The Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh has been submitted by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO for inclusion in the UNESCO Tentative List under the Natural category. The site was submitted on 27 August 2025 with reference number 6894 and is proposed under criteria (vii), (viii) and (x).
The Tirumala Hills are located in the Eastern Ghats and form part of the Seshachalam range. The site includes three major natural heritage components: Eparchaean Unconformity, Natural Arch or Silathoranam, and Seshachalam Forests & Sri Venkateswara National Park. The hills are situated at an approximate elevation of 980 metres above sea level and are traditionally associated with seven peaks: Seshadri, Neeladri, Garudadri, Anjanadri, Vrushabadri, Narayanadri and Venkatadri.
The Eparchaean Unconformity represents a rare geological boundary where ancient Precambrian rocks meet younger formations. It shows the visible contact between Archean gneisses older than 2.5 billion years and younger Proterozoic sedimentary rocks of the Cuddapah Supergroup. This makes it one of the most accessible and well-preserved unconformities in the world. The Natural Arch of Tirumala Hills, also known as Silathoranam, is one of the few natural rock arches in Asia. It is believed to be over 1.5 billion years old, formed by erosion and weathering of quartzite rock, and measures about 8 metres wide and 3 metres high.
| Criterion | Significance |
|---|---|
| Criterion (vii) | Outstanding natural beauty through monsoon forests, hills, seasonal waterfalls, valleys, temples and ridgelines |
| Criterion (viii) | Exceptional geological record showing ancient Earth history and stratigraphic discontinuity |
| Criterion (x) | Rich biodiversity within Sri Venkateswara National Park and Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve |
The Tirumala Hills form part of Sri Venkateswara National Park and Seshachalam Biosphere Reserve. The region has dry deciduous mixed forests with patches of moist deciduous forests in valleys. It supports endemic and endangered species such as Cycas beddomei, Jerdon’s Courser, Indian golden gecko, Red sandalwood, and several endemic plant species. Faunal richness includes 106 butterfly species, 7 amphibian species, 34 reptile species and 215 bird species, making the region ecologically significant under Criterion (x).
Two geological sites in Tirumala Hills have already been identified as National Geo-heritage Monuments. The hills are part of Venkateswara National Park and are covered by densely forested and relatively inaccessible areas, helping preserve the natural formations.
The Tentative List contains properties that a country may consider for future nomination to the World Heritage List. For this site, the responsibility for content lies with the State Party concerned, and publication does not imply any opinion of the World Heritage Committee, World Heritage Centre or UNESCO Secretariat.
The Geological Survey of India (GSI) declared the Eparchaean Unconformity as a National Geo-heritage Monument in 2001.
Updated - 28 Aug 2026 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre