UPSC Issue at a Glance | India’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites — criteria, categories, and recent additions

Mains Examination: General Studies- I, II: Indian Heritage and Culture, Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times, Government policies and interventions.

Question 1: What is a UNESCO World Heritage Site? 

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) plays a vital role in safeguarding cultural and natural heritage across the globe. Its primary objective is to identify, protect, and preserve sites that hold outstanding value for humanity. It is guided by the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, an international treaty adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

In this context, we see that a World Heritage Site is a location recognised for its “outstanding universal value”. This signifies “cultural and/or natural significance which is so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity”. The Sites fall into three categories: cultural heritage, natural heritage, and mixed heritage (cultural as well as natural).

Taj Mahal is the finest example of the Indo-Islamic architecture. It was built in Agra on the bank of the Yamuna river as a mausoleum of Mumtaz Mahal, the Persian wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, between 1631 and 1648. (Source: Unsplash)

Cultural heritage entails an Outstanding Universal Value from the point of view of history, art or science, and includes monuments, groups of buildings, and sites which are the combined work of nature and human agency. Examples include the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty, and the Sydney Opera House. The Sites under natural heritage are those having an Outstanding Universal Value from the point of view of science, conservation or natural beauty, such as the Sundarbans Natural Park or the Victoria Falls.

Of the 1,223 sites on the World Heritage List, 952 sites are cultural, 231 are natural, and 40 are mixed properties spread across 168 States Parties. As of October 2024, 196 States Parties have ratified the World Heritage Convention.

Notably, the concept of World Heritage is universally applicable. According to UNESCO’s website, ‘World Heritage sites belong to all the peoples of the world, irrespective of the territory on which they are located’.

Question 2: Who selects the Sites and what are the key criteria for selection of UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee meets at least once every year, generally in June/July, to deliberate the addition, removal, or modification of items on the list of World Heritage Sites. The Committee comprises of 21 members selected from amongst 196 States Parties of the 1972 World Heritage Convention.

Selection criteria

To be added to the World Heritage List, sites must possess outstanding universal value and meet at least one of ten specific selection criteria. According to UNESCO website, the selection criteria are provided in detail in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention.

The Committee regularly updates the selection criteria to reflect the evolving concept of World Heritage. Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected based on six cultural criteria and four natural criteria. However, with the adoption of the revised Operational Guidelines, there is now a single set of ten criteria.

(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.

(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.

Question 3: How many sites in India are recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Sites?

India ratified the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972), also known as the World Heritage Convention, in 1977. As of now, 43 properties from India are inscribed on the World Heritage List, it includes 35 cultural sites and 7 natural and 1 mixed site. 62 sites are listed on UNESCO’s Tentative List.

EXPRESS TIP: To revise, retain, and recall effectively, locate the following sites in your atlas and mark them on a map.

📍UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Sites in India

1. Taj Mahal (1983)

2. Agra Fort (1983)

3. Ajanta Caves (1983)

The caves at Ajanta represent a collection of Buddhist art from two periods. The earliest monuments date to the second and first centuries BC and were created by the followers of Theravada Buddhism. Later on, monuments were added in the fifth and sixth centuries AD during the Vakataka dynasty.

4. Ellora Caves (1983)

5. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)

6. Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)

The temple was built in the 13th century and is one of the finest examples of the Kalinga style of architecture. It represents the chariot of the solar deity Surya. The temple has 24 wheels, carved of stone and richly decorated, and it is pulled by six horses. (Source: Unsplash)

7. Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)

8. Fatehpur Sikri (1986)

9. Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)

10. Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)

11. Elephanta Caves (1987)

12. Great Living Chola Temples (1987, 2004)

13. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)

14. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)

15. Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)

16. Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993)

17. Mountain Railways of India (1999, 2005, 2008)

18. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)

19. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)

20. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)

21. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)

22. Red Fort Complex (2007)

23. The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)

24. Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2013)

25. Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat (2014)

Rani-ki-Vav or the Queen’s Stepwell at Patan, Gujarat has been called one of the finest examples of a step well, constructed in the 11th century by the Chaulukya dynasty. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

26. Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar (2016)

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

28. Historic City of Ahmadabad (2017)

29. Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018)

30. Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019)

Hawa Mahal is a popular tourist spot in Jaipur. (Photo: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

31. Dholavira: a Harappan City (2021)

32. Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana (2021)

33. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (2023)

34. Santiniketan (2023)

35. Moidams – the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty (2024)

📍UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites in India

1. Kaziranga National Park (1985)

2. Keoladeo National Park (1985)

3. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)

4. Sundarbans National Park (1987)

5. Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005)

The Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers National Park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site in Uttarakhand, India. The Valley of Flowers is at its best during the rainy season, as the endemic flora carpets its entire length and breadth. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)

6. Western Ghats (2012)

7. Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (2014)

📍UNESCO Mixed World Heritage Site in India

1. Khangchendzonga National Park (2016)

Kaziranga is located in the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River. It is home to world’s largest population of the Indian rhinoceros, as well as tiger, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo and the Ganges river dolphin, among several other indigenous species. (Source: Unsplash)

Question 4: What does a status of World Heritage Site mean for a site?

There are several benefits associated with a site obtaining UNESCO World Heritage status, such as:

1. Improved Protection and Conservation Efforts for Heritage Sites: When a country has sites listed on the World Heritage List, the resulting prestige often increases awareness among both citizens and governments regarding the importance of preserving heritage. This heightened awareness typically leads to improved protection and conservation efforts for heritage properties.

2. Financial Support and Expert Advice: International Assistance is provided under the World Heritage Convention to financially support the States Parties in their efforts to protect cultural or natural heritage sites that are listed on the World Heritage List or the List of World Heritage in Danger.

3. Boost to tourism: Being featured on the list of World Heritage Sites grants a location a prestigious status, which in turn stimulates global travel and tourism. This increased interest boosts tourism and benefits the overall economy of the area.

At the same time, the government of the country where the site is located bears significant responsibility for its conservation and maintenance. The Committee performs regular audits of designated Sites and can list any site that is seriously threatened as a World Heritage in Danger. If the Outstanding Universal Value of a property is lost or destroyed, the Committee has the authority to remove the property from the World Heritage List.

Post Read Questions

(1) Recently, which one of the following was included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage list? ( UPSC CSE 2009)

(a) Dilwara Temple

(b) Kalka-Shimla Railway

(c) Bhiterkanika Mangrove Area

(d) Visakhapatnam to Araku valley railway line

(2) Which cultural site from the Northeast of India was recently added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List?

(a) Sibsagar Historical Monuments

(b) Tawang Monastery

(c) Moidams of the Ahom dynasty

(d) Kamakhya Temple

(Sources: whc.unesco.org, Explained: Jaipur declared World Heritage Site, what does it mean?, On World Heritage Day, a look at India’s top Heritage Sites)

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