Context

Gwalior and Orchha in Madhya Pradesh have been included in the list of UNESCO’s world heritage cities under its urban landscape city programme.

About

Gwalior

• Gwalior was established in the 9th century and ruled by Gurjar Pratihar Rajvansh, Tomar, Baghel Kachvaho and Scindias.
• The memorabilia left by them are found in abundance in memorials, forts and palaces in the area.
• Gwalior is known for its palaces and temples, including the intricately carved Sas Bahu Ka Mandir temple.
• The Gwalior Fort occupies a sandstone plateau overlooking the city and is accessed via a winding road lined with sacred Jain statues.
• Within the forts, high walls are the 15th-century Gujari Mahal Palace, now an archaeological museum.

Orchha

• Orchha is popular for its temples and palaces and was the capital of the Bundela kingdom in the 16th century.
• The famous spots in the town are Raj Mahal, Jehangir Mahal, Ramraja Temple, Rai Praveen Mahal, and Laxminarayan Mandir.
• After inclusion in the World Heritage City list, chemical treatment of historic spots like Mansingh Palace, Gujri Mahal and Sahastrabahu Temple will be done so that art inscribed on them will become more visible.

‘Historic Urban Landscape' based planning by UNESCO

• UNESCO defines HUL as an integrated approach towards managing heritage resources found within dynamic and evolving environments.
• HUL acknowledges the interconnections within a city, which occur between the built and natural environments, the tangible and intangible values, as well as within the cultural and social practices of a community.
• The approach considers these factors as key pillars towards sustainable urban heritage management and the development of the city.

Which Indian cities are under HUL?

• Gwalior and Orchha are among the few cities of India selected for the ambitious project.
• Before this, Varanasi, Ajmer-Pushkar and Hyderabad were included among the pilot cities for HUL recommendation based planning in the year 2015.