Three New Indian Heritage Sites on UNESCO Tentative List: Key Facts

Explore the three new Indian entries on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List: Baratang, Barren and Narcondam Islands, and Sirpur in Chhattisgarh.

Table of Contents

Context

The Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO announced the addition of three Indian sites to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List: Baratang’s karst-mud-volcano complex, Andaman subduction volcanoes, and Sirpur’s cultural and archaeological landscape.

About the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List

Nature: An inventory of sites that a country intends to nominate for the UNESCO World Heritage List in the future.
Requirement: Inclusion in the Tentative List is a prerequisite for a site to be considered for formal nomination under the World Heritage Convention.
Categories: Sites may qualify as cultural, natural, or mixed heritage.

1. Karst-Mud-Volcano Complex of Baratang

Location: Baratang Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands

About:- A natural heritage site featuring limestone karst formations, caves and active mud volcanoes shaped by geological and tectonic processes.

Key Features:

Limestone Karst: Contains caves, fissures, rugged limestone terrain, stalactites and stalagmites formed through long-term geological processes.
Mud Volcanoes: Also known locally as Jalki, these release mud, water and gases such as methane and hydrogen sulphide. Unlike conventional volcanoes, they do not erupt molten magma.
Tectonic Setting: The mud volcanoes are associated with fault zones in a sediment-rich accretionary wedge formed by the subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Burma microplate.

2. Andaman Subduction Volcanoes

Location: Narcondam Island and Barren Island, Andaman Sea

About:- A natural heritage site representing volcanic activity associated with the subduction of the Indian Plate beneath the Burma microplate.

Key Features:

Barren Island: South Asia’s only active volcano, with eruptions documented since 1787. It has a volcanic caldera and basaltic lava formations.
Narcondam Island: A dormant volcanic island with a distinctive volcanic landscape and rocks such as dacite and andesite.
Ecological Significance: Barren Island illustrates repeated ecological succession following volcanic eruptions, while Narcondam supports distinctive island ecosystems.
Endemic Species: Narcondam is home to the Narcondam hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) and the Narcondam shrew (Crocidura narcondamica).

3. Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape

Location: Mahasamund district, Chhattisgarh, eastern bank of the Mahanadi River

About:- A cultural heritage site associated with the ancient city of Shripur, which served as a political and cultural centre under the Sharabhapuriya and Panduvamshi dynasties.

Key Features:

Religious Diversity: Contains Hindu temples, including the Laxman Temple and Gandheshwar Temple, alongside Buddhist monastic remains such as Anandprabhu Kuti Vihara and Swastik Vihara.
Historical Period: Archaeological remains reflect urban and religious activity spanning approximately the 5th to 12th centuries CE.
Urban and Trade Centre: Remains include temples, monasteries, palace and market complexes, and bathing ghats along the Mahanadi River.
Geological Heritage: Local stromatolitic rocks, formed through ancient microbial activity, are associated with the region’s geological history and building materials.