UNESCO heritage sites tentative list: Sun Temple & Vadnagar town Rock cut sculpture added

UNESCO heritage sites tentative list:

Three new cultural sites in India, including the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, historic Vadnagar town in Gujarat, and rock-cut relief sculptures of Unakoti in Tripura, have been added to the tentative list of UNESCO world heritage sites. The UNESCO website describes a tentative list as an “inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination”.

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Description About The 3 Cultural Sites:

• Sun Temple, Modhera, Gujarat

The Sun Temple in Modhera, Gujarat, is dedicated to Surya Dev and is situated on the left bank of the Pushpavati River, a tributary of the River Rupan. It is the earliest of such temples, setting trends in architectural and decorative features and perfectly illustrating the Solanki style. Its components—the main temple shrine (garbhagriha), a hall (gadhamandapa), an outer hall or assembly hall (Sabhamandapa or rangamandapa), and a sacred pool (Kunda), now known as Ramakunda—are all built in the Maru­gurjara architectural style. This east­facing temple is built of bright yellow sandstone.

• Vadnagar – A multi­layered Historic town, Gujarat

Vadnagar is a municipality in Mehsana district of Gujarat. It is a multi­layered historic town that has been inhabited continuously for more than 2,700 years, dating back nearly to the 8th century BCE (Before Common Era). The town still has a significant number of historic buildings, mostly residential and religious in nature. The historic town’s survival demonstrates its resilience and exceptional universal value, in contrast to places such as Harappa and Kalibangan, which were eventually abandoned.

• Rock­cut Sculptures and Reliefs of the Unakoti, Tripura

Unakoti, the chiselled “Angkor Wat of the North­East,” is a series of Shaivite rock sculptures found in the northern region of Tripura. It is renowned as an ancient holy site associated with Shaiva worship. Unakoti, located in the Raghunandan hills about 180 kilometres from Agartala, is home to massive bas­relief sculptures from the 8th and 9th centuries.

About the Sites on the Tentative List:

• The 52 “Sites on the Tentative List,” as defined by UNESCO, also include Temples in Bishnupur, West Bengal (added to the list in 1998), Mattanchery Palace in Kerala (added in 1998), Wild Ass Sanctuary, and Little Rann of Kutch in Gujarat (added in 2006). So far in 2022, 6 Indian sites have been included to the tentative list.
• There are 40 sites in India that have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These include 32 “cultural sites” such the Agra Fort in Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, Harappan era site at Dholavira in Gujarat, the Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, the Red Fort complex in Delhi, and the Mahabodhi Temple complex in Bodh Gaya in Bihar.

UNESCO: FAQ

Q1. What UNESCO means?

Answer: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the agency of the United Nations contributing to building peace through international cooperation in education, the sciences and culture.

Q2. How many countries are in UNESCO?

Answer: The Organization has 193 Members and 11 Associate Members. Membership of UNESCO is governed by Articles II and XV of the Constitution and by rules 98 to 101 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Conference.