By Akshya rout
JAJPUR: Days after Unesco has included the ‘Diamond Triangle’ of Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitgiri Buddhist sites of Jajpur district in its tentative India list for consideration of ‘World Heritage Site’ status, Jajpur MP Dr Rabindra Narayan Behera has expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narednra Modi, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat for their support. Behera has been demanding inclusion of Udayagiri Ratnagiri and Langudi in the World Heritage List in various forums, including in the Lok Sabha on December 24 last year.
“I have raised the issue in the Lok Sabha on December 24. I had also met Odisha Chief Minister and Union Culture Minister seeking their support to ensure that Ratnagiri, Udayagiri and Lalitgiri included in the World Heritage site list,” said Behera in a video message. On December 22, the proposal of India’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNESCO, Vishal V. Sharma was accepted by the Director of the Department of Culture, World Heritage Center under UNESCO, Lazaro Elondo Asom.
Sharma was informed through a letter on January 21 about the inclusion of the Diamond Triangle in the proposed heritage list. According to information, Konark is the only place in Odisha that has been included in the heritage list earlier. Diamond Triangle, rich in Buddhist heritage was not included in the list. The Mahaviharas, stupas, Chaitragruha, and architectural art discovered in the Diamond Triangle bear a unique signature in the world. Not only are they Buddhist monuments, but their natural beauty and pleasant environment are also very attractive. The Government of India has proposed to include 70 places in the country in the heritage list in three categories: cultural, natural, and mixed. It is worth noting that the Light of Buddha Dharma Foundation International and the State Culture Department of the Government of India have been organizing the Guru Padmasambhava Prayer Meeting in Udayagiri, which includes the Diamond Triangle. More than 1800 Buddhist gurus, ascetics and religious followers from 18 countries participated in it.