Central Govt recommends inclusion of Orchha in the World Heritage List

 

 

 

The Central Government has handed over the dossier (compiled documents) prepared by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to nominate the historical group of Orchha in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Center has recommended to declare the historical group of Orchha as a World Heritage Site for the year 2027-28. Indian Ambassador Vishal V Sharma at the UNESCO office in Paris has handed over the dossier of Orchha to Lazare Eloundou Asomo, Director of UNESCO World Heritage Center. After the official announcement of UNESCO, Orchha will be the only world heritage site in the country, which is state protected. Principal Secretary Tourism and Culture and Managing Director MP Tourism Board Sheo Shekhar Shukla expressed happiness over the acceptance of the dossier by UNESCO and said that this is a proud achievement for the cultural and historical heritage of the state.

 

Orchha is known for its unique architectural style and rich historical significance. Being nominated in the World Heritage List will further strengthen the global identity of the historical heritage of Orchha. It is noteworthy that every year the Central Government recommends to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) to nominate one heritage of the country in the UNESCO World Heritage List. 14 sites of the state are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Khajuraho Temple Group, Bhimbetka Caves and Sanchi Stupa are included in the permanent list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. UNESCO’s tentative list includes Gwalior Fort, Khooni Bhandara of Burhanpur, rock art sites of Chambal Valley, Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple of Bhojpur, Gond Monument of Ramnagar in Mandla, Historic Group of Dhamnar, Group of Monuments in Mandu, Historic Group of Orchha, Bhedaghat-Lametaghat in Narmada Valley, Satpura Tiger Reserve and Chanderi. A proposal was prepared by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board in the year 2019 and 2021 respectively to include Orchha and Bhedaghat in the tentative list of UNESCO, which was considered eligible by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and forwarded to the World Heritage Section of UNESCO and then it was announced to be included in the tentative list. After the announcement, the Tourism Board, in collaboration with expert institutions.