While inaugurating the 46th Session of the World Heritage Committee in New Delhi on 21 July, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that “India’s vision is development as well as heritage – Vikas bhi Virasat bhi”, outlining the country’s commitment to preserving, protecting, and promoting its rich cultural and natural wealth on a global platform.
However, this was not the first time this vision was promoted on a global scale. In 2023, ahead of the World Cup cricket final, captains Rohit Sharma and Pat Cummins posed for a photograph with the trophy at the Adalaj ki Vav (Adalaj Stepwell), near India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City, Ahmedabad. This was followed by the G20 Summit, where heritage was a recurring theme. India is no longer misconceived as the land of ‘snake charmers’; it is recognised as a country of rich cultural diversity and natural wealth.
Although this initiative aims to further innovations in the cultural sector and invite collaboration in previously inactive areas, there is rising concern about political biases and the potential alienation of a section of heritage from the global platform.
Moreover, we are still struggling to map endangered heritage properties and intangible heritage. Hardly any new sites have been added to the list of Monuments of National Importance managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), let alone to the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. However, despite these gaps, this initiative brings the attention of heritage managers back to home ground and, more importantly, to India’s World Heritage Sites.
In India, the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, and Ellora Caves were the first four sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983. Assam’s Charaideo Maidam—a mound-burial system of the Ahom Dynasty—became the latest addition to the list on 26 July.
World recognition
The construction of Egypt’s Aswan High Dam in 1954 raised international concerns over fears it would submerge Egypt’s ancient archaeological heritage sites, specifically the Abu Simbel temple complex. In 1959, in response to appeals from the governments of Egypt and Sudan, UNESCO launched a campaign to assist them in protecting and rescuing endangered monuments.
Following this, Archaeological research in the valley was accelerated, leading to the discovery of temple complexes and thousands of objects. The importance of salvaging the remains was also acknowledged. The campaign cost around $80 million, donated by about 50 countries.
Interestingly, a similar campaign was launched in India in the 1960s at Nagarjunakonda, Andhra Pradesh. Due to the construction of a dam at Nagarjuna Sagar, the Indian government decided to excavate the site and salvage its remains.
Conservation was recognised on a global scale in the 1960s, with the US promoting the concept of a ‘World Heritage Trust’, and then in the 1970s with the adoption of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972). The Convention acknowledged the anthropogenic factors involved in site preservation, human interaction with nature, and the critical need to balance the two. In subsequent years, the World Heritage Committee adopted strategic objectives known as the Five Cs: credibility, conservation, capacity-building, communication, and communities.
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Why the World Heritage tag matters
One of the World Heritage Convention’s main benefits is its emphasis on universally significant properties that embody outstanding examples of cultural diversity and natural wealth. State parties, including India, have pledged their commitment to preserving this legacy for future generations. The prestige associated with being recognised as a World Heritage Site acts as a catalyst for raising awareness about heritage preservation.
The inscription of a site brings public awareness, can increase tourism and revenue, and renews the host country’s commitment to protecting and preserving these irreplaceable assets. Such efforts in protecting and promoting heritage – cultural, natural, and mixed – attract both public and private funds and general curiosity. Essentially, ‘UNESCO World Heritage’ is not a mere trophy or a fancy tag. The goal is to foster global collaboration in identifying and preserving invaluable cultural and natural properties.
India’s journey to receiving the World Heritage tag began with the acceptance of the World Heritage Convention on 14 November 1977, which made Indian sites eligible for inscription on the list. Today, there are 43 UNESCO-identified cultural and natural sites, including Konark Sun Temple, Ahmedabad city, Kaziranga National Park, the ancient city of Dholavira, Nalanda Mahavira, and Rani ki Vav, among others. The recent inclusion of Gujarat’s Garba in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the Charaideo Maidam of Assam has placed India’s diverse cultural and natural assets on the world map.
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The aftermath
The World Heritage tag is just a recognition by UNESCO for properties with Outstanding Universal Value. The real challenge begins afterward. Each state must be cautious about protecting and preserving the sanctity of the property. Charters need to be followed, and site managers must create harmony within the community and among stakeholders.
Consider the example of Hampi in Karnataka. The capital city of the Vijayanagar Empire from the 14th to 16th centuries, Hampi was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. The spectacular setting of the remains of this magnificent building, which includes mandapas, pillared halls, gateways, temples, the chariot, and an exceptional hydraulic system, contributed to its inscription. The site was protected under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 and under the Karnataka Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1961.
However, Hampi was included in the World Heritage in Danger List in 1999, prompted by the construction of two suspension bridges that threatened the site’s integrity. The construction of a road leading to one of the bridges would have further increased heavy goods traffic. This development resulted in the dismantling and reconstruction of an important historical monument – a mandapa — within the borders of the site. This posed a serious problem in the implementation of cultural heritage policies and regulations listed by the Convention.
From 1999 to 2006, Hampi was on the endangered list, until restoration efforts based on the recommendations of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the World Heritage Centre began. An Urban Master Plan was established to monitor illegal constructions in the regulated and prohibited zones. This was done in collaboration with UNESCO and the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement. Today, the ASI, under the Ministry of Culture, has a separate, smaller administrative division, which monitors and manages the site of Hampi.
Maintaining the UNESCO tag is a continuous process where stakeholders work round the clock to uphold it. In India’s case, however, we are known for neglecting our World Heritage Sites.
Hampi is just one example of a constant struggle to maintain the prestigious tag. Not that long ago, the Modi government in 2015 allowed the renovation of an abandoned railway line close to Rani ki Vav in Patan, Gujarat. The move was met with sharp criticism by global stakeholders. Interestingly, Delhi’s nomination for a UNESCO World Heritage city tag was withdrawn by India around the same time.
Therefore, it is safe to say that these prestigious tags come with a pinch of salt. Although we proudly boast about our heritage diversity and wealth, we have to be mindful and sensitive towards its care and conservation.
By hosting the World Heritage Committee, we have shown the world that India can host global events. But the Modi government will have to also show the world that India can open new avenues for cultural and heritage preservation – creating jobs and opportunities through collaboration. People say it takes a village to raise a child. Well, the saying holds true for heritage as well, as it takes a village to protect and preserve historical sites.
Disha Ahluwalia is an archaeologist and junior research fellow at the Indian Council Of Historical Research. Views are personal. She tweets @ahluwaliadisha.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)