Walled City of Jaipur is nominated as next site for UNESCO World Heritage recognition
New Delhi, August 1: The Walled City of Jaipur in Rajasthan is the next proposed site for UNESCO World Heritage recognition. This was said by Union Minister for Culture Mahesh Sharma on Tuesday.
In a reply to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister Mahesh Sharma said that the site namely “The Walled City of Jaipur, Rajasthan has been proposed for World Heritage. Notably, as per Operation Guidelines 2017, only one site can be nominated by the state party each year.
The Minister further added that the recognition of World Heritage is a matter of great pride. It impacts the local economy by giving a boost to domestic and international tourism leading to increased employment Generation, a creation of World class infrastructure and augmentation of a sale of local handicrafts, handlooms and heritage memorabilia. Besides, it adds to the prestige of the country as well as the prescribed site.
BACKGROUND:
There are a total of 37 World Heritage sites in the country at present. These include Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh, Ajanta Caves, Elephanta Caves and Ellora Caves in Maharashtra among others.
The most recent addition to the list was Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, which became a World Heritage site this year. It is a collection of 19th century Victorian Neo-Gothic public buildings and 20th century Art Deco buildings.
A list of 37 sites, State wise, is given below:
Under Protection of Archaeological Survey of India
| Sr. No | Name on Site | State |
| 1 | Agra Fort (1983) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 2 | Ajanta Caves (1983) | Maharashtra |
| 3 | Ellora Caves (1983) | Maharashtra |
| 4 | Taj Mahal (1983) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 | Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984) | Tamil Nadu |
| 6 | Sun Temple, Konarak (1984) | Odisha |
| 7 | Churches and Convents of Goa (1986) | Goa |
| 8 | Fatehpur Sikri (1986) | Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 | Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986) | Karnataka |
| 10 | Khajuraho, Group of Temples (1986) | Madhya Pradesh |
| 11 | Elephanta Caves ( 1987) | Maharashtra |
| 12 | Great Living Chola Temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram (1987 & 2004) | Tamil Nadu |
| 13 | Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987) | Karnataka |
| 14 | Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) | Madhya Pradesh |
| 15 | Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993) | Delhi |
| 16 | Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993) | Delhi |
| 17 | Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003) | Madhya Pradesh |
| 18 | Champaner-Pavagarh Archaeological Park (2004) | Gujarat |
| 19 | Red Fort Complex, Delhi (2007) | Delhi |
| 20 | Hill Forts of Rajasthan (Chittaurgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Jaisalmer and Ranthambhore, Amber and Gagron Forts) (2013) (Amber and Gagron Forts are under protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums) | Rajasthan |
| 21 | Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan (2014) | Gujarat |
| 22 | Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda (2016) | Bihar |
Under Protection of Ministry of Railways
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 23 | Mountain Railways of India ( Darjeeling,1999), Nilgiri (2005), Kalka-Shimla(2008) | West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh |
| 24 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004) | Maharashtra |
Under Protection of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 25 | Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, (2002) | Bihar |
Under Protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 26 | The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010) | Rajasthan |
Under Protection of Chandigarh Administration
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 27 |
| Chandigarh |
Under Protection of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 28 | Historic City of Ahmedabad (2017) | Gujarat |
Under Protection of Government of Maharashtra
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 29 | Victorian and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai (2018) | Maharashtra |
Under Protection of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 30 | Kaziranga National Park (1985) | Assam |
| 31 | Keoladeo National Park (1985) | Rajasthan |
| 32 | Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985) | Assam |
| 33 | Sunderbans National Park (1987) | West Bengal |
| 34 | Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005) | Uttarakhand |
| 35 | Western Ghats (2012) | Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu |
| 36 | Great Himalayan National Park (2014) | Himachal Pradesh |
Under Protection of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes
| Sr No. | Name on Site | State |
| 37 | Khangchendzonga National Park (2016) | Sikkim |