Complete Art and Culture | Lec 23: UNESCO World Heritage Sites | UPSC GS History by Aadesh

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India Friends, Second World War was one of the most devastating wars in human history. Between 1939 and 1945, there was a lot of death and destruction in this war. To avoid the negative impact of the war and to promote peace, cultural exchange and dialogue in the world, world leaders decided to form an organization. As a result, UNESCO was born in 1945. UNESCO's main objective was to achieve world peace through international cooperation in the areas of education, science and culture. In the 1960s, an incident occurred in Egypt, which attracted the attention of the whole world to the cultural heritage of the human society. The ancient Abu Simbel Temple of Egypt was sinking due to the dam in Parsi. UNESCO organized an international rescue mission to save it. The success of this mission attracted the attention of the world community to many other such heritage sites, which were the heritage of the human society, but were in danger for some reason. A few years later, UNESCO organized the World Heritage Convention in 1972 to save such sites, which represent the civilization and cultural progress of human civilization, from disasters such as armed conflicts or war, deliberate destruction, economic pressure, climate change, etc. For the first time in 1972, UNESCO organized the World Heritage Convention. The World Heritage Convention decided that a world heritage committee of 21 members would be formed, which would select world heritage sites. The committee divided the world heritage sites into three categories, cultural, natural or mixed world heritage sites. Cultural sites have an important cultural significance for human civilization. Natural sites are important for the preservation of nature. Mixed sites are known for both their cultural and natural significance. UNESCO has many benefits of being selected as a World Heritage Site. For example, global attention or global attention is attracted to the selected sites. It is easy to arrange funds from the governmental and non-governmental organizations for the preservation of this site. In this way, it becomes easier to preserve the site in its original form. All countries are bound by the Geneva Convention and the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Sites Even in India, UNESCO has declared many sites as World Heritage Sites in recent years. It is obvious that many sites have universal value in ancient civilization like India. By 2022, 40 sites of India have been declared as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. There are 32 cultural sites, 7 natural sites and 1 mixed category site. Friends, in today's video, we will learn about some important World Heritage Sites of India in brief. Let's start with cultural sites. Cultural Sites Ajanta and Ellora Caves Ajanta and Ellora's rock-cut caves were declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983. Both the caves are located near Aurangabad city in Maharashtra. There are 29 caves in Ajanta group, which are dedicated to Buddhism. Ajanta Caves were excavated near the Vaghora River. These caves were built between 200 BC and 650 AD. They were mainly built in the care of Satavahanas and the Vakataka dynasty, who ruled the peninsula in India. 25 of the 29 caves were used as the housing of Biharas or Buddhist monks, while 4 were used as chaityas or prayer halls. The themes related to Buddha's life and Jataka stories have been used to decorate the caves. The wall paintings made in Ajanta Caves are called fresco paintings. This is the main attraction here. In addition to the paintings, the caves have also been decorated with sculptures. In the past, Ajanta Caves was an important Buddhist center. And their description is also found in the travel accounts of Chinese traveler Fa Heng and Hsiung Tsang. Just a short distance from Ajanta are Ellora Caves. Ellora Caves is a group of 34 caves, of which 17 are Brahmanical, 12 are Buddhist, and 5 are caves related to Jain religion. Apart from Ajanta, Ellora Caves is dedicated to the three major religions of that time, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Ellora Caves was built between 5th century AD and 11th century AD by different workers groups from Vidarbha, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Therefore, the architectural style and subjects of Ellora Caves are quite varied. Kailashnath Temple, which is in cave number 16, is quite remarkable. Its specialty is that its construction has been cut from a large rock to the top to the bottom. Next cultural site is Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh. Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the modern world, represents the pinnacle of Mughal architectural style. Shah Jahan had built Taj Mahal in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal. Construction started in 1632 and completed in 1648. Taj Mahal, made entirely of white marble, connects elements of Islamic, Indian, Persian, and Turkish architectural styles. Symmetry has been taken care of in its construction. Taj Mahal is built on one end of a rectangular garden. There are four beautiful minarets around the main cemetery. The Yamuna River flows next to it, which reflects the beauty of the Taj. Famous Makrana marbles have been used in the construction of Taj Mahal. Because of this, the Taj looks different at different times of the day. In the morning, the Taj is rosy, in the afternoon, it is milky white, and the sunset is seen with a reddish glow. On a full moon night, the Taj looks quite charming and enchanting. And tourists come from afar to see it on a full moon. In 1983, UNESCO gave the Taj the title of World Heritage Site for its outstanding universal value. Next cultural site is Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha. Konark Sun Temple, a famous tourist spot in Odisha, is 35 km northeast of Puri. Konark Temple is located on the seacoast and used to act as a navigational point for sailors in ancient times. It was called Black Pagoda by European sailors. Because it looked like a giant tower of black color from a distance. The credit for building Konark Sun Temple is given to King Narsimhadev I of East Ganga Dynasty. It is believed that its construction took place around 1250 AD. Its construction was done in the form of a huge 100-foot chariot of the Sun God. Twelve pairs of stone wheels and seven stone horses were also built to pull this chariot. Temple is a famous example of traditional Kalinga-Vastu art. Its orientation has been carefully placed towards the east, so that the first ray of the sun falls on its principal entrance. Temple walls are decorated with intricate sculptures, whose theme is derived from Hindu mythology and culture. Konark Sun Temple, Odisha School of Temple, is an excellent example of architecture. It was named as a World Heritage Site in 1984. Next cultural site is Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. The kings of the Pallava dynasty built the Group of Monuments in Mahabalipuram or Mamalapuram on the Coromandel coast of Tamil Nadu between 7th to 8th century AD. Mamalapuram was an important seaport of the Pallava dynasty, from where the Pallavas conducted long-distance trade. Because of this, Mamalapuram was the second most important city of the Pallavas after the capital Kanchipuram. Due to being a port city and a trading hub, Mamalapuram was quite prosperous, which is reflected in approximately 40 small and large monuments here. The monuments of Mamalapuram can also be called the precursor of Dravid style of temple architecture. The full development of Dravidian style took place during the Chola dynasty, which came after the Pallavas. There are 40 distinct monuments on the site of Mamalapuram, which can be divided into 4 groups. 1. Rathas temples, which are individual temples of chariot shape. 2. Mandapas or cave temples. 3. Rock reliefs, which are made by carving large rocks. 4. Structural temples. Rath temples were given the shape of a chariot by carving large rocks. The most popular among the Rath temples are the 5 Rath temples, which are dedicated to the Pandavas. The names of these 5 Rath temples are Dharmaraj Rath, Bheem Rath, Arjun Rath, Nakul Sahadev Rath and Draupadi Rath. Dharmaraj Rath is the largest among them and Draupadi Rath is the smallest. Mandapas or cave temples were made by carving the hill face like the temples of Ajanta and Ellora. Rock reliefs are such monuments that were made by carving large rocks. But their form was not of the shape of chariots. In these, the descent of Ganges is important, which is also called Arjuna's penance. The last group is of structural temples, which were not carved by cutting the rocks, but were made by joining them. The most important among them is the Shore temple. The Shore temple is one of the earliest examples of full-fledged temple construction in the Indian subcontinent. It denotes the highest point of the Pallavas' temple architecture. Mahabalipuram's group of monuments was put on the list of World Heritage in 1984. Next cultural site is Khajuraho group of monuments. Khajuraho is an ancient city located in the Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh. The present temples here are called Khajuraho group of