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HOW TO BECOME AND REMAIN A WORLD HERITAGE

SITE IN INDIA
A seminal organized by ASI, UNESCO and the Government of Karnataka
20 21 June in Bangalore, Hotel Ashoka

Information for the Press

1. Introduction
Of the 27 World Heritage sites in India, 5 are natural and 22 are cultural. The cultural
properties range from the early cave paintings in Bimbedka, Madhya Pradesh to the 19th
century Nilgiri Mountain Railways in Tamil Nadu; from Mughal architecture in Delhi and
Agra to the ancient capital of Vijayanagara in Hampi, Karnataka. The management and
conservation of these sites is a challenge requiring much greater attention, awareness
and training in order to preserve for present and future generations this great national
resource that is World Heritage in India.
This seminar, organized jointly by ASI, UNESCO and the Government of Karnataka,
aims to improve the awareness of heritage conservation issues for a broad range of
government departments, administrators, technical staff and professionals. The seminar
is divided in two parts. The first part (i) deals with the challenges of the Management of
existing World Heritage Sites in India. The second part (ii) approaches the question of a
more balanced geographical, historic, and typological distribution of World Heritage sites
in India. To further this discussion, the Tentative List, the list of properties proposed for
future nomination to the World Heritage List, will be presented.
(i)

The challenge of managing the existing World Heritage Sites in India

World Heritage sites are prestigious heritage places which attract a large number of
national and international tourists. Although great assets and marketing tools, they are
also among the most vulnerable places, with many layers of history, archaeology,
architecture, landscape, nature and culture; most importantly, they are also living
communities. These sites are complex places, managed in most cases by an undefined
number of agencies at National, State and local levels. Coordination, joint conservation
and management planning and cooperative programme development, however, are
lacking in most instances. There is an urgent need to improve the interagency
collaboration for the better conservation and management of this national treasure to be
safeguarded for present and future generations.
In the last few years, the ASI, Indian Railways, the Ministry of Environment and Forest,
as well as different State government departments concerned with World Heritage site
issues have confronted many challenges and improved the situation of the Indian
Cultural World Heritage sites in various ways. Several Integrated Management Plans
have been prepared or are under preparation; visitor facilities and interpretation have
improved. The greatest challenges, however, still lie ahead. With an increased number

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of foreign and Indian tourists, the challenges of site protection, conservation and
management are also increasing. Base line studies need to be drawn up to evaluate the
best potentials for sustainable tourism at each site, including cultural, natural, and social
impact assessment and vulnerability analysis. Only then can tourism strategies be drawn
up to serve as guiding tools for both site managers and departments of tourism. They
will finally be able to collaborate and work towards a better utilization of the World
Heritage sites of India for tourism and other economic development, without creating a
danger to the archaeological, architectural, and landscape heritage, to nature and
culture, and the living traditions of the local population.

(ii)

The Tentative List of India

A great number of the current World Heritage Sites In India are ASI monuments from
different historic periods. These sites are far from representing all relevant periods in
Indian history. They also do not reflect the typologies of heritage as defined in the World
Heritage Convention. To give a few examples:
Although being one of the most ancient urban civilizations, India does not have one city
on the World Heritage List. Other heritage types missing are, for example, cultural
landscapes, cultural routes (silk route, salt route, etc.), industrial monuments, and
many other categories.
India has been requested, together with all other State Parties, to develop a Tentative
List that is more representative of the time depth of Indian history, the diversity of its
cultures and cultural manifestations, and the typology of heritage places.

2. Background
The 2003 Periodic Report prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India highlighted
the state of protection, conservation, and management of the Indian World Heritage
sites. The Report indicated shortcomings and challenges for the years to come, including
the absence of Management Plans for most World Heritage sites, clear Boundaries and
Statements of Significance. It mentioned that "Master Plans and buffer zones are being
elaborated by the respective state governments", and spoke about "areas for
improvement" which included amongst others the "training programmes for site
managers". In the Report nine cultural World Heritage sites declared their intention to
change their boundaries (and thus the Core and Buffer zoning).
The 2006/7 Retrospective Inventory, prepared by the World Heritage Centre on each
State Party in order to get a clear picture of documentation submitted by the State Party
to the World Heritage Centre and its advisory body ICOMOS international, repeats these
observations and states the need for action.
Several key issues of Indian Cultural World Heritage Sites become apparent in the two
reports:
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Absence of national policy and legislation for heritage protection and

management

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Lack of Integrated Management and Conservation Plans (or Frameworks) for

most Indian WH Sites

Lack of clear boundaries (core and buffer zones) and well defined statements of
significance in many Sites

Challenges in planning, regulating and implementing regulations in the built

environment of protected monuments (responsibilities of departments,
municipality etc.)

