India's stature increased in UNESCO: 64 Yogini temples with six heritage sites  were added to the tentative list

India gained a big accomplishment at UNESCO. Six heritage properties like the Ashokan Edict Sites and 64 Yogini Temples of India have secured space in the tentative list at UNESCO's World Heritage. India's Permanent Delegation to UNESCO gave this information.

India wrote on X in UNESCO that these sites were added to the list on March 7. If a property is to be nominated for inscription in the World Heritage List in the future, it is mandatory to add it to the tentative list of the World Heritage Center. The six heritage sites added to the tentative list include Kanger Valley National Park in Chhattisgarh, Mudumal Megalithic Menhir in Telangana, Ashokan Edict Sites on the Mauryan routes built in several states, Chausath Yogini Temples in North India and Bundelas' palaces in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Now UNESCO has 62 sites in India in the tentative list.

The 'tentative list' is a list of properties that each country wants to consider for UNESCO nomination. According to the UNESCO website, the Chausath Yogini Temples include sites located in several places in the country. These temples have images of 64 yoginis with intricate stone carvings. These temples are mostly located on hilltops. 'Yogini' means a woman who practices yoga and 'Chausath' is the Hindi word for the number 64. The number of yoginis is 64 and hence they are called Chausath Yogini. They are a group of forest spirits and mother goddesses.

At present, a total of 43 properties of India are inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These include 35 in the cultural category, seven in natural and one in mixed category. India hosted the World Heritage Committee meeting for the first time in 2024. During this time, Moidam, the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty in Assam, was given the UNESCO tag.