World Heritage Site Stories
Proposal to Demolish buildings over 33ft in 1 KM radius of Temple
Melbourne, 26 July. There is an article in the hclinfinet
website which states that it was a proposal of the Bihar Government
to demolish buildings over 33ft in height in a radius of one km from
the Mahabodhi temple in order to help in the efforts to get the temple
listed as a world heritage monument. In the article of the 8th of January
which is a report by a journalist called Imran Khan in Patna about the
efforts being made to get the Mahabodhi temple onto the World Heritage
list which says that in this regard that in the contacts between the
state government and UNESCO. "Official sources said the information
sought by Unesco include details about the ownership and management
of the temple, a detailed map of the shrine and its adjoining areas,
status of the buffer zone to preserve the monument and nearby surroundings,
and future development plans. In view of Unesco’s interest, the state
government has proposed to demolish all buildings more than 33 feet
high within a 1 km radius of the temple." Link
to story
UNESCO activities in South Asia
Melbourne, 26 July. There is an account of the various UNESCO activities
in South Asia on its Delhi Office website. These main aims for its cultural
programs include: "1) Reinforcing normative action in the field
of culture with emphasis on the promotion of the Convention for the
Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and meeting new
demands in the area of standard-setting, in particular concerning the
underwater and the intangible cultural heritage; 2) Protecting cultural
diversity and promoting cultural pluralism and intercultural dialogue;
3) Strengthening links between culture and development." It is
interesting in this regard to see how these intentions will be put into
practice in Bodhgaya. link
to page
Mahabodhi Temple "Awaiting World Recognition" Melbourne,
23 July. There is an article on the-South-Asian
website for May 2002 which includes some discussion of the nature of
the buffer zone proposed at that time. The article includes this note.
"Fortunately for the conservationists this is one monument which
has been spared the anarchy in present-day Rabri Devi governed Bihar.
It is protected and enclosed by an outer boundary wall of a height varying
between 10 and 15 feet. Beyond it, the Bodhgaya Temple Advisory Board
has declared an area of one kilometre radius from the boundary wall
of the temple to be a protected buffer zone wherein no encroachments
or illegal structures will be allowed."
This clearly invites the question of how much of the town buildings
are technically encroachments or illegal structures? Take the instance
of the Congress Party Office which was declared an illegal structure,
or any of the buildings which are technically on PWD land, including
many in the old market area. What is to happen to such structures within
the buffer zone? Link
to article