UNESCO adds two sites of India to the World Heritage List

Report by Prashasti Kulkarni

This month, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, or UNESCO, added the Hoysala temples of Karnataka and Santiniketan, West Bengal to their list of World Heritage Sites.

These sites mark India’s 41st and 42nd contribution to the list, the first being the Ajanta Caves of Maharashtra, added in 1983.

What does a “World Heritage Site” signify?

Simply put, a World Heritage site is a place that UNESCO recognises as unique and diverse and an important role in making up the heritage of the world. Places such as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Baroque Cathedrals of Latin America and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are considered for the World Heritage list.

UNESCO uses a specific criteria to decide which place, monument or area to add to the list every year, which includes points ranging from the architectural beauty of a place to its cultural significance.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites of September 2023, India

As mentioned before, UNESCO added the Hoysala Temples of Belur, Karnataka and Santiniketan, West Bengal to the World Heritage list in September 2023.

Let us read more about these places.

Hoysala Temples of Karnataka

The Hoysala temples located at Belur, Somanathapura and Halebid in Karnataka date back to the Hoysala era of the 10th century, which was one of the most economically and culturally prosperous ages of India. 

Officially called the “Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas,” by UNESCO, the Hoysala site is comprised of three main temples: Hoysaleswara temple located in Halebid, the Chennakeshava temple located in Belur and the Keshava temple located in Mysore.

These temples, built by the rulers of the Hoysala dynasty, are dedicated to the gods Shiva and Vishnu and represent the intricate architecture and religious traditions of that age. They are widely known for their soapstone carvings (sculptures created using soapstone, which is originally soft and grows hard over time after sculpting is done).

Santiniketan, West Bengal

Santiniketan, located in West Bengal, served as an art center and residential school since 1901. It is the place where Rabindranath Tagore established the Visva-Bharati University in 1921.

This site’s architecture sports elements from various ancient, medieval and folk traditions of different parts of Asia, contrasting with the British architecture that was widely seen during the early 20th century.

List of sites in India that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage list:

The full list of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites can be viewed here.

All images from official Twitter handles. Historical pictures from Indian Historical Pictures on Twitter.