Pune: Architectural heritage towns of Orchha and Mandu from Madhya Pradesh have been included in UNESCO’s tentative list of world heritage sites, said Yuvraj Padole, Deputy Director, Events and Marketing, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB), on Saturday.
Orchha is famous for its peculiar style of the Bundela dynasty and Mandu or Mandavgad is an ancient city in the present-day Mandav area of Dhar district in MP. Padole interacted with mediapersons after a successful tourism roadshow in Pune.
“Sanchi, Khajuraho and Bhimbetka are already in the UNESCO heritage site list. In June, these two towns (Orchha and Mandu) have been included in their tentative list. To be a part of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, the heritage or any historical site first has to be on the tentative list,” said Padole.
Mandu is located in the Malwa region of western MP in India. In the 11th century, Mandu was the subdivision of the Tarangagadh or Taranga kingdom. This fortress town on a rocky outcrop is about 100 km away from Indore and is celebrated for its architecture. Orchha was built by King Rudra Pratap Singh of Bundela dynasty in the 16th century.
“We are hoping that the roadshow will arouse the curiosity of those in travel business in Pune and they, in turn, will lead their guests to explore Madhya Pradesh. We are glad that we could meet multiple investors and elucidate them about the investment opportunities in MP. This will make MP more tourist-friendly,” Padole said.
‘Need More Air Connectivity’
Yuvraj Padole said, “We have requested the Union Minister of Tourism Prahlad Singh Patel to connect Madhya Pradesh to other cities in the country. We need more air connectivity from Pune. We have been requesting to increase flight connectivity. We are hopeful that under UDAN, Madhya Pradesh will get more flights.”
