World Heritage List

Recently two sites in Karnataka proposed for world heritage list.

The monuments at Shravanabelagola in Hassan and Lakkundi in Gadag districts are set to be proposed for inclusion on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites by the State Department of Archaeology Museums and Heritage (DAMH).
The Tentative List provides a forecast of the properties that a State Party may decide to submit for inscription in the next five to ten years.
To be considered for final declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a monument must first be nominated for inclusion on the Tentative List.
The monuments must be on the list for at least one year before being proposed for inscription as a UNESCO site by the State party.
The UNESCO Tentative List currently includes 50 Indian monuments.

Shravanabelagola Temple complex on Chandragiri Hill is one of the most important places of pilgrimage for followers of Jainism.
It is famous for the statue of Gomateshwaraa, considered to be one of the world’s tallest free-standing monolithic statues.
It was carved from a single stone and consecrated in 981 CE.
Shravanabelagola is also where the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya is said to have spent his final days.

Lakkundi

Lakkundi is also known as 'Lokkigundi'.
It was a significant city a thousand years ago.
It was one of the capitals of the Hoysala Empire.
There are over 50 ruins of ancient temples scattered throughout the village, dating back to the periods of the Chalukyas, Kalachuris, and Suena.
The area has over 100 stepwells, also known as 'kalyani', each displaying stunning architectural beauty.

The UNESCO tentative list is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination.
If a state party considers a monument or site has cultural or natural heritage of outstanding universal value then the state prepares a list of such sites and sends it to UNESCO.
The UNESCO after accepting or rejecting inclusion of such monuments, forms a tentative list.

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.
For getting its heritage site considered for inscription on the World Heritage List, the country makes an inventory of important natural and cultural heritage sites located within its boundaries.
This ‘inventory’ is known as the Tentative List.
Making it to the tentative list thus is the first step for any site which seeks final nomination for becoming a World Heritage site.