2023 - Bengal's Durga Puja | Mint Souvenir Token

A souvenir token was issued on occasion of 'UNESCO's recognition of Bengal's Durga Puja as International Culture Heritage' from Kolkata Mint.

Durga Puja is a ten-day worship celebration of the Hindu mother Goddess Durgā. This grand event is typically held in the months of September or October, marking the arrival of the spring season, and it is especially significant among the Bengali community in India. In the months leading up to the festival, artisans painstakingly craft the images of Mā Durgā and her divine family in their small workshops. These sculptures are created using bamboo, dry hay, and unfired alluvial clay collected from nearby rivers.

The festivities commence on Mahālayā, the inaugural day of Devi Pakshā (the Period of Celebration). The Goddess is believed to come to life when the artisans paint her eyes, and the entire celebration culminates on Bijayā Dashami (the Tenth Day). On this day, the idols are immersed in the river, from which the clay was sourced, completing the symbolic life cycle.

The Center for Studies in Social Sciences, Kolkata, prepared a comprehensive dossier on this subject, which was then forwarded by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) during its sixteenth session in 2021. At this session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, there was an effort to have "Bengal's Durga Puja" recognized as the "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity." The institute effectively responded to all the queries raised by UNESCO.

The Intergovernmental committee, comprising elected members from 24 countries around the world, held its session from December 13th to 18th, 2021, during which they decided to confer the prestigious recognition upon Bengal's Durga Puja.

In order to raise awareness among the general public regarding this esteemed recognition of Bengal's Durga Puja, the Babubagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee devised a unique theme for the 2022 Durga Puja celebration. This theme, titled "Indian Coin Park" under the guidance of Prof. Ms. S. Gupta, aimed to spread awareness about the commemorative coins issued by the Government of India. At the pandal (temporary structure) of the Durga Puja celebration, replicas of commemorative coins issued from 1947 to the present were displayed, allowing people to learn about significant events and legends that have shaped India. The idol of Ma Durga was symbolically depicted on a relief, resembling an imaginative coin inscribed with "UNESCO's recognition of Bengal's Durga Puja as Intangible Cultural Heritage 2022."

To make this recognition more enduring, the Babubagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee approached the India Government Mint, Kolkata, which operates under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, to create a commemorative coin. The purpose of this coin was to honor and preserve the memory of this significant UNESCO recognition while also fostering awareness among the public. The design of the coin was based on the specifications provided by the Babubagan Sarbojanin Durgotsav Committee. The coin's production involved a complex process, from developing the mold to imprinting the final design on the coin. It was crafted with the highest level of artisanal skill and state-of-the-art technology to ensure the highest possible quality.

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