UNESCO heritage sites

GS PAPER I: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.

Context: Six sites have been added to India’s tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites.

• Six of the nine sites submitted by the Archaeological Survey of India had been accepted by UNESCO for inclusion in the tentative list, which is a requirement before the final nomination of any site.
• The final nomination for a site could be submitted after the proposal had been on the tentative list for a year, so the time would be used to prepare the dossier.
• The recently included proposals are the
  • Ganga ghats in Varanasi
  • Temples of Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu
  • Satpura Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh
  • Maratha military architecture in Maharashtra
  • the Hire Bengal megalithic site in Karnataka
  • Bhedaghat-Lametaghat of Narmada Valley in Madhya Pradesh.
• The six proposals were included in the list, taking the total number of proposals from India to 48, according to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

About UNESCO World Heritage sites:

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites are important places of cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.
• Presently, there are 38 World Heritage Sites located in India.
• India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world.

Cultural (30)

• Agra Fort (1983)
• Ajanta Caves (1983)
• Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (2016)
• Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
• Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)
• Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
• Elephanta Caves (1987)
• Ellora Caves (1983)
• Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
• Great Living Chola Temples (1987,2004)
• Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
• Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
• Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
• Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013)
• Historic City of Ahmadabad (2017)
• Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)
• Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019)
• Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
• Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
• Mountain Railways of India (1999,2005,2008)
• Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
• Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (2014)
• Red Fort Complex (2007)
• Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
• Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
• Taj Mahal (1983)
• The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016)
• The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)
• Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018)

Natural (7)

• Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014)
• Kaziranga National Park (1985)
• Keoladeo National Park (1985)
• Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
• Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988,2005)
• Sundarbans National Park (1987)
• Western Ghats (2012)

Mixed (1)

• Khangchendzonga National Park (2016)

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/6-unesco-heritage-sites-added-in-india/article34600080.ece