HAMPI GROUP OF MONUMENTS

Why in News:

Recently Hampi Group of Monuments are inscribed as UNESCO World heritage Site.

Important Points:

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 UNESCO World Heritage Committee is composed of 21 UNESCO member states, elected by the General Assembly.

How is a World Heritage Site selected?:

The first step towards the listing is the nomination of a site by the respective government of a country.

The site should have an Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) for World Heritage nomination.

To determine the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) for World Heritage nomination, there are ten enlisted criteria.

The proposed nomination must satisfy at least one of these ten criteria.

The Nomination File is then evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union.

These bodies then make their recommendations to the World Heritage Committee.

The Committee meets once per year to determine whether or not to inscribe each nominated property on the World Heritage List and sometimes defers the decision to request more information from the country which nominated the site.

About Hampi:

Hampi comprise mainly the remnants of Capital City of Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th Cent CE).

It is located in Tungabhadra basin in Central Karnataka, Bellary District.