Practitioners performed demonstrations of Vietnamese Mother Goddess rituals in New Delhi, India on February 22, the Vietnam News Agency has reported.

Vietnamese worship of the Mother Goddess has received UNESCO recognition as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The UN Intergovernmental Committee made the official announcement at the 11th Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage held in Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia, late last year.

The news has been cause for celebration in Vietnam, particularly among the ancestor-worship community and scholars who have spent years advocating for UNESCO recognition.

The demonstrations were sponsored by the Vietnam Embassy to introduce Vietnamese spiritual practices and cultural heritage in India, the Vietnam News Agency reported Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh as saying.

The Mother Goddesses of the Three Realms represent deities from heaven, water, and mountains and forests, and have been affiliated with both real, historical figures, as well as mythical ones.

One key practice in the Mother Goddesses worship is len dong, a ritual in which the practitioner goes into a trance and assumes a particular deity in costume and dance to honour the Mother Goddesses.

These practices are carried out daily in local Vietnamese ceremonies, as well as at larger festivals and pilgrimages throughout the year.

VOV