India's southern state of Karnataka proudly marks the inscription of the Hoysala Empire temples into the esteemed UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. This significant achievement represents India's 42nd addition to this distinguished roster. The announcement follows the recent recognition of Shantiniketan in West Bengal, which was granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

Members of the Bengaluru chapter of the Indian National Trust for Culture and Heritage (INTACH) dedicated two years from 2019 to crafting the nomination dossier for the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This endeavor was initiated at the request of the Karnataka government's Department of Archaeology, Museums, and Heritage.

Their painstaking efforts yielded success, eliciting cheers within the INTACH office as the Hoysala Temples received official confirmation as a World Heritage Site, marking India's 42nd inclusion on the UNESCO list. The Sacred Hoysala Ensembles have been part of the UNESCO tentative list since 2014.

This new addition to Karnataka's heritage comprises three temples from the 12-13th century CE that exemplify the distinctive temple architecture and artistry of the Hoysala dynasty. These temples include the Chennakeshava temple in Belur, the Hoysaleshwara temple in Halebidu, and the Keshava temple of Somnathpur.

Initially, the World Heritage Advisory Body had recommended sending the nomination back to India, suggesting the addition of nearby sites such as Tank Road and Vishnu Samudra Tank to the nominated area for the Chennakeshava temple. This recommendation also included measures for managing the site's carrying capacity.

However, Japan, Russia, and several other nations presented an amendment, co-sponsored by three-fourths of the countries present, in support of immediately inscribing the Sacred Ensembles as a heritage site. They emphasized that India had previously addressed these concerns.

In response to a question posed by the Zambian delegation, India clarified that Vishnusamudra and Tank Road, although culturally significant and situated within the site's buffer zone, were excluded from the notified area. This decision was based on the fact that these sites did not belong to the Hoysala era and were constructed nearly 400 years after the temples. Additionally, an inscription nearby confirmed that the rafting festival associated with the tank and road dated back to 1523 CE.

INTACH Bengaluru convenor Meera Iyer said, “These temples have certain differences in their features. For example, you can see some central Indian influence in the Belur temple. But the interesting thing about Hoysala temples is that they seem to have started at the peak of their skills. You can see this in the temple at Belur, though it is the oldest.”

Technical coordinator Pankaj Modi said, “We had to do a lot of archival research. We also spoke to many experts in Hoysala society, managing such sites, and also experts in stone and geology. INTACH’s fieldwork also involved extensive comparative work with temples in other states and dynasties, with months spent documenting the temples, including their building style and architecture, with the team eventually visiting most surviving Hoysala temples.”

India has long sought UNESCO recognition for this culturally significant site, highlighting the nation's persistent efforts to showcase its rich and diverse cultural heritage. The inclusion of both the Hoysala Empire temples and Shantiniketan in the UNESCO World Heritage list underscores India's role as a custodian of a wide array of cultural treasures.

Image source: India Today