temples, whose construction was done between 950-1050 A.D. by the Chandela dynasty. Originally, 85 temples were constructed, but only 20 have been able to survive after the blow of time, plunderings and destruction. Khajuraho temples are dedicated to two major religions, Hinduism and Jainism. These temples represent the Nagara style of temple architecture developed in North India. Khajuraho temples are known all over the world for their intricately carved sculptures. Apart from religious themes, these sculptures also depict common life events. For example, some sculptures show women applying makeup, while some show potters, musicians, farmers and other common folks. Some temples also have erotic sculptures, and it is believed that their theme is derived from Vatsayana's famous novel Kamasutra. There are some famous temples in Khajuraho group of monuments, Vishwanath Temple, Kandariya Mahadev Temple and Lakshmana Temple. Khajuraho group of monuments was named World Heritage Site in 1986. Next cultural site is Fatehpur Sikri. Mughal Emperor Akbar had built his capital in Fatehpur Sikri between 1572 and 1585. Before this, the capital of the Mughals used to be Agra, which is about 36 km away from Fatehpur Sikri. It is said that Emperor Akbar was praying to attain a son. With his wish, he reached Khan Kha of Sufi Saint Salim Chishti, who used to live in Sikri. With the blessing of Saint Salim Chishti, he attained a son. For this reason, Akbar shifted his capital from Agra to Sikri to honor the saint. After winning the war in Akbar's Gujarat in 1573, this city was named Fatehpur Sikri or City of Victory. In Fatehpur Sikri city, many important monuments were built over time, including Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal, Jodhabai's Palace, Salim Chishti's Tomb, Jama Masjid, Ibadat Khana, etc. Buland Darwaza is the entrance to the southern side of the city and its height is 54 meters. Akbar had built it to celebrate his victory over Gujarat. Panch Mahal is a four-story structure inside the fort, where Akbar and his wife enjoyed the music of famous musician Tansen. Ibadat Khana was built inside Fatehpur Sikri. In this, Akbar met spiritual leaders of different religions and had discussions with them. Salim Chishti's tomb is near Jama Masjid, where Jama Masjid and the entire Fatehpur Sikri fort are made of red sandstone. Salim Chishti's tomb is a single construction in white marble. It is popular for its intricate jali works and every year, devotees of the saint come to visit it. Fatehpur Sikri was named World Heritage Site in 1986. Next cultural site is Group of Monuments at Hampi. Hampi, situated on the southern coast of the Tungabhadra River, was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. According to travel accounts of Persian and European travelers, Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy, and grand city. It had many temples, farms, and trading markets. According to Persian traveler Abdur Razzaq, Hampi was the second-largest city in the medieval world, after Beijing. Due to the wealth of Vijayanagara and Hampi, travelers and traders used to come from distant areas such as Persia and Europe. In the Battle of Talikota in 1565, after the defeat of Vijayanagara, Deccan Sultanate plundered Hampi for six months. Due to this, the city was abandoned. In 1800, Colin McKenzie rediscovered this city. Hampi's grandeur and culture can be clearly seen from the ruins here, which have temples, mosques, civil and military buildings, etc. There are some notable monuments of Hampi. Virupaksha Temple Virupaksha, also known as Shiva, was the guardian deity of Vijayanagara. Although the Virupaksha Temple was built before the Vijayanagara Empire, the Vijayanagara kings enlarged it and decorated it with elaborate sculptures. The temple has a mandapa, garbhagriha, subsidiary shrines, three entrances, doors, or gopurams. Vitthala Temple Complex In this complex, apart from Vitthala Temple, there are many halls, pavilions, and other temples. But the most famous is the Stone Chariot, which is also the brand symbol of Karnataka tourism today. Vitthala Temple is dedicated to Vitthala Dev, who is considered to be the form of Vishnu. Lotus Mahal Lotus Mahal is a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture. It is believed that it was built for queens and royal ladies. Hampi's group of monuments was put on the list of World Heritage in 1986. Hill Forts of Rajasthan Rajasthan State has more than 100 forts, which have been constructed in hills or mountainous terrain. Six of these forts have been put on the list of World Heritage Sites, which are collectively called Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Rajasthan's