Photos: Six Indian sites vying for a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list | Hindustan Times
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Photos: Six Indian sites vying for a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list

Updated On Jul 25, 2021 04:20 PM IST
  • India already has 38 Unesco World Heritage Sites. Here's hoping that a temple complex, burial sites, a tiger reserve and more can be added to the list. Take a look.
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Maharashtra’s many, massive, centuries-old forts are built from stone and are seemingly impervious to time. Many stand just as they did when they were built, despite centuries of neglect. They’re scattered across the region — atop mountains in the foothills of the Sahyadris, on an island in the Arabian Sea. Fourteen forts are part of the Unesco nomination, all associated with the warrior-king Shivaji (1630 - 1680). They include the forts at Raigad and Rajgad, both of which served as Maratha capitals; Shivaji’s birthplace at Shivneri; the hilltop Torna Fort in Pune district, famously captured by Shivaji at 16; and one of the world’s finest examples of sea-fort architecture, the Kolaba fort at Alibaug.(Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Maharashtra) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jul 25, 2021 04:20 PM IST

Maharashtra’s many, massive, centuries-old forts are built from stone and are seemingly impervious to time. Many stand just as they did when they were built, despite centuries of neglect. They’re scattered across the region — atop mountains in the foothills of the Sahyadris, on an island in the Arabian Sea. Fourteen forts are part of the Unesco nomination, all associated with the warrior-king Shivaji (1630 - 1680). They include the forts at Raigad and Rajgad, both of which served as Maratha capitals; Shivaji’s birthplace at Shivneri; the hilltop Torna Fort in Pune district, famously captured by Shivaji at 16; and one of the world’s finest examples of sea-fort architecture, the Kolaba fort at Alibaug.(Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Maharashtra)

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In Kanchipuram, one the oldest cities in southern India, 11 temples are hoping to be part of the UNESCO list. Many were built with royal patronage and also became sites of learning. They represent the Dravidian architectural style, which features the vimana, a pyramidal tower over the inner sanctum; pillared corridors; mandapas or halls connected to the inner sanctum; and the gopuram, which is a pyramidal structure above the temple’s entrance gate.(Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jul 25, 2021 04:20 PM IST

In Kanchipuram, one the oldest cities in southern India, 11 temples are hoping to be part of the UNESCO list. Many were built with royal patronage and also became sites of learning. They represent the Dravidian architectural style, which features the vimana, a pyramidal tower over the inner sanctum; pillared corridors; mandapas or halls connected to the inner sanctum; and the gopuram, which is a pyramidal structure above the temple’s entrance gate.(Ssriram mt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Bhedaghat-Lametaghat in Narmada Valley- Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): People head to Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh for the stupas, few even venture to Bhimbetka, so look at ancient rock art. Bhedaghat, a small town near Jabalpur, is famous for its 100-ft-tall marble cliffs that stretch along the Narmada for a majestic 8 km. The ethereal passageway glints with silver and, when the sun hits the rocks, sometimes a shower of colour. As the river rushes on past the gorge, it cascades down a wide rock cliff, forming the thundering Dhuandhar Falls, enveloped in a cloud of its own mist. India’s submission to Unesco states that “No such example exists where a river flows freely, splitting an enormous mountain of marble… Somewhere (the Narmada’s) flow is turbulent and in other places… calm.”(Sandyadav080, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jul 25, 2021 04:20 PM IST

