Santiniketan, Western Ghats named for Unesco listings
October 19th, 2010 - 5:33 pm ICT by IANSNew Delhi, Oct 19 (IANS) India has nominated Santiniketan, the university town where Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore founded Visva Bharati, and the mountain range of Western Ghats for a place in Unesco’s World Heritage list, officials said here Tuesday.
The cultural ministry recommended the inclusion of Santiniketan, the university town 180 km from Kolkata, under the cultural category, while the Western Ghats have been nominated under the natural category, according to the officials.
“Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) officials have already conducted their survey of Santiniketan,” a cultural ministry official told IANS.
Tagore, who founded Visva Bharati at Santiniketan in 1901, lived and penned some of his literary classics in the university town, which is one of the most popular tourist spots.
The official said a survey of the Western Ghats, the mountain range that runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau and is known for its unique flora and fauna, is yet to be done. The decision over the sites will be taken next year by Unesco.
This year, India added the 18th century Jantar Mantar in Jaipur to its list of Unesco’s World Heritage sites. The astronomical observation site was built in the early 18th century by a Jaipur king.
India has 30 sites under the Unesco listing, including the 17th century Taj Mahal in Agra and Delhi-based Red Fort and Qutab Minar.
- UNESCO representative visits Visva-Bharati to asses its legacy - Oct 06, 2010
- Santiniketan through a historic photographers' lens - Oct 11, 2011
- 'Hopeful of Viswa-Bharati getting world heritage status' - Jan 14, 2011
- Jaipur's Jantar Mantar now a world heritage site - Aug 04, 2010
- Australia to help set up Tagore museum in Visva-Bharati - Mar 15, 2011
- Tagore memorabilia to get new home in Santiniketan - Mar 19, 2011
- President Patil to visit Visva Bharati Tuesday - Nov 28, 2011
- West Bengal celebrates Holi with traditional fervour - Mar 19, 2011
- Now, a Tagore hub in Edinburgh University - May 10, 2012
- Government trying to resolve heritage sites dispute - Sep 06, 2011
- Australia, Visva-Bharati to collaborate on Tagore Museum - Mar 15, 2011
- PM announces Rs.95 crore grant to restore Visva-Bharati on Tagore anniversary - May 07, 2011
- Tagore was Bengal's Shakespeare: Sonia Gandhi - May 07, 2011
- Delhi arts fest to kick off with ode to Tagore - Oct 30, 2011
- Introducing children to Humayun's tomb - Nov 14, 2011
Tags: agra, astronomical observation, bharati, cultural ministry, deccan plateau, flora and fauna, jaipur, literary classics, mantar, ministry official, natural category, nobel laureate, organisation officials, qutab minar, rabindranath tagore, tourist spots, western edge, western ghats, world heritage list, world heritage sites