The 'Maratha Military Landscapes', representing the Maratha rulers' fortification and military system, has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, marking India's 44th property to receive this recognition.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced that comprehensive development of Vishnupad Temple corridor at Gaya and Mahabodhi Temple at Bodh Gaya in Bihar will be supported by the government to transform them into world-class pilgrim and tourist destinations. These corridors will be modelled on the successful Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor, she said. Vishnupad Temple is one of the most ancient Hindu shrines located next to the Falgu river, while the Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
India had been striving for long to get a UNESCO tag for this cultural site located in Birbhum district.
The Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has asked the Bihar government to quickly submit its plan to conserve Nalanda Mahavihara in order to keep the World Heritage site status for the remains of the ancient centre of learning.
It is now mandated that a state party can submit only two nominations per year for World Heritage Sites, of which one site has to be a natural site, and has put an annual limitation of 45 nominations per year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed happiness that the city has been recognised as a World Heritage Site.
There were few countries in the world, which could boast of great 'civilizational and cultural legacy,' he said.
Undeterred by last year's failure, India is having a second try at securing World Heritage Site from the UNESCO for the picturesque Majuli Island in Assam, which is also an important seat of Vaishnava culture.
As compared to India, Italy has 41 and France has 30 world heritage sites, she said. The minister said India has submitted a tentative list proposing 19 cultural and natural sites for their future inclusion in the world heritage list.
This is the second such site in Mumbai (besides Elephanta Caves) and 25th in Asia being put under the World Heritage list.
The meeting had resumed for a day on Sunday, after being suspended a day earlier due to a failed coup bid in Turkey which claimed over 260 lives.
Australia's green political party on Wednesday warned the government for approving India's Adani group's plan to expand a major coal port on the fragile Great Barrier Reef coast, saying it will hasten the death of the natural wonder, a World Heritage site.
Saltwater crocodiles are the world's largest reptiles, and these had already disappeared from the coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh by the 1970s. In all of Bhitarkanika, there were only 96 of them left. The census this January noted their count at 1,682.
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