The Magnificent Sacred Ensembles Of Hoysalas In Karnataka’s Belur Inscribed On UNESCO World Heritage List

The Ministry of Culture, India, finalised the nomination of Hoysala temples for the World Heritage List 2022-23 in January 2022.

The Magnificent Sacred Ensembles Of Hoysalas: In yet another feather in the crown of India, the magnificent Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas in Karnataka’s Belur have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. On the occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X: “More pride for India! The magnificent Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas have been inscribed on the @UNESCO World Heritage List. The timeless beauty and intricate details of the Hoysala temples are a testament to India’s rich cultural heritage and the exceptional craftsmanship of our ancestors.”

More pride for India!

The magnificent Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas have been inscribed on the @UNESCO World Heritage List. The timeless beauty and intricate details of the Hoysala temples are a testament to India’s rich cultural heritage and the exceptional craftsmanship of… https://t.co/cOQ0pjGTjx

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 18, 2023

The news was shared by UNESCO on their official X handle: “🔴BREAKING! Just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, #India 🇮🇳. Congratulations! 👏👏”.

🔴BREAKING!

Just inscribed on the @UNESCO #WorldHeritage List: Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, #India 🇮🇳. Congratulations! 👏👏

➡️ https://t.co/69Xvi4BtYv #45WHC pic.twitter.com/Frc2IGlTkf

— UNESCO 🏛️ #Education #Sciences #Culture 🇺🇳 (@UNESCO) September 18, 2023

Indian Ambassador to UNESCO, Vishal Sharma posted on X: “Sacred Ensembles of the #Hoysalas” inscribed on the World Heritage List (Agenda 45COM.8B.29). A day to rejoice for all Indians. Bharat Mata ki jai. 🇮🇳”.

The Extended 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 10 to 25 September where the Committee examined the state of conservation of 260 sites already inscribed on the World Heritage List, 55 of which are also on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

To date, the World Heritage Committee has inscribed 1,157 sites in 167 countries on the World Heritage List. Composed of representatives from 21 States Parties that have ratified the World Heritage Convention, the Committee is responsible for implementing the Convention.

The Ministry of Culture, India, finalised the nomination of Hoysala temples for the World Heritage List 2022-23 in January 2022. “The Hoysala Temples of Belur, Halebid and Somnathapura in Karnataka have been finalised as India’s nomination for consideration as World Heritage for the year 2022-2023,” said the ministry.

The ‘Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala’ were on UNESCO’s Tentative List since April 15, 2014. All three Hoysala temples are protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

The sacred ensembles of the Hoysalas, built in the 12th-13th centuries and represented by the three components of Belur, Halebid, and Somnathapura, attest to the creativity and skill of the Hoysala artists and architects who built these masterpieces of a kind never seen before or since.

The Hoysala architects used their profound knowledge of temple architecture in different parts of India to their advantage. The Hoysala temples have a basic Dravidian morphology but show strong influences of the Bhumija mode widely used in Central India, the Nagara traditions of northern and western India, and the Karnataka Dravida modes favoured by the Kalyani Chalukyas.