UNESCO’s Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage and WHS in India

Question 1

Unesco’s Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage convention

Answer 1

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is a UNESCO treaty adopted by the UNESCO General Conference on 17 October 2003.

The convention entered into force in 2006, after thirty instruments of ratification by UNESCO Member States .Romania was the 30th state, ratifying the agreement on 20 January 2006.[2] As of September 2018, 178 states have ratified, approved or accepted the convention.

Signed - 17 October 2003
Location - Paris
Effective - 20 April 2006
Condition - 30 ratifications
Ratifiers - 178
Depositary - Director-General of UNESCO

Question 2

PURPOSE OF CONEVNTION

Answer 2

1. to safeguard the intangible cultural heritage;
2. to ensure respect for the intangible cultural heritage of the communities, groups and individuals concerned;
3. to raise awareness at the local, national and international levels of the importance of the intangible cultural heritage, and of ensuring mutual appreciation thereof;
4. to provide for international cooperation and assistance

Question 3

WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Answer 3

A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance. The sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.3

As of August 2022, a total of 1,154 World Heritage Sites (897 cultural, 218 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 167 countries. With 58 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites on the list.

BEGGINNING-
The programme began with the “Convention Concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage”, which was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972. Since then, 194 states have ratified the convention, making it one of the most widely recognised international agreements and the world’s most popular cultural programme.[

Question 4

WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN INDIA

Answer 4

India accepted the convention on 14 November 1977, making its sites eligible for inclusion on the list.

As of 2022, there are 40 World Heritage Sites located in India. Out of these, 32 are cultural, 7 are natural, and one, the Khangchendzonga National Park, is of mixed type. India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world.

NEWEST ADDITIONS -
1.Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana
INFO -
The Hindu temple, dedicated to Shiva, was constructed in the first half of the 13th century under the Kakatiya dynasty. It is decorated with stone carvings and sculptures in granite and dolerite that depict regional dance customs. In line with Hindu practices, the temple is constructed in a way that it blends harmonically with the environment.

ADDED - 2021

2.Dholavira: a Harappan City
INFO-
Dholavira was one of the centres of the Harappan Civilisation from the 3rd to mid-2nd millennium BCE, in the Bronze Age. The remains include a walled city and a cemetery, and there are remains of buildings and of water management systems. The location of the city was chosen because of nearby sources of precious minerals. The city had trade connections with other cities in the region and as far as Mesopotamia. The site was rediscovered in 1968.

ADDED- 2021