New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday hailed the decision of UNESCO to recognise an 11th century stepwell in his home state Gujarat, as a World Heritage Site, and said it was a matter of great pride.
"Rani Ki Vav in Patan, Gujarat, has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list! A matter of great pride for us. Next time you visit Gujarat, you must visit Rani Ki Vav, an excellent symbol of our great art and culture," he tweeted.
UNESCO described it as an "exceptional example of technological development" in utilising ground water resources.
"Stepwell Rani ki Vav has been approved for inscription on the World Heritage list. The recognition was granted by the UNESCO at the World Heritage Committee Session currently on at Doha, Qatar," the Culture Ministry said here today.
"UNESCO has recognised this masterpiece as an exceptional example of technological development in utilising ground water resources in a single component, water management system and it illustrates the exceptional capacity to break large spaces into smaller volumes following ideal aesthetic proportions," it said in a statement.
Located in the ancient fortified town of Patan, about 120 kms from Ahmedabad, the stepwell was nominated by ASI for the World Heritage List of UNESCO in February last year.
The inscription of Rani-ki-Vav on the World Heritage List as the single most example of a step-well is a testimony to the traditional water systems of India, it said.
