New Delhi: A total of 36 places in India are recognised as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO, with the latest addition being the city of Ahmedabad. It has been declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO. The historic city of Gujarat, said to be founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in the 15th century, was accorded the UNESCO honour, the first Indian city to get the status. The 600-year-old city Ahmedabad has now joined the ranks of Paris, Vienna, Cairo, Brussels, Rome and Edinburgh and put India on the world heritage city map.
The honour was a lesson for civic bodies around the country, including in Delhi, to look at heritage as an asset as Ahmedabad did, and "preserve, conserve andrestore" heritage sites for posterity,” has said the urban planner and architect AGK Menon.
With many of its sites recognised, Maharashtra tops the list in India. India’s World Heritage Sites include, West Bengal’s Sundarbans, Maharashtra’s Ajanta and Ellora Caves, UP’s Taj Mahal, Goa’s Churches and Convents, among others.
Being a World Heritage Site means that the area is officially recognised as being extremely important to the world's history and culture, and it is protected.
The term ‘Heritage’ is not always an easy word for people to define. However, a word that is often used to describe one’s heritage is legacy. It is what we have done in the past, and what we will pass on to the future.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO, sums it up well by defining cultural and natural heritages as irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration…our touchstones, our points of reference, our identity” (World Heritage 2008).
How does a place become one?
The cultural heritage and the natural heritage are among the priceless and irreplaceable possessions, not only of each nation, but also of mankind as a whole. The purpose behind giving UNESCO World Heritage Site title to a Place is that the place will become more famous. Lots of people will visit it and learn about it. It can get more money to help look after its heritage so that people can enjoy the site for many years to come.
Rules to Follow
The criteria to become a world heritage site are best explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention. There are so many rules that a place should follow for the title of World Heritage Site. One of these is that a place must have an interesting story that shows how important it was in history like the Grand Canyon in Arizona, USA, that tells us a lot about the history of the Earth and how it has developed over millions of years. Another reason a place could become a World Heritage Site is if it is exceptionally beautiful, such as the Taj Mahal, which is famous for its amazing architecture.
To sum up all the rules, there is one basic prerequisite: "To be included on the World Heritage List; sites must be of outstanding universal value, after all, the World Heritage List is supposed to mirror the world's diversity. " it says on UNESCO's website.
Also, places can even lose the World Heritage Site title if they don't look after their site properly such example includes the place like Liverpool. The famous Merseyside city was awarded a coveted UNESCO title back in 2004 but its reputation for amazing architecture could be at risk, because a new £5billion development threatens its World Heritage Status.
Nations make suggestions
Only countries that have signed the World Heritage Convention, pledging to protect their natural and cultural heritage, can submit nomination proposals for properties on their territory to be considered for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This has led to the fact that World Heritage Sites are mostly found in Europe, North America and Asia. All these countries have to come up with a list of potential candidates it considers World Heritage-worthy.
The countries' nominations then go to an independent expert panel. The application process takes at least 18 months and is highly complex. The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) studies the thick application folders containing all relevant data and makes their recommendations. While the candidates in the natural phenomena category are examined by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
There are over 1,000 World Heritage Sites around the world. Of these, 832 are cultural, 206 are natural and 35 are mixed properties with more still being added to list. The World Heritage Committee meets every year from June 28 to July 8 to discuss which nominees to induct, from historical sites to natural phenomena.