Ahmedabad was inscribed as a World Heritage City at the 41st session of Unesco's World Heritage Committee meeting in Krakow, Poland, on Saturday, July 8, 2017. Ahmedabad is the first city in India to receive such a global accolade.
Ahmedabad's nomination as a city exemplifying `living heritage' was unanimously supported by at least 20 countries, including Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia, Portugal, Finland, Poland, and Cuba. The countries spoke in favour of Ahmedabad, saying that its Hindu-Islamic architecture reflected the harmonious co-existence of Muslim, Hindu, and Jain communities. Thanking the chair of the World Heritage Committee, Ruchira Kamboj, India's ambassador and permanent representative at the UNESCO said, “The journey began in 2010 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi proffered the dossier of Ahmedabad to Unesco. For more than 600 years the city has stood for peace, as a landmark city where Mahatma Gandhi began India's freedom struggle. The inscription of Ahmedabad will allow for the preservation of a historic city which has harboured India's dynamism and vibrancy.”
Ahmedabad's densely packed traditional houses in pols and gated streets called `puras' - with characteristic features such as bird-feeders and religious institutions dating back hundreds of years - were also hailed at the meeting. The countries recognized Ahmedabad as the cradle of India's non-violent freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi.
The Walled City of Ahmedabad will now be in company of cities like Paris, Cairo, and Edinburgh. Of the 287 World Heritage Cities across the globe, only two were on the Indian sub continent: Bhaktapur in Nepal and Galle in Sri Lanka. The Unesco status will add brand value to the city and bring global tourists in large numbers.
Ahmedabad's journey to this landmark achievement began in 1984 when the first study for conserving heritage structures was commissioned by Ford Foundation. The second milestone was the launch of the heritage walk from Kalupur Swaminarayan temple and the setting up of a heritage cell by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. Ahmedabad entered Unesco's tentative list on March 31, 2011. The Walled City was inscribed under criteria (ii) and (v) of the Unesco's Outstanding Universal Values (OUV). Ahmedabad municipal commissioner Mukesh Kumar said: “We are officially India's first world heritage city.” CM Vijay Rupani said, “PM Narendra Modi first proposed the idea of World Heritage City status. The people of Ahmedabad and The Times of India took up the mission and showed how citizen-centric media effort can bring success.”
