Sirpur in Chhattisgarh added to UNESCO tentative list, moves toward World Heritage status

Key facts

• Sirpur, an archaeological site in Mahasamund district of Chhattisgarh on the eastern banks of the Mahanadi River, has been included in UNESCO's tentative list, bringing it a step closer to World Heritage Site status.
• Sirpur contains remains of Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions dating from the 5th to the 12th century CE, including 22 Shiva temples, five Vaishnava temples, 10 Buddhist viharas, and three Jain viharas.
• The Lakshmana Temple, dedicated to Lord Vishnu and built around the 7th century, is one of the finest brick temples in India.
• Sirpur was once the flourishing capital of Dakshina Kosala under the Panduvanshi and later the Somavamshi kings.
• After tentative list inclusion, the Archaeological Survey of India has one year to prepare and submit a detailed nomination dossier to UNESCO, which must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value (OUV).
• The town forms four thematic clusters — Buddhist monastic, Hindu temple, civic-administrative, and Riverine Sacred Landscape — to be connected by heritage pathways with battery-operated vehicles for visitors.