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A month after a deadly blast outside the Red Fort, heavy security mans the monument, which is the venue of a key UNESCO meet being held in India for the first time.

The 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is being hosted by India in the Mughal-era monument from December 8 to December 13.

The opening ceremony of the mega event was held on December 7, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attending it as the chief guest. 

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, and India’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma, were also present at the opening ceremony.

Security personnel, both from Delhi Police and paramilitary forces, are stationed at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, especially vigilant after the November 10 blast that killed 15 people and injured scores of others.

 

Also Read: Deepavali added to UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List

While an armed CISF guards the entry to the fort complex from its Delhi Gate side, security personnel keep a constant watch inside the fort as delegates and other guests travel in and out.

The 17th-century fort complex that comes under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is now closed to visitors in view of the event, with only delegates and media personnel who have been accredited by UNESCO and the host country, and issued dedicated badges, allowed to enter the Red Fort.

On Wednesday, India’s Deepavali, was inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, followed by a cultural programme hosted for delegates and others in the lawns facing the iconic ‘Diwan-i-Aam’, followed by a gala dinner.

Abu Dhabi-based Walid Al Halani, a member of the UAE delegation at the session, said it was a pleasure to be visiting India for the first time and knowing about its people.

Built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as the palace of his capital, Shahjahanabad, the Red Fort complex was also the venue for the maiden India Art, Architecture and Design Biennale in 2023.