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When someone mentions heritage, grand monuments is what often comes to front of the mind. But heritage is beyond that. It includes traditions or living expressions inherited from ancestors and passed on through generations. These may be in the form of performing arts, oral traditions, social practices, rituals knowledge, festive events and crafts among others.

Intangible cultural heritage plays an important role in maintaining cultural diversity in the times of globalisation. Understanding the heritage of different communities helps with intercultural dialogues and encourages mutual respect. It is especially relevant to minority groups and mainstream social groups within a State, and is as important for developing countries as for developed ones.

In 2003, UNESCO drafted the Conversation for the safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage for the protection and promotion of intangible cultural heritage. As of 2020, 180 countries have either ratified, approved or accepted the Convention. Every year, the intergovernmental committee for safeguarding intangible heritage meets to evaluate nominations proposed by States and decide whether or not to include a certain element to the list.

Thus far, 549 cultural elements from 127 countries have been added to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. These include the Kumbh Mela, Yoga, Chhau dance, Kutiyaattan, and Ramlila among others from India.

 

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Geographical Indication (GI), according to the World Intellectual Property Organization, is a sign which identifies good as origination from a particular geographical region and possessing qualities associated with that origin. It is similar to the protection a Trademarks or Copyright offers, however it does not restrict the creation of the good to only the geographical location that has the tag for the good. For example: Banglar Rasogolla is a food item that originates in West Bengal and has a GI tag that identifies it as originating in the state. The Rasogolla can be made by anyone, anywhere in the world, but the one that comes from Bengal will have a GI tag attached to it and cannot be replicated.

In India, GI sign is granted by the Geographical  Indications Registry in Chennai for Agricultural products, foodstuffs, handicrafts and industrial products among others. It can be applied for by any association of persons, producers and organisations. Only after a though study and clarification, will the GI tag be awarded to a product.

The Darjeeling Tea was the first product in India to be awarded the GI tag in 2004. Today, nearly 360 products from around the country have the GI tag.

 

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The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”. Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as “the tear-drop on the cheek of time”, it is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India’s rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year.

It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (US$827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

 

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Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), Sikkim has been inscribed as India’s first “Mixed World Heritage Site” on UNESCO World Heritage List. It fulfilled the nomination criteria under both natural and cultural heritage.

The KNP exhibits one of the widest altitudinal ranges of any protected area worldwide. The Park has an extraordinary vertical sweep of over 7 kilometres (1,220m to 8,586m) within an area of only 178,400 hactares and comprises a unique diversity of lowlands, steep-sided valleys and spectacular snow-clad mountains including the world’s third highest peak, Mt. Khangchendzonga, numerous lakes and glaciers, including the 26 km long Zemu Glacier.

The KNP lies within the Himalaya global biodiversity hotspot and displays an unsurpassed range of sub-tropical to alpine ecosystems. The Himalayas are narrowest here, resulting in extremely steep terrain, which magnifies the distinction between the various eco-zones. The KNP is located within a mountain range of global biodiversity conservation significance and covers 25% of the State of Sikkim, acknowledged as one of India’s most significant biodiversity concentrations.

The KNP is home to a significant number of endemic, rare and threatened plant and mammal species recorded in the Central/High Asian Mountains, except compared to the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, in China; and also has a high number of bird species.

 

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The walled city of Jaipur, in India’s north-western state of Rajasthan was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II. Unlike other cities in the region located in hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the plain and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture. The streets feature continuous colonnaded businesses that intersect in the centre, creating large public squares called chaupars. Markets, shops, residences and temples built along the main streets have uniform facades. The city's urban planning shows an exchange of ideas from ancient Hindu and early modern Mughal as well as Western cultures. The grid plan is a model that prevails in the West, while the organization of the different city sectors (chowkris) refers to traditional Hindu concepts. Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions to this day.

The decision was taken at the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) taking place in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, from 30th June - 10th July, 2019.

The city was nominated for its value of being an exemplary development in town planning and architecture that demonstrates an amalgamation and important exchange of ideas in the late medieval period.

 

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First in the country to be inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983, the Ajanta caves dates back to 2nd century BCE to 650 CE and features the finest masterpieces of 31 rock cut Buddhist cave monuments, paintings and sculpture. The caves were built in two different phases. First was built in (230BCE-220CE) of Satavahana Period under the patronage of Satvahana Dynasty and second, the caves of Vakataka Period were built during the reign of Emperor Harishena of Vakataka Dynasty. 

Also added in 1983 to the UN world heritage sites list, the Ellora Caves are well known for their Indian-rock cut architecture with 34 rock cut temples and caves dating back to about 600 to 1000 CE. The excavated site includes Charanandri Hills, Buddhist Hindu and Jain rock-cut temples, Viharas and Maths of the 5th and 10th century.

Added along with the Ajanta Caves on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983 was the Agra Fort situated quite close to the Taj Mahal. Built during the reign of emperor Akbar, the Agra Fort includes a number of notable monuments like the Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Muhamman Burie(an octagonal Tower), Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Am, Moti Masjid and the Nagina Masjid.

 

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A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance. The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international 'World Heritage Programme', administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. India has 38 world heritage sites that include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties and 1 mixed site.

