Karnataka’s 4 in tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site list

Karnataka has four historical places on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site list. These sites are significant for their cultural and historical value:

1. Hire Benakal:

 Description: A megalithic burial complex located in the Gangavati taluk of Koppal district. Significance: Hire Benakal is the largest megalithic site in South India.

The dolmens date to the 1st millennium BCE to the Iron Age and provide information about the culture that constructed India's first large-scale monuments. Rock paintings have also been discovered on site.

2. Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal: Description: These sites are proposed to be included under a serial nomination with Pattadakal, which is already a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This nomination comprises several temples in Aihole, Badami, and Pattadakal, that were built between the 6th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty. Significance: Aihole is considered a cradle of temple architecture, while Badami is famous for its rock-cut temples and sculptures.

3. Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate:

 Description: This includes the Bahmani monuments at Kalaburagi, Barid Shahi monuments at Bidar, and Adil Shahi monuments at Vijayapura. Significance: These sites represent the architectural and cultural legacy of the Deccan Sultanate period.

4. Monuments in Srirangapatna: Description:

 Srirangapatna, the river island in the Kaveri River, is an important pilgrimage site in South India.

Significance: 

Known for its historical relevance during the reign of Tipu Sultan and for its architectural marvels like the Ranganathaswamy Temple and Daria Daulat Bagh.

The monuments on the island date to different historical periods, including the periods of the Hoysala Empire, Vijayanagara Empire, Kingdom of Mysore, and the British Raj.

Most monuments date from the 16th to the 19th centuries and have elements of Hindu, Indo-Islamic, and British styles.

About the tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site list The tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site list is a preliminary list of properties that countries submit to UNESCO for consideration as potential World Heritage Sites.

These properties are evaluated for their cultural, historical, scientific, or natural significance. If they meet the criteria, they can be nominated for inclusion in the official World Heritage List.