UNESCO Tentative List: Six New Sites from India

Sub: Sci

Sec: Art and Culture

Introduction

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, announced in the Lok Sabha on March 17, 2025, that six sites have been added to India’s tentative list by UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.
This is a mandatory step before sites can be nominated for the World Heritage List in the future.
With these additions, India now has 62 sites on the tentative list.

Brief Descriptions of the Newly Added Tentative UNESCO Sites (2025)

Mudumal Megalithic Menhirs (Telangana) – A prehistoric site in Nagarkurnool district, featuring large standing stones (menhirs) that are believed to be part of Iron Age burial and ritual traditions.
Palace-fortresses of the Bundelas (Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh) – A collection of fortresses and palaces built by the Bundela Rajputs, known for their Indo-Islamic architectural styles, including the famous Orchha Fort Complex.
Kanger Valley National Park (Chhattisgarh) – A biodiversity hotspot in the Bastar region, famous for its limestone caves, dense forests, and endemic wildlife like the Bastar Hill Myna.
Ashokan Edict Sites along the Mauryan Routes (Multiple States) – A series of rock and pillar edicts issued by Emperor Ashoka, spread across India, reflecting his governance principles and the spread of Buddhism.
Chausath Yogini Temples (Multiple States) – Circular or hypaethral (open-air) temples dedicated to 64 Yoginis, an esoteric tradition of Tantric worship, found in states like Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Uttar Pradesh.
Gupta Temples in North India (Multiple States) – Hindu temples from the Gupta period (4th–6th century CE), representing early Nagara-style architecture, known for their intricate carvings and structural advancements.

Context and Significance

The six new sites were added on March 7, 2025, as per the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO.
These additions are significant for India’s cultural and natural heritage preservation efforts.
The tentative list serves as an inventory of properties that India intends to nominate for UNESCO inscription in the future.

Current Status of India’s UNESCO Heritage Sites

As of March 2025, India has 43 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List:
- Cultural category – 35 sites.
- Natural category – 7 sites.
- Mixed category – 1 site.
India hosted the World Heritage Committee meeting for the first time in 2024, during which:
- The Moidams (mound-burial system of the Ahom Dynasty in Assam) received the UNESCO World Heritage tag.

Conclusion

The addition of six new sites to the tentative list strengthens India’s cultural and natural heritage representation at UNESCO.
These sites hold historical, architectural, and ecological significance and could contribute to India’s global heritage recognition in the future.