Santiniketan added to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List

Table of Contents☰

About Santiniketan

It is located in the state of West Bengal.
It was established in 1901 by Rabindranath Tagore.
It was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions.
In 1921, a ‘world university’ was established at Santiniketan, later recognised as ‘Visva Bharati’.
Visva-Bharati in Santiniketan is Bengal’s only central university whose chancellor is the Prime Minister.
It is distinct from the prevailing British colonial architectural orientations of the early 20th century and of European modernism.
It represents approaches toward pan-Asian modernity, drawing on ancient, medieval and folk traditions from across the region.

Key facts about UNESCO World Heritage

A World Heritage Site (WHS) is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the UNESCO under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972.
These sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance.
Categorisation of Sites – The sites are categorised in three types:
- Cultural heritage sites – It includes historic buildings and town sites, important archaeological sites, and works of monumental sculpture or painting
- Natural heritage sites – It includes those natural areas that have excellent ecological and evolutionary processes, endangered species etc.
- Mixed heritage sites – It contains elements of both natural and cultural significance.
India has 41 world heritage sites, including 33 cultural properties, 7 natural properties and 1 mixed site.

Q1) What is Heritage?

Heritage refers to the cultural, historical, and natural assets that are passed down from one generation to the next. It encompasses a wide range of tangible and intangible elements that are significant to a particular group of people, community, or society.

Source: Tagore’s home Santiniketan added to UNESCO World Heritage List