, Netherlands; envoys to Mauritius and Fiji too
- Chaired by
- Culture Secretary Vivek Aggarwal
Practice MCQs 3 questions
To which UNESCO list is India seeking a multinational nomination of Chhath Mahaparva, as discussed by the Ministry of Culture in September 2025?
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Correct answer: A — Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity
The nomination is for inscription on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the 2003 Convention.
Under which UNESCO convention would Chhath Mahaparva be inscribed on the intangible heritage list?
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Correct answer: B — 2003 Convention
The multinational nomination of Chhath Mahaparva is for the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity under the 2003 Convention.
Which of the following countries were represented by senior diplomats at the Ministry of Culture's IGNCA meeting of 16 September 2025 on the Chhath Mahaparva nomination?
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Correct answer: D — UAE, Suriname and the Netherlands
Senior diplomatic representatives of the UAE, Suriname and the Netherlands attended the IGNCA meeting; envoys to Mauritius and Fiji joined a separate virtual interaction later.