Lok Sabha Question No. 4025 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-27
Subject: Inclusion of Heritage Sites in UNESCO List
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: RAKESH SINGH, P. KUMAR, RAJESHBHAI NARANBHAI CHUDASAMA, KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †4025

TO BE ANSWERED ON 27.3.2017

CHAITRA 6, 1939 (SAKA)

## INCLUSION OF HERITAGE SITES IN UNESCO LIST

## †4025.SHRI RAKESH SINGH:

SHRI P. KUMAR:

SHRI RAJESHBHAI CHUDASAMA:

SHRI PRABHAKAR REDDY KOTHA:

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has conducted any survey to identify the heritage sites  across the country which are likely to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the monuments/sites identified for the purpose, State/UTwise;
- (c) the  details  of  the  sites  which  have  already  been  granted  heritage  status  by  UNESCO, State/UT-wise;
- (d) the criteria adopted for inclusion of heritage sites in the UNESCO World Heritage list; and
- (e) whether various State Governments have requested the Union Government  to identify the famous historical sites as National Heritage sites and recommend to UNESCO for declaring them  as  'World  Heritage  Sites'  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  response  of  the Government thereto, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE, CULTURE AND TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE)

(DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a) No,  Madam.  There  is  no  such  survey  conducted  by  the  Archaeological  Survey  of  India  to
- & identify the heritage sites across the country to be included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
- (b) However, a series of regional workshops was organized for identifying monuments and sites to be put up on UNESCO's Tentative List. Details of the sites on Tentative List are in Annexure-A.
- (c) The list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India is given in Annexure-B.
- (d) The  criteria  adopted  for  inclusion  of  sites  in  the  UNESCO  World  Heritage  list  is  given  in Annexure-C.
- (e) Yes,  Madam.  The  following  sites/cities  -  Group  of  Monuments  at  Mandu,  Madhya  Pradesh; Historic City of Ahmadabad; River Island of Majuli in midstream of Brahmaputra River in Assam; The  Victorian  &  Art  Deco  Ensemble  of  Mumbai;  and  Rudreshwara  (Ramappa)  Temple  were recently  requested  by  respective  State  Governments  to  be  included  in  the  UNESCO  World Heritage list. Out of these 'Historic City of Ahmadabad' has been submitted to World Heritage Centre in January, 2016 and 'Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple' and 'The Victorian & Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai' were submitted to the World Heritage Centre in January, 2017.

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †4025 FOR 27.3.2017.

## 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)

## ANNEXURE  REFFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†4025 FOR 27.3.2017

## 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  REFFERED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (d)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.†4025 FOR 27.3.2017

## Criteria for consideration :

- i. to represent a masterpiece of human creative genius;
- ii. to exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design;
- iii. to  bear  a  unique  or  at  least  exceptional  testimony  to  a  cultural  tradition  or  to  a civilization which is living or which has disappeared;
- iv. to  be  an  outstanding  example  of  a  type  of  building,  architectural  or  technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history;
- v. to be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which  is  representative  of  a  culture  (or  cultures),  or  human  interaction  with  the environment  especially when  it has  become  vulnerable  under  the  impact  of irreversible change;
- vi. to be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs,  with  artistic  and  literary  works  of  outstanding  universal  significance.  (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria);
- vii. to contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance;
- viii. to  be  outstanding  examples  representing  major  stages  of  earth's  history,  including the  record  of  life,  significant  on-going  geological  processes  in  the  development  of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features;
- ix. to be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological  processes  in  the  evolution  and  development  of  terrestrial,  fresh  water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals;
- x. to contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of  biological  diversity,  including  those  containing  threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.