forts are included in the World Heritage Site. Chittor Fort located in Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh Fort located in Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore Fort located in Sawai Madhopur, Jaisalmer Fort located in Jaisalmer, Aamir Fort located in Jaipur, and Gagran Fort located in Jhalawar. These forts were built between the 8th and 18th century by Rajput kings. These forts were built taking into account natural defences such as landscapes, deserts, rivers, hills and dense forests. Hill Forts of Rajasthan was put on the list of World Heritage Sites in 2013. Next cultural site is Great Living Chola Temples. Great Living Chola Temples was constructed by the kings of Chola dynasty. Between 11th to 12th century AD, Chola Empire was at its peak and its extent was from South to Sri Lanka to North to Krishna Godavari Basin. Many temples were constructed by the Chola kings. Three of them are quite popular, which are also known as Great Living Chola Temples. They represent the grandeur of Dravidian architecture. These three temples are Brihadeshwara Temple of Tanjavur, Brihadeshwara Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram, and Airavateshwara Temple located in Darsuran. Brihadeshwara Temple of Tanjavur is dedicated to Lord Shiva and it was constructed by King Chola I between 1003 to 1010 AD. Sculptures, inscriptions and paintings of this temple represent Vaishnavism and Shaktism tradition as well as Shaivism. The aircraft of this temple made of granite is one of the tallest in South India. There is a massive corridor in the temple and it is one of the largest Shiva Linga in India. Brihadeshwara Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram is also dedicated to Lord Shiva and is similar to the temple of Tanjavur. It was constructed by King Chola I in 1035 AD. Brihadeshwara Temple of Gangaikonda Cholapuram was actually constructed by King Chola I after defeating the Pala Kings of North India in war. This old Chola capital is located at a distance of around 80 km from Tanjavur. Airavateshwara Temple of Darsuram was constructed by King Chola II in 1150 AD. This was the last great temple built by the successive Chola kings. Great living Chola temples were included in the list of World Heritage in 1987. Next cultural site is Red Fort Complex, Delhi. When Mughal ruler Shah Jahan shifted his capital Delhi from Agra, he settled a new city Shahjahanabad. Shahjahanabad is also known as Old Delhi today. Gradually, Red Fort became the center of the Mughal Empire throughout India. Before the revolt of 1857, the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Zafar lived in Red Fort. Therefore, Red Fort became attached to the sovereignty of India. After independence from the British, now every 15th August, the Prime Minister of India comes to Tiranga from Red Fort. There are many monuments in Red Fort that represent the grandeur of Mughal architecture. Diwan-e-Aam In Diwan-e-Aam, the emperor used to meet common people and address their problems. Diwan-e-Khas Diwan-e-Khas was used for private audience. There, the emperor used to meet only his ministers. Diwan-e-Khas had a peacock throne. Peacock throne was the jeweled throne of the Mughal emperor, in which the famous Kohinoor diamond was placed. In 1739, when Nadir Shah plundered the Red Fort, he took the peacock throne with him to Persia. Red Fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007. Friends, after important cultural sites, let's see some natural World Heritage Sites. Natural Sites Sundarbans National Park Sundarbans National Park, which is known for Royal Bengal Tigers, is also a Tiger Reserve and Biosphere Reserve. It is located in the Sundarbans Delta created by the Ganga River in the Indian state of West Bengal. Sundarbans is one of the largest reserves of India and it is mostly densely covered with mangrove forests. In this park, apart from the endangered Royal Bengal Tigers, Gangetic Dolphins, Spotted Deer, Wild Boars and other mammals and amphibian species are also found. Rare saltwater crocodiles are also found in Sundarbans. Seeing the importance of Sundarbans in preserving endangered wildlife and biodiversity, it was put on the list of Natural World Heritage Sites in 1987. Next Natural Site is Great Himalayan National Park. Great Himalayan National Park is located in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh. It was established in 1984 and this park is spread over an area of more than 1000 km2. The altitude within the park varies between 1500 to 6000 meters. Due to which Great Himalayan National Park is the home of numerous flora and about 375 faunal