HYDERABAD: Heritage enthusiasts and devotees of the Swayambhu Temple and Thousand Pillars Temple are sure to be let down as the State government has finalised that they have no plans to nominate the two temples for the coveted World Heritage Site tag in the future.
According to information available with TNIE, the State government has made it clear that Swayambhu Temple, Keerthi Thorana, and Thousand Pillar Temple lack ‘integrity’ as there are issues of encroachment, illegal developments around the structures. The above-mentioned reasons would not allow the sites to be presented in the future for serial submission to the UNESCO, the government noted.
The Heritage Telangana department also said that the State government was planning to shift its focus towards the nomination of Qutub Shahi Tombs, Golconda Fort and Charminar in the future. It is important to recall that until earlier this year, the State government was still planning to present Qutub Shahi Tombs and Golconda Fort for the World Heritage Site tag but the Ramappa temple was presented instead.
Apart from that the Telangana government is reportedly working on proposals for the nomination of natural sites — like rock formations, pre-historic burial sites and so on. Hence, the government reasoned that it did not see any possibility for the nomination of Thousand Pillar Temple and Swayambhu Temple for the WHS tag.
However, the State is yet to provide any time frame for the nomination of Qutub Shahi Tombs, Golconda Fort, Charminar, and the natural sites. It is well known that states do not get chances every year to nominate sites for the WHS tag. This year, it was only after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao intervened and took it up with New Delhi that Ramappa’s nomination was forwarded by the Central government.
Govt clears stand
According to information, the State govt has made it clear that Swayambhu Temple and Thousand Pillar Temple would not be presented in the future for serial submission to the UNESCO