Category History

What is Geographical Indication?

Geographical Indication (GI), according to the World Intellectual Property Organization, is a sign which identifies good as origination from a particular geographical region and possessing qualities associated with that origin. It is similar to the protection a Trademarks or Copyright offers, however it does not restrict the creation of the good to only the geographical location that has the tag for the good. For example: Banglar Rasogolla is a food item that originates in West Bengal and has a GI tag that identifies it as originating in the state. The Rasogolla can be made by anyone, anywhere in the world, but the one that comes from Bengal will have a GI tag attached to it and cannot be replicated.

In India, GI sign is granted by the Geographical  Indications Registry in Chennai for Agricultural products, foodstuffs, handicrafts and industrial products among others. It can be applied for by any association of persons, producers and organisations. Only after a though study and clarification, will the GI tag be awarded to a product.

The Darjeeling Tea was the first product in India to be awarded the GI tag in 2004. Today, nearly 360 products from around the country have the GI tag.

 

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Which is one of India’s World Heritage Site part of the New Seven Wonders of the World?

The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being “the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world’s heritage”. Described by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore as “the tear-drop on the cheek of time”, it is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and a symbol of India’s rich history. The Taj Mahal attracts 7–8 million visitors a year.

It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The tomb is the centrepiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.

Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for another 10 years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million rupees, which in 2015 would be approximately 52.8 billion rupees (US$827 million). The construction project employed some 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by the court architect to the emperor, Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.

 

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There is only one mixed heritage site in India. What is it?

Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP), Sikkim has been inscribed as India’s first “Mixed World Heritage Site” on UNESCO World Heritage List. It fulfilled the nomination criteria under both natural and cultural heritage.

The KNP exhibits one of the widest altitudinal ranges of any protected area worldwide. The Park has an extraordinary vertical sweep of over 7 kilometres (1,220m to 8,586m) within an area of only 178,400 hactares and comprises a unique diversity of lowlands, steep-sided valleys and spectacular snow-clad mountains including the world’s third highest peak, Mt. Khangchendzonga, numerous lakes and glaciers, including the 26 km long Zemu Glacier.

The KNP lies within the Himalaya global biodiversity hotspot and displays an unsurpassed range of sub-tropical to alpine ecosystems. The Himalayas are narrowest here, resulting in extremely steep terrain, which magnifies the distinction between the various eco-zones. The KNP is located within a mountain range of global biodiversity conservation significance and covers 25% of the State of Sikkim, acknowledged as one of India’s most significant biodiversity concentrations.
The KNP is home to a significant number of endemic, rare and threatened plant and mammal species recorded in the Central/High Asian Mountains, except compared to the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, in China; and also has a high number of bird species.

 

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Which is the most recent property from India to be included in the heritage list?

The walled city of Jaipur, in India’s north-western state of Rajasthan was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II. Unlike other cities in the region located in hilly terrain, Jaipur was established on the plain and built according to a grid plan interpreted in the light of Vedic architecture. The streets feature continuous colonnaded businesses that intersect in the centre, creating large public squares called chaupars. Markets, shops, residences and temples built along the main streets have uniform facades. The city’s urban planning shows an exchange of ideas from ancient Hindu and early modern Mughal as well as Western cultures. The grid plan is a model that prevails in the West, while the organization of the different city sectors (chowkris) refers to traditional Hindu concepts. Designed to be a commercial capital, the city has maintained its local commercial, artisanal and cooperative traditions to this day.

The decision was taken at the 43rd session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) taking place in the city of Baku, Azerbaijan, from 30th June – 10th July, 2019.

The city was nominated for its value of being an exemplary development in town planning and architecture that demonstrates an amalgamation and important exchange of ideas in the late medieval period.

 

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In 1983, India’s which first few properties were included in the heritage list?

First in the country to be inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983, the Ajanta caves dates back to 2nd century BCE to 650 CE and features the finest masterpieces of 31 rock cut Buddhist cave monuments, paintings and sculpture. The caves were built in two different phases. First was built in (230BCE-220CE) of Satavahana Period under the patronage of Satvahana Dynasty and second, the caves of Vakataka Period were built during the reign of Emperor Harishena of Vakataka Dynasty. 

Also added in 1983 to the UN world heritage sites list, the Ellora Caves are well known for their Indian-rock cut architecture with 34 rock cut temples and caves dating back to about 600 to 1000 CE. The excavated site includes Charanandri Hills, Buddhist Hindu and Jain rock-cut temples, Viharas and Maths of the 5th and 10th century.

Added along with the Ajanta Caves on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1983 was the Agra Fort situated quite close to the Taj Mahal. Built during the reign of emperor Akbar, the Agra Fort includes a number of notable monuments like the Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Muhamman Burie(an octagonal Tower), Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Am, Moti Masjid and the Nagina Masjid.

 

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How many World Heritage sites are there in India?

A World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by UNESCO for its special cultural or physical significance. The list of World Heritage Sites is maintained by the international ‘World Heritage Programme’, administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972. India has 38 world heritage sites that include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties and 1 mixed site.

Cultural World Heritage Sites in India 

  • Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh
  • Hampi, Karnataka
  • Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
  • Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
  • Bodh Gaya, Bihar
  • Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha
  • Red Fort Complex, Delhi
  • Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
  • Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu
  • Group of Monuments in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
  • Humayun’s Tomb, New Delhi
  • Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan
  • Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh
  • Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh
  • Taj Mahal, Agra
  • Rani Ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat
  • Group of Monuments in Pattadakal, Karnataka
  • Elephanta Caves, Maharashtra
  • Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University), Bihar
  • Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), Maharashtra
  • Mountain Railways of India
  • Qutub Minar and its Monuments, New Delhi
  • Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat
  • Hill Forts of Rajasthan
  • Churches and Convents of Goa
  • Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh
  • The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai
  • The Pink City – Jaipur
  • The Historic City of Ahmedabad
  • Capitol Complex, Chandigarh

Natural World Heritage Sites in India

  • Kaziranga Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam
  • Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal
  • Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh
  • Manas Wild Life Sanctuary, Assam
  • Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan
  • Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks, Uttarakhand
  • Western Ghats
  • Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim

 

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