Tiruchi MP Durai Vaiko on Friday called on Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi and urged him to take immediate steps to nominate Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam for the UNESCO World Heritage site status.

In a representation submitted to him, Mr. Durai Vaiko said that the temple, one of India’s most revered and historically significant temple complexes, was included in the UNESCO Tentative List submitted by the Centre in 2014. However, despite the passage of several years, the formal nomination dossier had not yet been submitted to the UNESCO for evaluation.

The temple possessed Outstanding Universal Value through its unparalleled architectural grandeur, spiritual significance, living heritage, and centuries-old cultural traditions. As the largest functioning Hindu temple complex in the world and the foremost among the 108 ‘Divya Desams’, it stood as one of India’s greatest cultural and civilisational landmarks. Moreover, the temple had received the UNESCO Award of Merit in 2017 in recognition of the exemplary conservation and restoration of its historic complex, reaffirming its global heritage significance.

Mr. Durai Vaiko added that it was pertinent to mention that under the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, a cultural property was required to satisfy at least one of the ten selection criteria to qualify for the UNESCO World Heritage status.

The temple had possessed exceptional attributes that satisfied four of the ten selection criteria, reflecting its Outstanding Universal Value. Its remarkable architectural achievement, continuous living religious traditions, historical significance and profound cultural influence had made it one of the country’s strongest candidates for the status. Hence, the Ministry should initiate and expedite the nomination process for the temple by following the model successfully adopted for the Mahabodhi Temple Complex.

The Ministry should coordinate with the Archaeological Survey of India, Government of Tamil Nadu, Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department, UNESCO experts and heritage professionals for the preparation and submission of a comprehensive nomination dossier, he said.

“Granting the UNESCO World Heritage Status to the temple will be a matter of immense pride for the nation, and it will not only provide well-deserved heritage conservation but also promote academic research and encourage sustainable cultural tourism,” Mr. Durai Vaiko said.

Published - July 23, 2026 07:46 pm IST