Santiniketan Added to UNESCO's World Heritage List

• 18 Sep 2023

On 17^th September, 2023, Santiniketan, located in West Bengal's Birbhum district and established by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in 1901, was officially recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Key Points

• UNESCO Recognition: This announcement was made during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which will continue until September 25.
• Historical Significance: Santiniketan becomes the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site in India, joining the ranks of the Sundarbans National Park and the Darjeeling Mountain Railways, which are also located in West Bengal.
• Last year, West Bengal's Durga Puja was acknowledged as "Intangible Cultural Heritage of humanity" by UNESCO.
• Long-Pursued Status: Efforts to secure UNESCO World Heritage Site status for Santiniketan date back to the lead-up to Rabindranath Tagore's 150th birth anniversary in 2010.
• Significance of Santiniketan: Founded as a residential school and centre for art rooted in ancient Indian traditions, Santiniketan was envisioned as a place transcending religious and cultural boundaries to promote unity among humanity.
• In 1921, it evolved into a 'world university' known as Visva Bharati.
• Nomination Justification: The nomination dossier submitted by India highlighted Santiniketan's tangible connection to Rabindranath Tagore's life, work, and vision, along with the contributions of the Bengal School of Art.
• It emphasized Santiniketan as an enclave of intellectuals, artists, craftspeople, and workers who collaborated to forge a unique architectural language, ushering in a new modernism in various domains.