India set to host World Heritage Committee meeting for the first time
46th World Heritage Committee meeting in India, examining 28 site proposals, conservation of 123 sites, and hosting global forums. PM Modi to inaugurate.
All decks are set for the 46th World Heritage Committee meeting, a Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) event, marking the first time India will be playing the host, officials aware of the matter said.
The committee will examine the proposals of 28 sites for inscription on the World Heritage List, and the state of conservation of 123 sites inscribed on the list and those in danger. The committee, which meets once a year, consists of representatives from 21 member states, and plays an important role in bringing new additions to the list of Unesco world heritage sites.
The event will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in the national capital between July 21 and July 31, and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Unesco director-general Audrey Azoulay.
Speaking at a curtain raiser for the event on Friday, Union culture and tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that for India, the aim at this meeting will be “showcasing India’s heritage, progress through infrastructure, tourism, and modern sciences on a global scale.”
The proceedings will contain three sessions: the plenary session from July 21 to 31, the site managers’ forum at Humayun’s tomb from July 18 to 25 and the young professionals forum at the Institute of Archaeology from July 14 to 23.
The minister also called it a “G20-level event”, given that India will be hosting the event for the first time.
Elaborating on the choice of the logo — the Hampi stone chariot along with the tag “Sah Nau Yashah (May our glory grow) from the Upanishads — Shekhawat said that this showcases the government’s vision for India.
He also termed it the “first mega event” since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “historic third mandate”. He said: ”This global event was made possible only through 40 days of preparation between the election results and now. It has been made possible through PM Modi’s support and leadership.”
Shekhawat said,”India’s history, heritage and culture had been eroded by the previous governments and their development was ignored. The foundation of this government is the protection of our heritage.”
Tag for Moidams
At the event, India will be aiming to secure the world heritage tag for its sole entry, Moidams, the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty that ruled over current-day Assam. The site is also the first entry from the northeastern state and was chosen after careful consideration and preservation efforts by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and site visits by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos), officials said.
The Moidams of Choraideo, located at the foothills of the Patkai range, demonstrate the Tai-Ahom culture’s reverence for their kings and their funerary practices. This burial landscape, dating back over 600 years, reflects the Tai-Ahom belief system in life, death and the afterlife, where deceased royals were interred in vaulted mounds containing treasures and symbolic objects.
Despite challenges like vandalism in the past, restoration efforts have preserved the structural integrity of this sacred site, ensuring its authenticity as a significant cultural and historical heritage of northeast India, officials said.
The Indian Ambassador to Unesco, Vishal V Sharma, said,”Soft power is super power and India is a cultural superpower. At the time where conflict is plaguing the world, peace, unity, harmony and universal brotherhood along with the ideal of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ has to spread from India.”
ASI officials said the venue will be decked with exhibitions, immersive experiences and side events for audiences to partake in. Beautification of the venue has been carried out, alongside conservation efforts for monuments in the Capital. Tours have been arranged for foreign delegates, officials said.
The Bharat Mandapam will showcase immersive experiences of three south Indian temples, the Maratha Fort and have stalls set up by the ministries of information and technology, tourism and Handicrafts, besides state-wise stalls showcasing “regional glory and heritage.”
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Stay updated with all top Cities including, Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai and more across India. Stay informed on the latest happenings in World News along with Delhi Election 2025 and Delhi Election Result 2025 Live, New Delhi Election Result Live, Kalkaji Election Result Live at Hindustan Times.