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Seven new properties, including Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra, and Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills in Andhra Pradesh, have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO's World Heritage for India, according to officials. The Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO said the addition of these properties highlight India's "commitment to the preservation and conversation of its rich cultural heritage". In a post on X on September 12, India at UNESCO, said, "The Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO is happy to announce that India's 7 properties have been added to the Tentative List of UNESCO's World Heritage Convention." These seven properties under the natural category include Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra); Geological Heritage of St Mary's Island Cluster (Udupi, Kamataka); Meghalayan Age Caves (East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya); Naga Hill Ophiolite (Kiphire, Nagaland), the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO said in a ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the inscription of 'Maratha Military Landscapes' on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and said every Indian is elated with this recognition. 'Maratha Military Landscapes', representing extraordinary fortification and military system envisioned by the Maratha rulers, was on Friday inscribed on the coveted list. This is India's 44th property to receive the recognition. In a post on X, Modi said, "When we speak of the glorious Maratha Empire, we associate it with good governance, military strength, cultural pride and emphasis on social welfare. The great rulers inspire us with their refusal to bow to any injustice." "Every Indian is elated with this recognition. These 'Maratha Military Landscapes' include 12 majestic forts, 11 of which are in Maharashtra and 1 is in Tamil Nadu," he added. Modi called upon everyone to visit these forts and learn about the rich history of the Maratha Empire. On the latest addition to the World Heritage List
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has told the Supreme Court that illegal mining has continued and intensified in Assam's Parkup Pahar area near the Kaziranga National Park, despite a 2019 top court order banning all mining and related activities in and around the park's eco-sensitive zone. Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to around 65 per cent of the endangered one-horned rhino population in the world. It forms part of an important wildlife corridor between the Brahmaputra floodplains and the Karbi Anglong hills. The Supreme Court, acting on earlier findings by the CEC, had prohibited all mining and related activities in this region to prevent degradation of critical wildlife habitats and forested landscapes. Based on a complaint from an anonymous government employee in Assam and field-level verification, the CEC submitted a fresh report dated May 30 to the SC, saying that mining activities in the region have "continued and intensified" despite the apex court's
A high-level delegation led by Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar is in Paris to seek UNESCO World Heritage status for 12 forts of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, an official said on Sunday. As per an official statement from Shelar's office, the Maharashtra government has submitted a proposal to UNESCO under the theme 'Maratha Military Landscape of India', seeking the inclusion of 12 forts in the World Heritage list. The forts of Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Panhala, Shivneri, Lohagad, Salher, Sindhudurg, Suvarnadurg, Vijaydurg, Khanderi and Jinji in Tamil Nadu have been included in the proposal, the statement said. On the directives of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, a delegation left for Paris on Saturday to present the state's case for UNESCO recognition. Shelar expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for forwarding Maharashtra's proposal to UNESCO and Fadnavis for giving him the responsibility of representing the state on the global ..
The Maharashtra government plans to submit a proposal to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to include the famous Lonar Lake in Buldhana district in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list, officials have said. The move aims to elevate the site as a global hub for tourism and research, besides boosting its conservation, they said. Amravati Divisional Commissioner Nidhi Pandey recently met officials from various departments at Lonar to discuss the proposal. This proposal will soon be presented, marking a significant step towards achieving recognition, Pandey told PTI. Buldhana District Collector Kiran Patil said the proposal is in its final stage. "We will submit it once it is polished. Unlike other UNESCO sites, Lonar Lake presents a unique mix of several categories. It is a geographical and scientific wonder, formed from a meteor impact, he said. The official said the lake in Lonar, about 460 km from Mumbai, is home to several temples, some dating back over 1,200 years. The
There are nearly 60 properties in India which find a place in the Tentative List for further inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to information shared by the government in Parliament on Monday. A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) is being held in New Delhi from July 21 to July 31. India is hosting the key event of UNESCO for the first time. The mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam -- 'Moidams' -- was on July 26 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the first cultural property from the Northeast to get the coveted tag. 'Moidams' was submitted as India's nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2023-24. The site was put in the Tentative List of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2014. In a written response to a query in Lok Sabha, Union Culture