species. In 2014, UNESCO put it on the list of Natural World Heritage. Next Natural Site is Keoladev National Park. Keoladev National Park, which was also called Bharatpur Wildlife Sanctuary, is located in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan. The name of Keoladev is actually due to Keoladev or Shiva Temple, which is located inside the National Park. Along with being a heritage site, it is also an important Ramsar site. Ramsar site is a list of such wetlands which are very important for ecology, but are threatened due to human activities. Keoladev National Park is also one of the threatened landscapes because its feeder river has become a dam upstream. Fresh water flow has reduced in Keoladev after the construction of the dam. However, due to international pressures and environmentalists, the government now releases adequate fresh water for the National Park. Keoladev is an important avifauna sanctuary. Thousands of rare and endangered migratory birds come here every year for nesting in winters. There are some migratory birds, cranes, pelicans, hawks, geese, ducks, etc. coming to Keoladev National Park. Along with that, many beautiful animals are also found here, such as golden jackal, striped hyena, jungle cat, blue cow, black buck, fishing cat, wild boar, etc. Keoladev was put on the World Heritage List in 1982, National Park and 1985. The next natural site is Western Ghats. The hills of Western Ghats are spread from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu in more than 7000 square kilometers. It passes through six states of India. Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. They are geologically older than the Himalayas and are considered one of the eight hottest hotspots in the world. This means that the biodiversity found in Western Ghats is unparalleled. At the same time, they are also threatened by human activity. It is believed that Western Ghats are home to at least 325 globally threatened flora, fauna, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish species. Along with this, Western Ghats also play an important role in regulating India's monsoonal climate. Today, Western Ghats are threatened by many types of human activities such as construction, mining, agriculture, etc. The destruction of Western Ghats is not only dangerous for ecology, but also for climate change. Recently, Kerala is facing unprecedented floods. An important reason for this is that human settlements have been built by cutting the forests of Western Ghats in many places. This increases the risk of hazards such as floods and landslides. Due to the ecological importance of Western Ghats, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2012. In India, UNESCO has put one site in the mixed category. This means that along with its natural importance, it also has cultural importance. Let's know about the mixed site. Let's know about the only mixed World Heritage Site in India. Mixed Sites Kanchenjunga National Park Kanchenjunga National Park is located in Sikkim. This is one of the highest altitude National Parks in India. Within the National Park, the world's third highest peak, Kanchenjunga, whose height is 8586, is located. Kanchenjunga National Park is actually the core area of the Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve. This Biosphere Reserve is famous for its biodiversity in the world. 86% of Kanchenjunga is located in the alpine region and the rest of the portion is in the Himalayan wet temperate and subtropical moist deciduous forest. Because of this, the biodiversity here is quite rich. Some endangered species found in Kanchenjunga are Red Panda, Snow Leopard, Himalayan Black Bear, Musk Deer, Great Tibetan Sheep, etc. Due to being close to Tibet, there are many Buddhist stupas and monasteries in the park, due to which the cultural importance of the park is also sufficient. Due to its natural and cultural significance, UNESCO put Kanchenjunga National Park in the category of Mixed World Heritage in 2017. Let's quickly see the summary. Summary Friends, in this video, we saw the UNESCO-designated Cultural, Natural and Mixed World Heritage sites in India. These sites are valuable not only for India, but also for the cultural heritage of the world. They portray the rich cultural and natural history of our country. Friends, you have seen so many of these sites. The government is promoting domestic tourism under the Dekho Apna Desh program. We should also try to visit our country before destinations like Maldives and Europe. Friends, this country is so big, beautiful and diverse that it will surprise you. So next time, before planning a tour of Maldives, Dekho Apna Desh.