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India Adds 3 Properties to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List
The Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO announces the inclusion of 3 Indian properties in the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List. The added properties comprise 2 natural sites in the Andaman region and 1 cultural and archaeological landscape in Chhattisgarh.
3 Indian Properties in UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List:
| Dimension | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Properties added | The newly included properties comprise: Karst-Mud-Volcano Complex of Baratang; Andaman Subduction Volcanoes; Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape. |
| Karst-Mud-Volcano Complex of Baratang: location and type | The property comprises a natural site in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. |
| Karst-Mud-Volcano Complex of Baratang: key features | The property comprises intricate limestone caves and speleothems, including stalactites and stalagmites, formed via chemical dissolution, and unique mud volcanoes locally called “Jalki” that expel gas, water, and mud rather than molten lava due to underground tectonic and compressed sediment pressures. |
| Andaman Subduction Volcanoes: location and type | The property comprises a natural site at Barren Island and Narcondam Island in the Andaman Sea. |
| Andaman Subduction Volcanoes: tectonic setting | The property comprises features representing active tectonic subduction processes where the Indian Plate subducts under the Burma microplate. |
| Barren Island: volcanic attributes | Barren Island comprises India’s only active volcano with a collapsed caldera and basaltic flows. |
| Narcondam Island: ecological and geological attributes | Narcondam Island comprises unique volcanic geology and an important bird and key biodiversity area. |
| Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape: location and type | The property comprises a cultural site in Mahasamund District, Chhattisgarh, on the banks of the Mahanadi River. |
| Sirpur: cultural attributes | The property comprises an ancient riverine trade and urban center with inter-religious interactions reflected in Hindu and Buddhist monuments. |
| Sirpur: geological setting | The property comprises a site situated within the Proterozoic Chhattisgarh Basin and comprises localized stromatolite geology formed by cyanobacteria. |
| Strategic significance | The inclusion comprises: showcasing active tectonic processes, rare mud volcanism, and unique island ecosystems through Baratang and the Andaman Subduction Volcanoes; recognizing a multi-faith archaeological landscape through Sirpur, including riverine trade connectivity and structural urban evolution across traditions. |