Lok Sabha Question No. 274 (STARRED), answered on 2016-12-05
Subject: Protection of Monuments
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: RAMESH BIDHURI, SANGANNA AMARAPPA KARADI

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*274 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5.12.2016

## PROTECTION OF MONUMENTS

## †*274. SHRI RAMESH BIDHURI: SHRI SANGANNA AMARAPPA:

## Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of monuments/sites included in the heritage list of UNESCO;
- (b) the further action proposed to be taken by the Government for inclusion of more monuments in the heritage list;
- (c) whether the cases of violation of guidelines of UNESCO pertaining to protection of monuments/sites  declared  as  World  Heritage  have  come  to  the  notice  of  the Government during the last three years and the current year; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  thereof,  State/UT-wise  and  the  reasons  therefor  along  with  the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE, CULTURE AND TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) to (d):     A statement is laid on the table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) TO (d) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*274  FOR 05.12.2016.

- (a) As of now, a total of 1052 number of monuments and sites from world are included in  the  World  Heritage  List  of  UNESCO,  out  of  which  35  monuments  and  sites belong to India. The details are given at Annexure-I.
- (b) Presently,  44  sites  from  India  are  included  in  the  Tentative  List  of  UNESCO. Inclusion of a site in Tentative List is prerequisite condition for its inscription on the World Heritage List. This Tentative List is revised from time to time in consultation with  various  State  Governments,  agencies  and  experts.  The  list  of  such  sites  is given at Annexure-II. Once the site is included in the Tentative List, a nomination dossier is prepared and submitted to the World Heritage Centre for inclusion in the World Heritage List which is about two and half year long cycle. However, as per extant  UNESCO  norms,  a  country  can  submit  a  maximum  of  two  nomination dossiers every year, one each under Cultural and Natural Category.
- (c) No, Madam. No case of violation of guidelines of UNESCO is reported from Indian World Heritage Sites during last three years and the current year so far.
- (d) Question does not arise.

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (a) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. †*274 FOR 5.12.2016.

## WORLD HERITAGE SITES

## Cultural Sites

Under Protection of Archaeological Survey of India

|   S.No | Name of Site                                                                                                                                                                                            | State          |
|--------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------|
|      1 | Ajanta Caves (1983)                                                                                                                                                                                     | Maharashtra    |
|      2 | Ellora Caves (1983)                                                                                                                                                                                     | Maharashtra    |
|      3 | Agra Fort (1983)                                                                                                                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh  |
|      4 | Taj Mahal (1983)                                                                                                                                                                                        | Uttar Pradesh  |
|      5 | Sun Temple, Konarak (1984)                                                                                                                                                                              | Odisha         |
|      6 | Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)                                                                                                                                                              | Tamil Nadu     |
|      7 | Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)                                                                                                                                                                     | Goa            |
|      8 | Group of Temples, Khajuraho (1986)                                                                                                                                                                      | Madhya Pradesh |
|      9 | Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)                                                                                                                                                                      | Karnataka      |
|     10 | Group of Monuments, FatehpurSikri (1986)                                                                                                                                                                | Uttar Pradesh  |
|     11 | Group of Temples, Pattadakal (1987)                                                                                                                                                                     | Karnataka      |
|     12 | Elephanta Caves ( 1987)                                                                                                                                                                                 | Maharashtra    |
|     13 | Great Living Chola temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram (1987 & 2004)                                                                                                              | Tamil Nadu     |
|     14 | Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)                                                                                                                                                                     | Madhya Pradesh |
|     15 | Humayun's Tomb, Delhi (1993)                                                                                                                                                                            | Delhi          |
|     16 | Qutb Minar Complex, Delhi (1993)                                                                                                                                                                        | Delhi          |
|     17 | Prehistoric Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)                                                                                                                                                           | Madhya Pradesh |
|     18 | Champaner-Pavagarh Archaeological Park (2004)                                                                                                                                                           | Gujarat        |
|     19 | Red Fort Complex, Delhi (2007)                                                                                                                                                                          | Delhi          |
|     20 | Hill Forts of Rajasthan (Chittaurgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Jaisalmer and Ranthambhore, Amber and Gagron Forts) (2013) (Amber and Gagron Forts are under protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums) | Rajasthan      |
|     21 | Rani ki Vav (2014)                                                                                                                                                                                      | Gujarat        |
|     22 | Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda (2016)                                                                                                                        | Bihar          |

