MP’s Six Heritage Sites in Tentative UNESCO List

Context

Recently six heritage sites of Madhya Pradesh have been included in the tentative UNESCO list. 

About

• The sites are Gwalior Fort, the historical Group of Dhamnar, the Rock Art Sites of Chambal Valley, Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple, Burhanpur’s Khooni Bhandara and the Gond monuments of Ramnagar, Mandla.
• MP is home to 3 UNESCO heritage sites – Sanchi Stupa, Khajuraho Group of Monuments and Bhimbetka Rock Shelters. 

Gwalior Fort

• It is located at the basalt rock hills.
• It was initiated by Raja Sourya Sena who completed the fortification system around the plateau in 773CE. 
• The modern-day fort, embodying a defensive structure and two palaces, was constructed by the Tomar Rajput ruler Man Singh Tomar in 1398.
• Ancient Temples in the Gwalior fort includes:
  • Teli ka Mandir, dedicated to lord Shiva, Vishnu, and Matrikas. 
  • The Chaturbhuj temple which has mathematical connection where the second oldest reference to 0 in arithmetic is seen in a carving. 
  • The adjoining dual temples are called Sas Bahu temples, devoted to Vishnu and have an inscription from 1150 CE.

Historical Group of Dhamnar

• The Dhamnar caves are placed on a hill near the village of Dhamnar.
• The rock-cut temple site has 51 caves, stupas, chaityas, passages and dense dwellings and was constructed in the seventh century AD. 
• The site includes a colossal statue of Gautam Buddha in the nirvana pose.

Bhojeshwar Mahadev Temple

• The temple is thousand-year-old and committed to Lord Shiva. It is set  on a 3-tier sandstone platform in 6 meters square.
• It has architectural grandeur, colossal lingam, and historic importance. 
• It was built during the eleventh century under the patronage of Raja Bhoj in Bhojpur and represents the zenith of temple architecture for the duration of the Paramara period in India.

Rock Art Sites of Chambal Valley

• At Daraki-Chattan in the Chambal basin, a cave in the quartzite buttresses of Indragarh hill. 
• The vertical walls of the cave boast more than 500 cupules. On the southern wall of the cave at Daraki-Chattan, small circular cupules display conical depth and are about two million years old.

Khooni Bhandara

• It is an underground water management system comprising eight waterworks constructed in Burhanpur. 
• It is the Mughal period water work following the persian qanat approach.
• It was built by erstwhile ruler Abdurrahim Khankhana in 1615.

Gond Memorial of Ramnagar

• The architectural complexes had been built by the Gond kings of Garha Mandla, Hirde Shah and located on the bank of the Narmada river in Ramnagar.
• The cluster of monuments consist of;
  • Moti Mahal (Rajmahal), Ramnagar, Mandla 
  • Raibhagat ki Kothi, Ramnagar, Mandla 
  • Vishnu Mandir (Suraj mandir), Ramnagar, Mandla 
  • Begum Mahal, Chaugan Rayotwari
  • Dalbadal Mahal, Chaugan Ryotwari

Source: The Hindu

UPSC Mains Practice Question

Q.What do you understand about Heritage Sites in the Tentative UNESCO List. Mention why six heritage sites of Madhya Pradesh have recently been included in the Tentative UNESCO List? (250 words).

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