KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Durga Puja festivities will start 10 days prior in 2022 to celebrate the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) tag accorded to the "unique" festival by UNESCO.
The CM was speaking at a meeting here with Trinamool Congress councillors.
"This honour is the result of our determination, our perseverance. It is recognition of a unique festival like Durga Puja, which is unparalleled in the world," she said.
"It is also the success of the members of puja committees, who work so hard and with great passion," Banerjee said.
UNESCO had on Wednesday announced that the Durga Puja in Kolkata has been inscribed on the agency's list of 'Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity'.