## Under Protection of Ministry of Railways

|   23. | Mountain Railway of India ( Darjeeling,1999), Nilgiri (2005), Kalka-Shimla(2008)   | West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh   |
|-------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
|    24 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)                   | Maharashtra                                 |

## Under Protection of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee

| 25.   | Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya (2002)   | Bihar   |
|-------|-------------------------------------|---------|

## Under Protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums Department

| 26.   | Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)   | Rajasthan   |
|-------|--------------------------------|-------------|

## Under protection of Chandigarh Administration

| 27.   | The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016) Chandigarh   |
|-------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

## NATURAL SITES

## Under Protection of Ministry of Environment & Forest and Climate Change

|   28. | Kaziranga National Park (1985)                               | Assam                                     |
|-------|--------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
|    29 | Manas Wild Life Sanctuary (1985)                             | Assam                                     |
|    30 | Keoladeo National Park (1985)                                | Rajasthan                                 |
|    31 | Sunderban National Park (1987)                               | West Bengal                               |
|    32 | Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005) | Uttarakhand                               |
|    33 | Western Ghats (2012)                                         | Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu |
|    34 | Great Himalayan National Park (2014)                         | Himachal Pradesh                          |

## MIXED SITES

## Under protection of Ministry of Environment & Forest and Climate Change

| 35.   | Khanchendzonga National Park (2016)   | Sikkim   |
|-------|---------------------------------------|----------|

## ANNEXURE-II

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO. †*274 FOR 5.12.2016.

## INDIAN SITES IN THE TENTATIVE LIST OF UNESCO

India at present has 44 sites in the Tentative List of UNESCO.

1. Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (03/07/1998)
2. Apatani Cultural Landscape (15/04/2014)
3. Archaeological remains of a Harappa Port-Town, Lothal (15/04/2014)
4. Bahá'í House of Worship at New Delhi (15/04/2014)
5. Bhitarkanika Conservation Area (26/05/2009)
6. Cellular Jail, Andaman Islands (15/04/2014)
7. Chettinad, Village Clusters of the Tamil Merchants (15/04/2014)
8. Chilika Lake (15/04/2014)
9. Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India (15/04/2015)
10. Delhi - A Heritage City (22/05/2012)
11. Desert National Park (26/05/2009)
12. Dholavira: A Harappan City (15/04/2014)
13. Ekamra Kshetra - The Temple City, Bhubaneswar (15/04/2014)
14. Evolution of Temple Architecture - Aihole-Badami- Pattadakal (09/02/2015)
15. Group of Monuments at Mandu, Madhya Pradesh (03/07/1998)
16. Historic city of Ahmadabad (31/03/2011)
17. Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of India (15/04/2014)
18. Jaipur city, Rajasthan India (15/04/2015)
19. Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area (11/03/2016)
20. Mattanchery Palace, Ernakulam, Kerala (03/07/1998)
21. Moidams - the Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty (15/04/2014)
22. Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate (15/04/2014)
23. Monuments of Srirangapatna Island Town (15/04/2014)
24. Mountain Railways of India (Extension) (15/04/2014)
25. Mughal Gardens in Kashmir (13/12/2010)
26. Namdapha National Park (15/03/2006)
27. Narcondam Island (15/04/2014)
28. Neora Valley National Park (26/05/2009)
29. Padmanabhapuram Palace (15/04/2014)
30. River Island of Majuli in midstream of Brahmaputra River in Assam (02/03/2004)
31. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala (15/04/2014)
32. Santiniketan (20/01/2010)
33. Silk Road Sites in India (20/01/2010)
34. Sites along the Uttarapath, Badshahi Sadak, Sadak-e-Azam, Grand Trunk Road (15/04/2015)
35. Sites of Saytagrah, India's non-violent freedom movement (15/04/2014)
36. Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab (05/01/2004)
37. Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam (15/04/2014)
38. Temples at Bishnupur, West Bengal (03/07/1998)
39. The Glorious Kakatiya Temples and Gateways (15/04/2014)
40. The Neolithic Settlement of Burzahom (15/04/2014)
41. The Qutb Shahi Monuments of Hyderabad Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Charminar (10/09/2010)
42. The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (22/05/2012)
43. Thembang Fortified Village (15/04/2014)
44. Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch (15/03/2006)