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UNESCO Designates the 'Ancient Sacred Waterfalls and Rock-Cut Grottoes of the Aravali Range' as World Heritage

📅 March 29, 2026 📰 UNESCO Press Office
UNESCO Designates the 'Ancient Sacred Waterfalls and Rock-Cut Grottoes of the Aravali Range' as World Heritage

UNESCO has officially inscribed the Sacred Grottoes of the Aravalis onto the World Heritage list, citing their 10,000-year history as centers of spiritual and ecological significance. These sites feature prehistoric petroglyphs integrated with later 1st-millennium BCE Vedic ritual altars, representing a continuous transition from tribal to Sanatan heritage.

The designation aims to protect the unique hydro-geological features of the waterfalls, which were used for ancient spiritual cleansings and served as seasonal hermitages for wandering ascetics. The site is recognized for its 'outstanding universal value' in demonstrating the early human-nature spiritual synergy.

Original source: UNESCO Press Office