Why in news? 3 Hoysala temples inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Highlights:

• The Hoysala temples at Belur, Halebid, and Somanathapur in Karnataka were declared as UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• The Chennakeshava temple at Belur and the Hoysaleshwara temple at Halebid both in Hassan district have been on the UNESCO’s tentative list since 2014.
• This will bring global recognition with prospects of increase in international tourism to these places.
• The Keshava temple at Somanathapur in Mysuru district was appended to the other two monuments under the tentative list and all three were officially nominated by the Centre as India’s entry for 2022-23 in February 2022.
• The Hoysala Empire and its capital Dorasamudra was invaded, plundered and destroyed in early 14th century by the Delhi Sultanate armies of Alauddin Khilji including Chennakeshava and Hoysaleswara Temple

About World Heritage Site

• It is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by UNESCO
• World Heritage Sites are designated for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance.
• The sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity”
• Italy (58) is the country with the most sites followed by China (57) and Germany( 52).
• India has 42 sites in the list with the six largest in the world . 34 cultural ,7 natural and one mixed site that is Khangchendzonga national park