3 Places In India That Have Made It To The World Heritage Site List

The 40^th annual World Heritage Committee meeting held in Istanbul recently has decided to add 12 new sites to the World Heritage Site, of which three are from India. It is to be noted that a world heritage site could be a building, a city, a complex, a desert, a forest, an island, a lake, a monument or a mountain which has a 'special' cultural or physical significance.

We examine and see what makes these three sites in India so special:

Kangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim

(Wikimedia)

The Kangchendzonga National Park (KNP) is the first natural site declared a world heritage site in the mixed category. The park offers a unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests. The national park is home to various animal species like musk deer, snow leopard and the Himalayan tahr. It is an outstanding example of an independent mountain having its own glacial system originating from the various peaks.

The KNP covers 25 per cent of the area of the Himalayan state of Sikkim. The park combines the religious and cultural practices of the Buddhism as well as ecological balance. It shares an international boundary with Nepal and China.

The Complexe du Capitole, Chandigarh

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Designed by the French architect Le Corbusier, the famous Capitol Complex, which includes the Legislative Assembly, the secretariat and the high court complex, was designed in the year 1950. The 100-acre complex that was constructed over a period of half a century was described by the architect as 'patient research'. 

Nalanda Mahavihara University, Bihar

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After the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, the ruins of the ancient university of Nalanda is the second historical monument in Bihar to be declared as the world heritage. The maha vihara had been the seat of learning for the Buddhist monks from across the world for 800 years. The university flourished under the Gupta rulers until it was destroyed by the invading Turkish army led by Bakhtiyar Kilji.