India nominated Rani-ki-Vav and GHNP for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site Status

India nominated Rani-ki-Vav located in Patan, Gujarat and the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Himachal Pradesh for UNESCO’s World Heritage Site Status for 2014.

The World Heritage Committee will convene in Doha, Qatar, in June 2014 to review the nomination and take a final decision.

Process of Confirming the World Heritage status
• First step is to create an inventory of important natural and cultural heritage sites also called as tentative list in the country.  
• In next step the concern department in particular country submits the nomination to the World Heritage centre. The centre sends it to the Advisory bodies, the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the World Conservation Union (IUCN) for evaluation mandate by the World Heritage Convention.
• The intergovernmental World Heritage Committee meets to decide which sites will be inscribed on the World Heritage list.  

About Rani-ki-Vav
• Rani-ki-Vav is an 11the century stepwell and it is one of the finest examples of stepwells in Gujarat. It was constructed by Queen Udayamati of the Solanki dynasty.
• The well is subterranean structure with a series of steps, board landings, pavilions and sculpted walls which provides access to water in deep water.  It is of seven storeys with five exist and there are more than 800 elaborate sculptures which are survived. This is a protected monument under the Archeological Survey of India.  
• Earlier in 1998, the Indian government had included in the tentative list but next step not pursued.

About Great Himalayan Park
• The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) is located in the western part of the Himalayan Mountains in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh. The GHNP was initially constituted in 1984 and declared as a National Park in 1999.
• The Park is known for its biodiversity. It has more than 25 forest types, 800 kinds of plants and is home to more than 180 bird species.
• In 2009, GHNP is included in the tentative list and submitted for UNESCO’s consideration in 2013. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) did not recommend the park for the World Heritage status.