Intention to improve in the areas of

environmental impact studies

training for Site Managers

visitor facilities

Intention to develop digital documentation and a documentation centre

exclusively dealing with World Heritage site issues and serving as a catalyst in
integrating conservation, tourism, funding, site evaluation, and taking requisite
action to formulate site management plans.

3. Workshop on World Heritage Cultural Site Management in India from 15

18 June 2008 in Hampi
The seminar in Bangalore on 20/21 June for decision makers was preceded by a four
day workshop on World Heritage Site Management from 15 18 June in Hampi, which
is one of the best managed World Heritage Sites in India.
The Hampi Workshop was organized jointly by UNESCO, the Archaeological Survey of
India and the Karnataka State Government and aimed at enhancing the management
skills of site authorities in addressing the increasing threat on heritage. This event was
attended by representatives of the ASI, Karnataka Department of Tourism, Ministry of
Environment and Forests, and Indian Railways; as well as many conservation
professionals from India and abroad serving as resource persons.
The inaugural session, held on the morning of the 15 th, was graced by the presence of
many luminaries. Sri G. Janardhana Reddy (Minister for Tourism and Infrastructure
Development, Govt. of Karnataka), in his inaugural address, spoke of the glory of the
Vijayanagara kingdom and how it has pervaded through time. He offered cooperation to
UNESCO to continue their good work here and encouraged incorporating further
facilities for visitors and the local inhabitants.
Ms. Minja Yang (Director, UNESCO, New Delhi) highlighted the significance of this
effort, forging a collaboration between the ASI, State and District Government institutions
and a myriad of stakeholders of the local community for the protection, preservation and
enhancement of this unique site.
Eminent politician, Shri. Virupakashappa (Member of Parliament, Koppal Constituency)
stressed the need for cooperation between all stakeholders to maintain the significance
of this site. Sri Anand Singh (Member of Legislative Assembly, Vijayanagara

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Constituency) emphasised the need for high quality interpretation to improve the visitor
experience at Hampi. Mr. Mani (Joint D.G, Archaeological Survey of India, Govt. of
India) recalled the many values of Hampi, its traditional value as Kishkinda kshetra, the
architectural glory from the Vijayanagara era and the natural beauty of the Tungabhadra
river; and stressed our collective duty to safeguard this site of global importance.
The Recommendations of the Hampi workshop expressing the issues and challenges
faced by the Site managers of the Indian World Heritage sites will be shared and
discussed with the decision makers in Bangalore on 21 June 2008.

4. Seminar on How to Become and Remain a World Heritage Site in India

20 21 June 2008 in Bangalore
The Bangalore Workshop is organized jointly by UNESCO, the Archaeological Survey of
India and the Karnataka State Government and aimed at approaching the question of a
more balanced geographical, historic, and typological distribution of World Heritage sites
in India, the Tentative List, the list of properties proposed for future nomination to the
World Heritage List. This event was attended by representatives of the ASI, Karnataka
Department of Tourism, Ministry of Environment and Forests, and Indian Railways; as
well as many conservation professionals from India and abroad serving as resource
persons.
The inaugural session, held on the morning of the 20 th, was graced by the presence of
many luminaries. Sri Subir Hari Singh, Principal Secretary Kannada and Culture,
Information and Tourism, Govt. of Karnataka; Sr. I.M. Vittalamurthy, Secretary Yuth and
Sports, Govt. of Karnataka; Smt. Anshu Vaish, Director General, ASI, Ms. Minja Yang,
Director UNESCO; and Dr. C. Somasekhara, Director Dept. of Tourism.
The Recommendations of the Hampi workshop expressing the issues and challenges
faced by the Site managers of the Indian World Heritage sites will be shared and
discussed with the decision makers in Bangalore on 21 June 2008.