Heritage Sites

The Sustainable and Inclusive Tourism Development Project targets the promotion of heritage and cultural sites in the Mandi and Hamirpur districts

There are nearly 60 properties in India which find a place in the Tentative List for further inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to information shared by the government in Parliament on Monday. A Tentative List is an inventory of those properties which each State Party intends to consider for nomination as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) is being held in New Delhi from July 21 to July 31. India is hosting the key event of UNESCO for the first time. The mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam -- 'Moidams' -- was on July 26 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, making it the first cultural property from the Northeast to get the coveted tag. 'Moidams' was submitted as India's nomination for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for the year 2023-24. The site was put in the Tentative List of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2014. In a written response to a query in Lok Sabha, Union Culture

Taking a day off from their busy schedule, several delegates of the ongoing session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) on Sunday visited the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, Qutb Minar and other cultural sites in and around Delhi. The 46th session of the WHC is being held in New Delhi from July 21 to July 31. India is hosting the key event of UNESCO for the first time. Over 2,000 international and national delegates from more than 150 countries are participating in the meeting, the Culture Ministry said in a statement on Sunday. After a week of marathon discussions and scrutinising numerous nominations in conference halls, the delegates and committee members enjoyed a day out exploring the sights, cuisine, and vibrant culture of Delhi and its neighbouring areas on Sunday. Requests were put in by some of the committee members that delegates would like to have a day off to enjoy sightseeing of heritage sites, the ministry said. To make the stay of WHC delegates memorable, the Archaeological

Following London's 158-year-old programme involving marking significant buildings with blue plaques, the Delhi civic body will first mark 50 notable heritage structures

Twenty-seven new sites have been identified for development under the Centre's PRASHAD scheme, the government informed Parliament on Monday. Union Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy said this in a written response to a query in the Lok Sabha. He said 57 destinations have also been identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan 2.0 scheme. The Union Ministry of Tourism launched the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) and the Swadesh Darshan schemes in 2014-15 for developing infrastructure at tourist destinations, including religious sites. The primary objective of the PRASHAD scheme is to develop tourism infrastructure at pilgrimage and heritage sites, ensuring a more enriching experience for pilgrims and heritage enthusiasts. The Swadesh Darshan scheme aimed to develop theme-based tourist circuits, Reddy said. The ministry has now revamped Swadesh Darshan as Swadesh Darshan 2.0 with the objective to develop sustainable and responsible

The ASI on Monday launched the 'Adopt a Heritage 2.0' programme seeking collaboration with corporate stakeholders in preservation of monuments. Besides, a user-friendly mobile app, named 'Indian Heritage', which will showcase the heritage monuments of India, was also unveiled. The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has 3,697 monuments under its ambit. These monuments not only exhibit the rich cultural heritage of India but also play a significant role in fostering economic growth, the culture ministry said. Union Minister of Tourism G Kishan Reddy, who attended the launch programme virtually, urged all entities to come forward and help in better upkeep and rejuvenation of India's rich cultural heritage, in line with the vision of 'Virasat Bhi, Vikas Bhi'. The 'Adopt a Heritage 2.0' programme seeks to foster collaboration with corporate stakeholders through which they can contribute to preservation of these monuments for the next generations, he said. The process for selection wi

The CM also honoured filmmakers, cinematographers and singers of the state associated with the film world, the statement informed

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Saturday organised a 10-km guided e-bike tour covering heritage sites such as Sheesh Mahal, Gordon Highlanders Memorial and Roshnara Bagh and tomb. This was the second such tour organised by the civic body, with the first held in January. The MCD has partnered with Yulu Bikes to offer guided e-tours to showcase the rich heritage of the city, an official said. "A heritage tour was organised by Keshavpuram Zone starting from Sheesh Mahal Park Entrance, Haiderpur. On the occasion, Deputy Commissioner of Keshav Puram zone, Naveen Aggarwal and other senior municipal officials were also present," the MCD said in a statement. "These types of events will help in exploring hidden gems of our city and the same will add to tourist attractions of the city," Aggarwal said informing that many such tours will be organised in future. The tour started from Sheesh Mahal and covered a distance of 10 km exploring heritage places like Gordon Highlanders Memorial,

Five caves at the Ellora world heritage site in Maharashtra's Aurangabad district will be illuminated with LED lights and the Archaeological Survey of India will try to complete the work before the city hosts a G20-related event, a senior ASI official has said. The 'first inception meet' of Women 20 (W20) as part of India's presidency of G20 will be held in the city on February 13-14, 2023. The Women 20, an official G20 engagement group, was set up in 2015 to ensure gender considerations figure in G20 discussions. The ASI has already put up lights in various Ajanta caves for visitors to see the paintings made there between 400 and 650 CE, an official said on Wednesday. ASI's superintendent archaeologist Milan Kumar Chauley told PTI that they will also illuminate the inside portions of Ellora cave numbers 5, 10, 16, 29 and 32 which have paintings and sculptures. Chauley said they will try to finish the work before the G20-related event in Aurangabad in February next year. "The lig

A campaign that seeks to rediscover the cultural and heritage potential of Indian cities through a series of heritage walks was launched on Tuesday. As part of the campaign 'My City My Heritage', thematic walks will be conducted in five cities -- Prayagraj, Bhubaneswar, Nashik, Hyderabad and Indore -- over the next few months. It will end in March, organisers said. It focusses on rediscovering the culture and heritage potential of Indian cities, and the campaign will be further sustained through a series of heritage walks starting December, they said. InterGlobe Foundation (IGF), the philanthropic arm of InterGlobe Enterprises, made the announcement during an event held here. G Kamala Vardhana Rao, director general, Ministry of Tourism, was the chief guest and keynote speaker. A panel discussion was also held. Amita Baig, executive director, World Monuments Fund, India, and Junhi Han, programme specialist and chief of section (culture) at UNESCO Office here, were among the paneli

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has not been able to bring under its "complete care" at least 20 heritage sites in Bihar as authorities concerned are yet to clear encroachments and unauthorized constructions in and around these places, an official said. Goutami Bhattacharya, the superintending archaeologist of ASI (Patna circle), said that district authorities, despite reminders, "have not taken requisite measures" to facilitate the upkeep and maintenance of these centrally protected sites, including the ancestral home of the country's first president, Dr Rajendra Prasad. "We have filed several police complaints pertaining to illegal constructions in the restricted areas surrounding the protected monuments, but no action was taken. "This apathy on the part of the district administrations in removing encroachments and unauthorized constructions has come in the way of bringing these sites under the complete care of the ASI," she told PTI. Bhattacharya also said that she ...

Twenty heritage sites, including two ancient mounds at Haryana's Rakhigarhi and the age-old Anangtal in Delhi, have been identified for the national importance tag, the government has said.

In a statement, the company said the agreement, with the Yinhawangka Aboriginal Corporation (YAC), will ensure a new co-designed management plan protects social and cultural heritage values

Even as the political drumbeat on domestic tourism gets louder, state tourism departments go offbeat and experiential with the pitch

At present, gates of most monuments are closed for visitors by 6 p.m.

Today, ILF has got 200 colleges to participate in the heritage map challenge and a growing network of experts to tell their stories

Activities such as mining, illegal logging, oil and gas exploration threaten 114 out of 229 natural World Heritage sites