Meghalayan caves, Naga Hill ophiolite among 69 new UNESCO nominees

New Delhi, Sept 14: The Meghalayan Age Caves (East Khasi Hills) and Naga Hill Ophiolite (Kiphire) have been added to the tentative list of the UNESCO’s World Heritage conventions.

The permanent delegation of India to UNESCO Vishal V Sharma said that seven properties of India have been added to the tentative list of the UNESCO’s World Heritage conventions.

The other five properties include the Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra), Geological Heritage of St Mary’s Island Cluster (Karnataka), Natural Heritage of Erra Matti Dibbalu (Andhra Pradesh), Natural Heritage of Tirumala Hills (Andhra Pradesh) and Natural Heritage of Varkala (Kerala).

With these, the number of Indian properties on the tentative list is now 69 (49 under cultural category, three under mixed category, and 17 under natural category).

The addition of these properties highlight India’s commitment to the preservation and conservation of its rich cultural heritage.

Addition to the tentative list is a mandatory requirement before the inscription of any property on the World Heritage List.

The river island of Majuli in the midstream of Brahmaputra river in Assam has been in the tentative list for consideration for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2004 under the cultural property category. Similarly, the iconic sari weaving clusters from Assam has also been in the tentative list for consideration for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2014.

The Apatani Cultural Landscape of Arunachal Pradesh has been in the tentative list for consideration for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2014.

The Thembang Fortified Village in Arunachal Pradesh has also been in the tentative list for consideration for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Jingkiengjri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes of Meghalaya was also in the tentative list in 2022.

Similarly, the rock-cut sculptures and reliefs of Unakoti in Unakoti district of Tripura are in the tentative list for consideration for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage list under the cultural property list.

The Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh has been in the tentative list for consideration for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage list under the natural properties category, while the Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area of Manipur and the Garo Hills Conservation Area have been in the tentative list for consideration for nomination to the UNESCO World Heritage List under the mixed properties list.