Context
Three Indian sites – Karst-Mud-Volcano Complex in Baratang (Andaman and Nicobar Islands), Andaman Subduction Volcanoes and Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape (Chattisgarh) have been added to UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.
Explanation
- The UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List identifies sites that countries may nominate for future World Heritage inscription.
- Baratang Island (Andaman and Nicobar Islands) contains limestone caves formed through karst processes and mud volcanoes associated with tectonic activity.
- Its mud volcano was recognised as a Geo-Heritage Site by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in 2025.
- Andaman Subduction Volcanoes include Barren Island, India’s only active volcano, and Narcondam Island, a dormant volcanic island.
- Both originated from tectonic processes associated with the Indian Plate subducting beneath the Burma microplate.
- Sirpur (Chhattisgarh), situated along the Mahanadi River, preserves Hindu and Buddhist archaeological remains dating from the 5th–12th centuries CE.
- Its important monuments include the Gandheshwar Temple, Bateshwar Group and Rajmahal Complex, reflecting ancient religious and cultural diversity.
- Other recent additions to UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List (June–September 2026) include Painted Haveli Towns of Shekhawati (Rajasthan), Rangpur–Sivasagar Historic Ensemble (Assam), Bagh Cave Paintings, Ginnorgarh Fort, Udaigiri Caves, Group of Temples of Chambal Valley (Madhya Pradesh), and Sites of Satyagraha (India–South Africa).
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