New Delhi/Mumbai: Two building clusters of Victorian Gothic and Art Deco architectural styles in Mumbai were on Saturday jointly inscribed in the Unesco World Heritage List.
This is the third such honour for the metropolis after the Elephanta Caves and the Victoria Terminus - rechristened Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station -earned the coveted heritage tag in 1987 and 2004, respectively.
"Just inscribed as Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, #India Congratulations!" Unesco tweeted.
The decision was taken at the 42nd session of the Unesco World Heritage Committee (WHC), currently underway in Manama, Bahrain.
Mumbai-based conservation architect Abha Narain Lambah, who prepared the voluminous nomination dossier Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, said it was a great honour for the city and for India.
The Union culture ministry said in a statement that the ensemble consisted of 94 buildings primarily of 19th century Victorian Gothic revival and early 20th century Art Deco style of architecture.
"The Victorian buildings form part of the larger Fort precinct situated to the east of the Oval Maidan. These public buildings include the Old Secretariat (1857-74), University Library and Convention Hall (1874-78), Bombay High Court (1878), the Public Works Department Office (1872), Watson's Hotel (1869), David Sasoon Library (1870) and the Elphinstone College (1888)," the statement said.
Lambah said the Prince of Wales Museum - now Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya - and the National Gallery of Modern Art were also in the Victorian Gothic list.
"The buildings on the first row of Marine Drive, the Regal and Eros Cinemas count among the Art Deco structures that have earned the recognition," she said.
According to the culture ministry statement, the count of World Heritage Sites in India has now risen to 37, of which 29 are cultural sites, seven natural and one mixed.
"These buildings (the Mumbai structures selected on Saturday) are of iconic architectural styles. They represent a living heritage of the country, and the evolution of the landscape of the city over nearly two centuries. It puts Mumbai, perennially described as the 'financial city', high up on the global cultural map.
"All 21 countries in the WHC supported the nomination, which is very rare. Azerbaijan called it the 'perfect' dossier and France as observer country termed it 'magnificent'," Lambah said over phone from Manama.
India hailed the decision as a "remarkable achievement".
Union minister of state for culture Mahesh Sharma congratulated the residents of Mumbai and the entire country for the achievement.
"The international recognition for the heritage precinct of the city of Mumbai is a matter of great pride to the nation and it will boost the local economy in a number of ways.
"This achievement is expected to give a tremendous fillip to domestic and international tourism, leading to increased employment generation, creation of world-class infrastructure and augmentation of sale of local handicrafts, handlooms and heritage memorabilia," he said.
Lambah said this year's selections were different from previous nominations "as, earlier either very ancient or medieval buildings were recognised".
"But in this case, we have government buildings like the high court, the Mumbai police headquarters, private houses and cultural spaces and sports facilities, which belong to the modern era," Lambah said.
Mumbai now has the same number of Unesco sites as Delhi, which has three - the Red Fort, Qutub Minar and the Humayun's Tomb, she said.
According to Lambah, Maharashtra has five Unesco World Heritage sites, including the Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad.
Mumbai-based conservation architect Vikas Dilawari, who had worked on the nomination dossier for Victoria Terminus, said: "Several of these buildings are already protected and I am sure this Unesco tag will further help in creating a climate of historical preservation in Mumbai and other parts of the country."