Bhedaghat-Lametaghat in Narmada Valley- Jabalpur (Madhya Pradesh): People head to Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh for the stupas, few even venture to Bhimbetka, so look at ancient rock art. Bhedaghat, a small town near Jabalpur, is famous for its 100-ft-tall marble cliffs that stretch along the Narmada for a majestic 8 km. The ethereal passageway glints with silver and, when the sun hits the rocks, sometimes a shower of colour. As the river rushes on past the gorge, it cascades down a wide rock cliff, forming the thundering Dhuandhar Falls, enveloped in a cloud of its own mist. India’s submission to Unesco states that “No such example exists where a river flows freely, splitting an enormous mountain of marble… Somewhere (the Narmada’s) flow is turbulent and in other places… calm.”(Sandyadav080, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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Satpura Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh): The ancient forest, spread over 2,100 sq km, gets about 3.5 lakh tourists a year. Most visitors come to spot the site’s 14 endangered species, including the giant squirrel, the Indian skimmer and the leaf-nosed bat, its rare plants, if they’re lucky, a tiger. About 17% of India’s tigers are in this region. It is a part of many wildlife corridors that connect it with other tiger reserves and make it a crucial link in India’s increasingly moth-eaten network of bio-reserves. Also nestled within the Satpura reserve are 50 rock shelters containing art that dates to between 1,500 and 10,000 years ago. The eerie stick-figure drawings offer clues to how the region’s earliest settlers lived.(Satpura Tiger Reserve) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jul 25, 2021 04:20 PM IST

Satpura Tiger Reserve (Madhya Pradesh): The ancient forest, spread over 2,100 sq km, gets about 3.5 lakh tourists a year. Most visitors come to spot the site’s 14 endangered species, including the giant squirrel, the Indian skimmer and the leaf-nosed bat, its rare plants, if they’re lucky, a tiger. About 17% of India’s tigers are in this region. It is a part of many wildlife corridors that connect it with other tiger reserves and make it a crucial link in India’s increasingly moth-eaten network of bio-reserves. Also nestled within the Satpura reserve are 50 rock shelters containing art that dates to between 1,500 and 10,000 years ago. The eerie stick-figure drawings offer clues to how the region’s earliest settlers lived.(Satpura Tiger Reserve)

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A centre for learning and pilgrimage across faiths, but particularly for Hindus, who believe that it is here that Shiva lived and released the Ganga from his matted locks and onto the earth, Varanasi's 6.5km ghats have been nominated. There are 84 ghats in all, named for temples, myths, and important people associated with the area’s history. The number 84 is significant in Hindu mythology. They form a vital bridge between the city and the revered river Ganga, inextricably liking the two.(Neenad Joseph Arul) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jul 25, 2021 04:20 PM IST

A centre for learning and pilgrimage across faiths, but particularly for Hindus, who believe that it is here that Shiva lived and released the Ganga from his matted locks and onto the earth, Varanasi's 6.5km ghats have been nominated. There are 84 ghats in all, named for temples, myths, and important people associated with the area’s history. The number 84 is significant in Hindu mythology. They form a vital bridge between the city and the revered river Ganga, inextricably liking the two.(Neenad Joseph Arul)

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Megalithic Site of Hire Benkal (Karnataka): The last of the pyramids were still being built in Egypt when this massive burial complex was completed. The 2,500-year-old site, an hour’s drive from Hampi, looks like a deserted village of stone houses. The “houses” are actually megalithic funerary monuments, stone structures built to commemorate the dead in this part of Karnataka. Each of the 1,000 structures was meant to help the person interred enjoy a comfortable afterlife. Partial excavations near the site have revealed bones, ash, grave goods like pottery and grain, iron implements like fishhooks and arrows. The Hire Benkal site also contains 11 prehistoric rock shelters, with paintings that date back to 700 BCE to 500 BCE. The paintings depict animals, birds, insects and human figures (some are holding hands, others riding horses or hunting).(Meena Iyer) expand-icon View Photos in a new improved layout
Updated on Jul 25, 2021 04:20 PM IST

Megalithic Site of Hire Benkal (Karnataka): The last of the pyramids were still being built in Egypt when this massive burial complex was completed. The 2,500-year-old site, an hour’s drive from Hampi, looks like a deserted village of stone houses. The “houses” are actually megalithic funerary monuments, stone structures built to commemorate the dead in this part of Karnataka. Each of the 1,000 structures was meant to help the person interred enjoy a comfortable afterlife. Partial excavations near the site have revealed bones, ash, grave goods like pottery and grain, iron implements like fishhooks and arrows. The Hire Benkal site also contains 11 prehistoric rock shelters, with paintings that date back to 700 BCE to 500 BCE. The paintings depict animals, birds, insects and human figures (some are holding hands, others riding horses or hunting).(Meena Iyer)

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