News: Muziris Heritage Week will be celebrated from November 19-25 in connection with UNESCO World Heritage Week.
Facts:
About Muziris
- Muziris was a port city on the Malabar Coast. Muziris was also known as Murachipattanam.
- The exact location of Muziris is unknown and is generally speculated to be situated around present day Kodungallur, Kerala.
- In Ramayana, Murachipattanam is the place where Sugreeva’s (one of the Monkey King) sleuths passed through while looking for the abducted Sita.
- Sangam literature describes Roman ships coming to Muziris laden with gold to be exchanged for pepper.
- According to historians, in 1341, when the profile of the water bodies in the Periyar River basin on the Malabar Coast underwent a major transformation, Muziris got destroyed due to flood and earthquake.
- The Government of Kerala has initiated the Muziris Heritage Project to reinstate the historical and cultural significance of the legendary port of Muziris.
About World heritage Week:
- UNESCO celebrates the annual World Heritage Week from November 19 to 25 across countries.
- The objective of celebrating the World Heritage Week is to aware and encourage the people about the preservation and safety of the cultural heritages, and monuments.
Additional Information:
About World Heritage Site:
- These are sites inscribed on the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.
- These sites are considered to be have “Outstanding Universal Value” i.e. high cultural and/or natural heritage which transcends national boundaries and are important to future generations.
- UNESCO seeks to protect and preserve these sites through the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage (1972).
World Heritage Sites in India
- The total number of heritage sites across India that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list is 38. This includes 30 cultural sites, seven natural sites and one mixed site (Kanchenjunga National Park in Sikkim)
- In 2017, Ahmadabad became the first Indian city to get World Heritage Site status.
Note: China and Italy have the highest number of World Heritage Sites- both have 55 sites.
UNESCO
- It is a UN specialized agency based in Paris. It was established in 1945.
- It seeks to build peace through international cooperation in Education, the Sciences and Culture.
