Kolkata, 19th Sep: On the 18^th of September at Princep Ghat, a local female-led organization called Shrishti and a special initiative by Jayanta Dasgupta organized the biggest live makeup event.  People showed up in droves with their faces colored to look like mythological characters. The event was a great success with over 700 people showing up. The announcement video for the event announced the group’s intention to have the biggest gathering of make-up artists ever done in the world( the last such record was held by a group in China). The event was called ‘777 Maa Durga’ but people showed up as all kinds of mythological characters from Indian mythology.

On a related note, Durga Puja has been inscribed in the intangible cultural heritage list. Inscriptions to Representative List are one of the several ways by which UNESCO advocates the promotion and safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. The term cultural heritage has changed content considerably in recent decades, partially owing to the instruments developed by UNESCO. Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge, and practices concerning nature and the universe, or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

It is perhaps events like this that have made Durga Puja such a unique festival – it brings together disparate people through a common thread which is our love for the festival. In the video the enthusiasm of the people is palpable. No other city could have had an event like this and drawn people in such large numbers and perhaps that is what makes our city unique.