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One of the most prominent sites of ancient civilisation – Dholavira, the ancient city of Harappan era, has found a place in the coveted list of World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
Excavated by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1967, Dholavira is located in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat and has been one of the preferred tourist destinations in the State.
Making an announcement on Tuesday, UNESCO stated that “Dholavira: A Harappan City in India” was inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Heritage list. This comes barely days after the famous historic Rudreswara Temple also known as Ramappa Temple, near Warangal in Telangana received the prestigious World Heritage status by UNESCO. The latest addition of Dholavira takes the India’s tally of World Heritage sites to 40.
Also read: Ramappa Temple gets UNESCO World Heritage tag
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed happiness over the development. “Dholavira was an important urban centre and is one of our most important linkages with our past. It is a must visit, especially for those interested in history, culture and archaeology,” he said in a Twitter post.
Recalling his earlier visits to the ancient city, Modi also said, “I first visited Dholavira during my student days and was mesmerised by the place. As Chief Minister of Gujarat, I had the opportunity to work on aspects relating to heritage conservation and restoration in Dholavira. Our team also worked to create tourism-friendly infrastructure there.”
India had submitted the nomination dossier for Dholavira: A Harappan City to the World Heritage Centre in January, 2020. The site was on the UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014.
‘Well preserved’
Dholavira exhibits one of the very few well preserved urban settlements in South Asia dating from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE.
Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) G Kishan Reddy termed it a moment of pride for India. “Another feather in India’s cap as we now enter the Super-40 club for World Heritage Site inscriptions,” he said in a Twitter post. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani welcomed the development and called it a feather in the cap for Gujarat, which now has four world heritage sites that includes Rani Ki Vav of Patan, Champaner fort and Ahmedabad City.
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