Chhattisgarh archaeological site gets a step closer to UNESCO World Heritage status

Sirpur, an archaeological site boasting of remains belonging to multiple religious traditions – Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism – and dating back from the 5th century up to the 12th century CE, has made it to the UNESCO’s tentative list.

The development brings the premises one step closer to receiving the coveted World Heritage Site status from the UN agency.

Sirpur is situated on the eastern banks of the Mahanadi River in Mahasamund district, about a two-hour drive from state capital Raipur.

Now, the next task for the authorities would be to prepare a detailed dossier to be submitted to UNESCO.

One of the core requirements to declare a site as World Heritage is its Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).

Confirming the development, Dhammshil Ganvir, Chief Executive Officer, Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Sirpur said, “Sirpur has made it to the Tentative list of UNESCO. The development will help boost tourism at the site and put it on the global map.”

M Kalimuthu, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI Raipur circle, said, “Now that we have made it to the tentative list, we have one year to prepare and submit a detailed nomination dossier to the UNESCO.”

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Explaining the procedure to get the World Heritage Site status after the tentative list, which is a preliminary stage, an ASI official said, “The dossier will include buffer zones, conservation plans, management systems, justification of OUV, authenticity, integrity, etc.”

The official said, “Once the dossier is submitted, India may invite an advisory mission from UNESCO/ICOMOS/IUCN to visit Sirpur. Public engagement and stakeholder consultation is important to strengthen the nomination. After technical reviews in India, the dossier would be forwarded to UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre for evaluation by a specialised committee.”

The importance of Sirpur

Sirpur is one of the few archaeological landscapes in India where Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain monuments exist within a unified urban fabric.

The site has 22 Shiva temples, five Vaishnava temples, 10 Buddhist viharas and three Jain viharas. The Lakshmana Temple (dedicated to Lord Vishnu) is one of the finest brick temples in India, built around the 7th century.

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Apart from being a multi-religious urban centre, it was once a flourishing capital of Dakshina Kosala under the Panduvanshi and later, the Somavamshi kings. It has remains of palace complexes, market structures, residential quarters, brick and stone temples along with Viharas, stupas, meditation cells and water management systems.

As reported by The Indian Express last November, the Chhattisgarh government and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) had been undertaking several efforts to get a World Heritage Site status for Sirpur.

This includes paving pathways connecting the monuments and using only battery-operated vehicles on the premises.

The town naturally forms four thematic clusters — Buddhist monastic, Hindu temple, civic–administrative and Riverine Sacred Landscape. A primary pathway will connect all four, officials said.

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“To make them visitor-friendly, all four thematic clusters are proposed to be integrated through a coherent system of heritage pathways, designed to connect the principal monuments with the existing main approach roads and internal circulation routes. The secondary pathway will serve as the last-mile connector from the primary corridor to each monument,” said Kalimuthu.

“Keeping eco-tourism in mind, eco-friendly lawns, gardens, and tree-lined avenues will be developed. Local art forms, crafts and cultural performances will be promoted,” said Rahul Tiwari, Assistant Superintending Archaeological Engineer.