Overview

• The Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO announced the additions on September 12 in a post on X, as carried by PTI.
• The update brings India’s Tentative List to 69 entries, comprising 49 cultural, 3 mixed, and 17 natural sites.
• The seven additions are Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra); St Mary’s Island Cluster (Karnataka); Meghalayan Age Caves (Meghalaya); Naga Hill Ophiolite (Nagaland); Erra Matti Dibbalu and Tirumala Hills (Andhra Pradesh); and Varkala (Kerala).
• All the new entries fall under the natural category, highlighting geological formations, cave systems, and coastal landforms across multiple states.
• The delegation credited the Archaeological Survey of India’s work and emphasized that Tentative List inclusion is mandatory before any consideration for inscription.