• UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre has added six Indian sites to India’s Tentative List, increasing the country’s tally to 62 potential World Heritage properties.
• Inclusion in the Tentative List is a mandatory prerequisite for future nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat informed the Lok Sabha about the development.
• Located near the Krishna River, southwest of Mudumal village in Narayanpet district.
• Over 3,500 years old, spread across 89 acres.
• Features nearly 80 towering menhirs (10–15 feet high) and around 3,000 alignment stones linked to ancient funerary rites.
• Stones arranged in rows with 20–25 feet gaps; aligned with celestial events, indicating astronomical knowledge.
• Part of a broader megalithic landscape including burial sites and stone circles.
• Locally revered as “Niluralla Thimmappa”, with one menhir worshipped as Goddess Yellamma, reflecting living cultural traditions.
• Serial nomination including: Garhkundar Fort, Raja Mahal, Jahangir Mahal, Datia Palace, Jhansi Fort, and Dhubela Palace.
• Located in the Bundelkhand region.
• Represent Bundela Rajput architecture (16th–19th centuries).
• Blend defensive fortifications with palatial aesthetics, reflecting political and cultural exchanges with Mughals, Marathas, and the British.
• Illustrate the evolution of medieval Indian palatial architecture.
• Located in Bastar district, designated a National Park in 1982.
• Covers 200 sq km; named after the Kanger River.
• Forest type: Mixed humid deciduous (Sal, teak, bamboo).
• Notable species: Bastar Myna, known for mimicking human speech.
• Contains limestone caves: Kutumsar, Kailash, Dandak with stalactites and stalagmites.
• Terrain ranges from flatlands to plateaus and gorges; elevation 338–781 m.
• Dominant rock formations: Indravati Group.
• Serial nomination comprising 34 inscription sites.
• Located along the ancient Dakshinapatha trade route.
• Date to the 3rd century BCE during Emperor Ashoka’s reign.
• Sites include Sanchi, Rupnath, Gujjara, Panguraria.
• Edicts communicate dharma, governance principles, and Buddhist ideals.
• Represent one of the earliest state-sponsored communication systems in Indian history.
• Example highlighted: Temple at Mitaoli village, Morena district (Madhya Pradesh).
• Built during the 10th–11th centuries, attributed to Kalachuri King Yuvrajdev.
• Circular temple plan (approx. 130 feet diameter).
• Contains 64 shrines dedicated to Yoginis, forms of Goddess Parvati.
• Also known as Ekattarso Mahadeva Temple.
• Important for early temple architectural experimentation.
• Represent the early evolution of structured Hindu temple architecture.
• Feature garbhagriha (sanctum), mandapa (hall), and mukhamandapa (porch).
• Blend Buddhist and Hindu architectural elements.
• Influenced temple-building traditions for centuries.
• India now has 62 sites on the Tentative List.
• Currently, 43 Indian properties are inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (35 Cultural, 7 Natural, 1 Mixed).
• In 2024, India hosted the World Heritage Committee meeting, during which the Moidams of the Ahom Dynasty (Assam) were inscribed as a World Heritage Site.
Updated - 18 March 2025 ; 05:16 PM IST | News Source: India Today