New Delhi, Dec. 10 -- India's Deepavali festival has been added to UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The announcement was made on Wednesday during a key session of UNESCO's Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, currently being held at Delhi's Red Fort.

This year marks the first time India is hosting the committee's annual meeting, now in its 20th edition and scheduled from December 8 to 13, news agency PTI reported.

As the inscription was declared, attendees at the venue broke into chants of "Vande Mataram" and "Bharat Mata ki Jai", underscoring the significance of the moment for the Indian delegation.

With Deepavali now recognised, India's tally on...