NEW DELHI: Three sites from India have been added to the tentative list of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage Convention, the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO announced on Tuesday.The three sites are the Karst-mud-volcano Complex of Baratang and Andaman Subduction Volcanoes in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and the Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape in Chhattisgarh.In a press release dated October 20, the Permanent Delegation of India to Unesco, based in Paris, announced the additions to India’s Tentative List under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.Inclusion on the tentative list is a prerequisite for any property to be considered for nomination to the World Heritage List. The delegation also acknowledged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for its work in the process.The additions mark a step towards the possible future nomination of the three sites for Unesco World Heritage status.India has 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including 37 cultural sites, seven natural sites and one mixed site, following the inscription of the ancient Buddhist site of Sarnath in July 2026.
India ranks sixth globally and second in the Asia-Pacific region. The five countries with the highest numbers are Italy with 62 sites, China with 61, France with 56, Germany with 55 and Spain with 50.India’s first four sites were inscribed in 1983: the Ajanta Caves and Ellora Caves in Maharashtra, and Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal in Uttar Pradesh. These were all cultural sites recognised for their historical, architectural and artistic significance.