Gwalior & Orchha included in UNESCO World Heritage City list
Gwalior and Orchha city of Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage City.
About Orchha City
Orchha is located in the Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh and is famous for its temples and palaces. Orchha was also the capital of the erstwhile Bundela dynasty in the 16th century. Many temples and palaces are located in the city, which have some legend. Some of the famous temples of the region include Orchha Raj Mahal, Ramaraja Mandir, Jahangir Mahal, Laxminarayan Mandir, Rai Praveen Mahal. These temples and other palaces are famous for a unique confluence of Rajput and Mughal architectural influences.
About Gwalior City
Gwalior city has been the capital of states including Gurjar Pratihar, Baghel Kachhwahs, Tomar and Scindia Rajvansh. The ancient signs left by them are found in the form of monuments, palaces and forts.
World Heritage Site
It is a landmark or area having a legal protection by an international convention. The convention is administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites tags are given by UNESCO for cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance. These sites contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world and are considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. To get included in the list of world heritage sites, the place must be a somehow unique landmark. These sites must be geographically and historically identifiable.
Who maintains the list?
The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program. It is administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The committee is composed of 21 states parties and are elected by their General Assembly. The programme was started with the “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage”. This programme was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in the year 1972. 193 states parties have ratified the convention so far.