Through the dedicated efforts of Vastutvaa, Conservation Architect Nishtha Joshi and the entire team, the Sirpur Cultural and Archaeological Landscape has finally been included in UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites!
Sirpur, once a flourishing centre of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, holds within its magnificent temples, monasteries and archaeological remains the story of Chhattisgarh’s rich civilisational legacy.
This is a historic milestone, as Sirpur becomes the first site from Chhattisgarh to be included in UNESCO’s Tentative List! A proud moment for our state and a step towards bringing its incredible heritage to the world.
Let’s understand what it means for Chhattisgarh as a state.
The site has 22 Shiva temples, five Vaishnava temples, 10 Buddhist viharas and three Jain viharas. The Lakshmana Temple (dedicated to Lord Vishnu) is one of the finest brick temples in India, built around the 7th century.
Apart from being a multi-religious urban centre, it was once a flourishing capital of Dakshina Kosala under the Panduvanshi and later, the Somavamshi kings. It has remains of palace complexes, market structures, residential quarters, brick and stone temples along with Viharas, stupas, meditation cells and water management systems.
The documentation process took more than 3 months where the entire team stayed in Sirpur in adverse conditions to complete this difficult task.
Capacity building and community engagement were done along the way because such works can’t be completed without local support.
Meeting with experts from ASI, various universities, archeologists, historians and government officers to discuss all aspects of the listing process.
Meeting with experts from ASI, various universities, archeologists, historians and government officers to discuss all aspects of the listing process.
Team meeting at NIT Raipur in 2025
Discussions with then CEO Sirpur SADA, Shri Rajendra Rao.
Sirpur, which has made it to the tentative list, is among the few archaeological landscapes in India where Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain monuments exist within a unified urban fabric. The development brings the premises one step closer to receiving the coveted