Cultural World Heritage Sites in India 

• Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh


• Hampi, Karnataka


• Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra


• Ellora Caves, Maharashtra


• Bodh Gaya, Bihar


• Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha


• Red Fort Complex, Delhi


• Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh


• Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu


• Group of Monuments in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu


• Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi


• Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan


• Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh


• Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh


• Taj Mahal, Agra


• Rani Ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat


• Group of Monuments in Pattadakal, Karnataka


• Elephanta Caves, Maharashtra


• Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University), Bihar


• Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), Maharashtra


• Mountain Railways of India


• Qutub Minar and its Monuments, New Delhi


• Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat


• Hill Forts of Rajasthan


• Churches and Convents of Goa


• Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh


• The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai


• The Pink City - Jaipur


• The Historic City of Ahmedabad


• Capitol Complex, Chandigarh

Natural World Heritage Sites in India

• Kaziranga Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam


• Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal


• Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh


• Manas Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam


• Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan


• Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, Uttarakhand


• Western Ghats


• Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim

 

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There are over a thousand properties around the worlds designated as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). But how does UNESCO decide which properties are suitable to be heritage sites?

Countries that have signed the World Heritage Convention and pledged to protest their cultural and natural heritage can submit nominations for consideration. Thus far, 193 countries have signed the Conversation.

UNESCO has a list of criteria explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Conversation. To be considered for inclusion in the World Heritage List a property must satisfy at least one of the ten criteria. These are regularly revised by the Committee to keep up with the evolving concept of World Heritage.

Once the nominations are in, the World Heritage Committee consisting of representatives from 21 of the member states takes the final call. This committee meets once a year to finalise the list and consults to advisory bodies which evaluate a nominated site, as mandated by the World Heritage Convention. These two bodies are the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

A tried advisory body, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property, provides the Committee with expect advice on conservation of cultural sites.

 

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What is a stepwell?

As the name suggests, a stepwell is a pond or well with water that can be reached by descending a series of steps. It is mostly mutli-storeyed and can be found across western India.

Stepwells are prime examples of irrigation and storage tanks built to quench the thirst of the people during parched summers. They are mostly dug deep down to collect the seepage of an upstream lake or reservoir. This is why most stepwells are underground. The reason these are built with steps is to make it easier for people to access groundwater and to maintain and manage the well.

Most stepwells are intricately carved with several sculptures. Apart from serving as a well, they serve as a cool retreat during summers.

Rani-ki-Vav

Rani ki-Vav or the Queen's Stepwell is located in the town of Patan in Gujarat India. Situated on the banks of the river Saraswati, this stepwell was built in the 11th century AD. During the rule of the Chalukya dynasty it was constructed in menton of King Bhimdev I by his widowed wife. Queen Udayamati Prabandha Chintamani, composed by the Jain monk Menunga Suri in 1304 AD makes a reference to the construction of this stepwell by Queen Udayamati.

Built near the Saraswati, this stepwell was once completely floosted by the river and silted over till the 1940s. This is when the site was rediscovered by people. In the 1980s, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) excavated the site and restored it from 1981 to 1987. An image of Queen Udayamati was also recovered during the excavation

Rani-ki-Vav was declared a Monument of National Importance and protected by the ASI. It was included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 2014,

Architecture

The stepwell is built in the Maru Gurjara architectural style in the form of an inverted temple with seven levels of stairs and over 500 main sculptures, It is approximately 64m long, 20m wide and 27m deep

Most of the sculptures found here are devoted to Lord Vishnu in his ten forms. There are also sculptures dedicated to the Buddha

As mentioned before this stepwell is designed like an inverted temple to highlight the sanctity of water. The steps begin at the ground level and you have to go down seven pillared pavilions to reach the well below. At water level there is a caning of Seshashayi Vishnu - the avatar where he rests on his thousand hooted serpent Sesha. The well is present in the western most part of the complex.

 

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Located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, in the far western Himalaya one can find the Great Himalayan National Park. Initially constituted in 1984, the park was formally notified as a national park in 1999. The park is spread over an area of 1171 sq km at an altitude between 1500 and 6000 metres

The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area is characterised by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. It protects the monsoon-affected forests and alpine meadows of the Himalayan front ranges and is part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot.

The site is known as a biodiversity hotspot as it includes twenty five forest types along with a rich assemblage of fauna species, several of which are threatened. The national park lies at the junction of two major biogeographic realms - the Palearctic and Indomalayan. The park includes the Upper Mountain glacial and snow melt water source origins of the Jiwa Nal, Sainj, Thirthan and Parvati rivers which are all tributaries of the River Beas. The park also has several catchments of water supplies which are vital to millions of downstream users.

Flora and Fauna

Due to its diverse climatic conditions, the Great Himalayan National Park is home to many uncommon endemic and endangered species of flora and fauna. The number of plant species in the park is around 840, consisting of 26% of the total flora of Himachal Pradesh. One can find 794 flowering plant species (58% of which are endemic to the Western Himalayas). 11 gymnosperm species (pines, conifers and cypresses) and 27 fem species in the park. Apart from these, one can find spruces and horse chestnuts in the valleys.

When it comes to the fauna in the park, there are more than 375 faunal species. Thus far, 31 mammal species, 209 bird species, 12 reptile species, nine amphibian species and 125 insect species have been identified in the park. At the higher altitudes of the park, one can find animals such as blue sheep, snow leopard. Himalayan brown bear. Himalayan tahr, and musk deer.

The park is home to four globally threatened species of mammals, three globally threatened bird species, and a large number of medicinal plants.

Most of the fauna in the park is given protection under the high priority protection category of Schedule of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act. 1972. The government of Himachal Pradesh has also banned hunting in the state since the last few years.

 

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