PM Modi to inaugurate 46th session of World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam on Sunday

New Delhi, July 20 (HS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi at 7 p.m. on Sunday. On this occasion, the Prime Minister will also address the gathering. UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay will also attend the inaugural ceremony. The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) gave this information in a statement on Saturday.

India is hosting the meeting of the World Heritage Committee for the first time. This meeting will be held from July 21 to July 31 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. The World Heritage Committee meets once a year and is responsible for managing all matters related to World Heritage and deciding on the sites to be included in the World Heritage List. During this meeting, proposals to nominate new sites on the World Heritage List, conservation reports of 124 existing World Heritage properties, international assistance and use of the World Heritage Fund, etc. will be discussed. More than 2000 international and national delegates from over 150 countries will be participating in the meeting.

Along with the meeting of the World Heritage Committee, meetings of the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum and the World Heritage Site Managers Forum are also being held.

In addition, various exhibitions will also be held at the Bharat Mandapam to showcase India's culture. The Return of Treasures exhibition will showcase some of the artefacts brought back to the country. More than 350 artefacts have been brought back so far. In addition, using the latest AR and VR technologies, an immersive experience of three World Heritage Sites of India will be provided: Rani Ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat; Kailasa Temple, Ellora Caves, Maharashtra; and Hoysala Temples, Halebid, Karnataka. Also, an 'Incredible India' exhibition will be held to highlight India's rich cultural heritage, age-old civilisation, geographical diversity, tourist destinations, and modern developments in the field of information technology and infrastructure.