A day after including Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan in its list of heritage sites, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on Monday inscribed the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas – the group of Hoysala temples in Karnataka – on UNESCO World Heritage List.
The announcement was made during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee being held in Riyadh Saudi Arabia, till September 25. The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas has become the 42nd World Heritage Site in India.
Reacting to the announcement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas is a testament to India’s rich cultural heritage and exceptional craftsmanship of our ancestors.
“More pride for India! The magnificent Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The timeless beauty and intricate details of the Hoysala temples are a testament to India’s rich cultural heritage and the exceptional craftsmanship of our ancestors,” the prime minister wrote in a post on his X account.
India’s Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Vishal V Sharma thanked the World Heritage Committee on behalf of the entire nation for including the Hoysala temples in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
“”India rejoices at the inclusion of the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas on the World Heritage List. On behalf of my country, I offer my thanks to the World Heritage Committee for recognising the outstanding universal value of this nomination under Agenda 45COM.8B.29. If ever, poetry was carved in stone. It is in these monuments of India,” he said.
The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, a group of Hoysala temples were built under the rule of the Hoysala Empire between the 11th and 14th centuries. The temples are mostly dedicated to Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu. However, some temples are also dedicated to Jain faith as well.