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking the initiative to ensure that the 600-year-old mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty - 'Moidams' - is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Sarma also thanked Union Culture Minister Gajendra Shekhawat who called to give him the news while the chief minister was addressing a press conference here. The unique burial mounds, represented by pyramid-like structures known as "Moidams", were used by the Tai-Ahom dynasty that ruled Assam for around 600 years between 1228 and 1826. 'It is great news for Assam as the Charaideo Moidam is now officially a UNESCO Heritage site... Assam will always remain indebted to the Centre for this honour. This inclusion is a great honour for the country and not for Assam alone,' Sarma told a press conference. The 'Moidams' is the first cultural property from the Northeast to get the coveted tag. The state government had submitted a dossier to the Pr
The historic Red Fort complex, which was closed for visitors about a week ago due to security reasons in view of a farmers' march, has been reopened, official sources said on Sunday. The iconic Mughal-era monument, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in old Delhi, was "suddenly sealed" late Monday night "due to security reasons". "It was reopened a couple of days ago," a source at the Archeological Survey of India told PTI. However, the Red Fort is regularly closed for visitors on Mondays, so they will not get entry inside the complex on February 19. The site was temporarily closed amid a massive deployment of police and paramilitary forces in central Delhi in view of the farmers' 'Delhi Chalo' march. Sources said "no order has been officially issued for reopening" of the site, adding, it was closed in accordance with police instructions and accordingly reopened. Thousands of farmers are staying put at the Shambhu and Khanauri points of the Punjab-Haryana border with layers of barricade
The resilient urban revitalisation of Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Punjab, and heritage conservation projects related to Haryana's Church of Epiphany and Delhi's Bikaner House won UNESCO awards on Thursday. Twelve projects from China, India, and Nepal were acknowledged by the awards jury in this year's UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. "With people, heritage and creativity at its core, the resilient urban revitalisation of the Rambagh Gate and Ramparts in Punjab, India, has garnered the highest honour, 'Award of Excellence,'" UNESCO Bangkok said in a statement. The project was lauded by the jury for ensuring the continuity of the site's existing uses, while enhancing inclusivity and access to the broader community, it said. Three projects -- the Fanling Golf Course in Hong Kong SAR, China; Dongguan Garden Residences in Yangzhou, China; and Karnikara Mandapam at Kunnamangalam Bhagawati Temple, Kerala, India -- garnered an 'Award of Distinction' each. An
A new book, "Mapping of the Archives in India", aims to offer a "near encyclopedic picture" of active archives and their collections across the nation. Written by Ramesh Chandra Gaur, director of Kalanidhi Division of Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), and research scholar Vismay Basu, the book is the result of collaboration between IGNCA and UNESCO to create a directory of archives in India. Through extensive literature surveys, the researchers identified 600 institutions across the country housing archives, resulting in the creation of 424 directories within the book. "These directories encompass comprehensive profiles of the contained archives, shedding light on aspects of conservation, digitisation, and archival perspectives. There is a dire need for Archival Science education in India, and these archives represent our legacy and must be safeguarded," Gaur said at the book launch on Thursday. In addition to basic information, thematic details like the nature of
Santiniketan -- the abode of Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore -- has been recommended for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List by an international advisory body, Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said. India has been striving for long to get a UNESCO tag for this cultural site in West Bengal's Birbhum district. "Great news for India on the Jayanti of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore. Santiniketan in West Bengal has been recommended for inscription to the World Heritage List by ICOMOS, the advisory body to UNESCO World Heritage Centre," Reddy said in a late-night tweet on Tuesday. The France-based International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) is an international non-governmental organisation that comprises professionals, experts, representatives from local authorities, companies and heritage organisations and is dedicated to the conservation and enhancement of the architectural and landscape heritage around the world. "This furthers the vision of PM Narendra Mod
In flood-stricken Pakistan where an unprecedented monsoon season has killed hundreds of people, the rains now threaten a famed archeological site dating back 4,500 years, the site's chief official said Tuesday. The ruins of Mohenjo Daro - located in southern Sindh province near the Indus River and a UNESCO World Heritage Site - are considered among the best preserved urban settlements in South Asia. They were discovered in 1922 and to this day, mystery surrounds the disappearance of its civilization, which coincided with those of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The swelling waters of the Indus, a major river in this part of the world, have wreaked havoc as heavy rains and massive flooding unleashed devastation across much of Pakistan. At least 1,343 people have been killed and millions have lost their homes in the surging waters, with many experts blaming the unusually heavy monsoon rains on climate change. The flooding has not directly hit Mohenjo Daro but the record-breaking rains