UNESCO Includes Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas in World Heritage List, PM Praises

New Delhi: UNESCO declared Karnataka’s Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas as part of its World Heritage List on Monday. Earlier it was part of UNESCO’s tentative World Heritage List in 2014. Now the global body has agreed to include it in the World Heritage list. The Hoysalas temples showcase India’s rich cultural and historical heritage.

The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi hailed the inclusion of Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Sharing a post on X by UNESCO, the Prime Minister said; “More pride for India!

The magnificent Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The timeless beauty and intricate details of the Hoysala temples are a testament to India’s rich cultural heritage and the exceptional craftsmanship of our ancestors.”

The Hoysala temples encompass the three most representative examples of Hoysala-style temple complexes in southern India, dating from the 12th to 13th centuries. The Hoysala style was created through a careful selection of contemporary temple features and those from the past to create a different identity from neighbouring kingdoms.

The shrines are characterized by hyper-real sculptures and stone carvings that cover the entire architectural surface, a circumambulatory platform, a large-scale sculptural gallery, a multi-tiered frieze, and sculptures of the Sala legend. The excellence of the sculptural art underpins the artistic achievement of these temple complexes, which represent a significant stage in the historical development of Hindu temple architecture,” UNESCO’s website said about the Sacred Ensembles of Hoysalas.