World Heritage Day is celebrated annually on April 18 to promote awareness of the need to protect our cultural ancestry. In some nations, this day is also referred to as the International Day for Monuments and Sites. The 50th anniversary of UNESCO World Heritage is being commemorated this year.
According to UNESCO, "Heritage is our legacy, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our natural and cultural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration."
World Heritage Day 2023: Check Theme, History, Significance, and More
World Heritage Day 2023 By Numbers: Properties, Cultural Sites, States & More
Cultural Heritage Site
Site | Year |
Agra Fort | 1983 |
Ajanta Caves | 1983 |
Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar | 2016 |
Buddhist Monument at Sanchi | 1989 |
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park | 2004 |
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) | 2004 |
Churches & Convents At Goa | 1986 |
Dholavira: a Harappan City | 2021 |
Elephanta Caves | 1987 |
Ellora Caves | 1983 |
Fatehpur Sikri | 1986 |
Great Living Chola Temples | 1987, 2004 |
Group of Monument at Hampi | 1986 |
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram | 1984 |
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal | 1987 |
Hill Forts of Rajasthan | 2013 |
Historic City of Ahmedabad | 2017 |
World Heritage Day 2023: Know 25+ Motivational Quotes To Share On This Day
Sites on the Tentative List
The properties that each State Party wants to take into consideration for candidature are listed on a tentative list. States Parties are encouraged to send in their Tentative Lists of places they believe are outstandingly valuable examples of both natural and cultural heritage that should be added to the World Heritage List.
Event | Year |
Temples at Bishnupur, West Bengal 1998 | 1988 |
Mattanchery Palace, Ernakulam, Kerala | 1988 |
Group of Monuments at Mandu, Madhya Pradesh | 1988 |
Ancient Buddhist Site, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh | 1988 |
Sri Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar, Punjab | 1988 |
River Island of Majuli in midstream of Brahmaputra River in Assam | 2004 |
Namdapha National Park | 2006 |
Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch | 2006 |
Neora Valley National Park | 2009 |
Desert National Park | 2009 |
Silk Road Sites in India | 2010 |
Santiniketan | 2010 |
The Qutb Shahi Monuments of Hyderabad Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Charminar | 2010 |
Mughal Gardens in Kashmir | 2010 |
Delhi - A Heritage City | 2012 |
Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate | 2014 |
Cellular Jail, the Andaman Islands | 2014 |
Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of India | 2014 |
Apatani Cultural Landscape | 2014 |
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam | 2014 |
Monuments of Srirangapatna Island Town | 2014 |
Chilika Lake | 2014 |
Padmanabhapuram Palace | 2014 |
Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala | 2014 |
Sites of Saytagrah, India’s non-violent freedom movement | 2014 |
Thembang Fortified Village | 2014 |
Narcondam Island | 2014 |
Moidams – the Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty | 2014 |
Ekamra Kshetra – The Temple City, Bhubaneswar | 2014 |
The Neolithic Settlement of Burzahom | 2014 |
Archaeological remains of a Harappa Port-Town, Lothal | 2014 |
Mountain Railways of India (Extension) | 2014 |
Chettinad, Village Clusters of the Tamil Merchants | 2014 |
Bahá'í House of Worship at New Delhi | 2014 |
Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami- Pattadakal | 2015 |
Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India | 2015 |
Sites along the Uttarapath, Badshahi Sadak, Sadak-e-Azam, Grand Trunk Road | 2015 |
Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area | 2016 |
Garo Hills Conservation Area (GHCA) | 2018 |
The historic ensemble of Orchha | 2019 |
Iconic Riverfront of the Historic City of Varanasi | 2021 |
Temples of Kanchipuram | 2021 |
Hire Benkal, Megalithic Site | 2021 |
Bhedaghat-Lametaghat in Narmada Valley | 2021 |
Satpura Tiger Reserve | 2021 |
Serial Nomination of Maratha Military Architecture in Maharashtra | 2021 |
Geoglyphs of Konkan Region of India | 2022 |
Jingkieng jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes | 2022 |
Sri Veerabhadra Temple and Monolithic Bull (Nandi), Lepakshi (The Vijayanagara Sculpture and Painting Art Tradition) | 2022 |
Sun Temple, Modhera and its adjoining monuments | 2022 |
Rock-cut Sculptures and Reliefs of the Unakoti, Unakoti Range, Unakoti District | 2022 |
Vadnagar – A multi-layered Historic town, in Gujarat | 2022 |
Source: unesco.org
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) proposed the International Day for Monuments and Sites or World Heritage Day on 18 April 1982, and the General Assembly of UNESCO adopted it in 1983. The goal is to raise awareness of an array of human cultural legacies, their vulnerability, and the measures needed to maintain and conserve them.
On this day, various governmental and non-governmental institutions organise various events and campaigns to raise awareness of the need to protect built heritage, diversity, and vulnerability around the globe.
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