MULUGU: Indian Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO Vishal V Sharma on Sunday visited the World Heritage Site Rudreswara (Ramappa) Temple at Palampet village in Mulugu district.
Arriving from Paris, Sharma offered prayers at the temple and reviewed the preservation and conservation efforts undertaken by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the state government. He currently serves as the Chairman of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee for its 46th session, becoming the first Indian to hold this prestigious position.
Recently, Sharma also chaired the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Red Fort in Delhi, during which Deepavali was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) list.
It was under his leadership that the Ramappa Temple was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2021.
While in Hyderabad to attend the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) programme, Sharma visited Mulugu district to assess the ongoing conservation measures at the heritage site. He held a meeting with temple authorities, who briefed him on the steps taken by the state government and ASI for the upkeep of the UNESCO-listed monument.