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India, one of the most dynamic ancient civilizations, possesses a multitude of historical artifacts, with 37 of its notable architectural structures recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Yet, the ever-changing climate, especially air pollution, expedites the natural deterioration of historic sites and diminishes their aesthetic appeal, causing socio-economic damage. With this in mind, the current study aims to offer a logical scientific foundation for the implications of air pollution, seasonal shifts, and COVID-19 on 14 significant historical places in India during the year 2019-20. Delhi, among the cities most severely affected by atmospheric pollution, recorded an alarming air quality index (AQI) of 102–141, which can intensify the risk of cultural sites to corrode and deteriorate. Analysis reveals that the winter season had elevated levels of NO2 and particle pollution (PM2.5, PM10), whereas summer had the higher levels of O3. Throughout the 5-month lockdown period, ozone levels exhibited an elevation, contrasting with the reduction observed in other air parameters. Notably, there was a substantial 70% decrease in particulate matter concentration, which had previously remained stable over the course of the year. Variations in geographic locales and anthropogenic influences contribute significantly to the dose-response statistics, revealing an unprecedented elevation in corrosion risks to historical limestone and sandstone structures across target sites. Moreover, the research addresses available Governmental initiatives, and effective strategies designed to safeguard heritage sites against the corrosion and material degradation, offering a comprehensive exploration of protective measures. Thereby, the current research is centred on establishing a foundational understanding of the impact of air pollution on cultural heritage, utilizing a comparison to the year with the lowest air pollution levels, which can aid policymakers in enhancing risk management and implementing a robust national mandate for the preservation of cultural heritage sites against corrosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heritage is the bedrock of our culture, with a significant impact on politics, society, trade and many other facets of life. It directly and indirectly informs, influences and inspires public debate and policy. With 40 properties inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, of which two are World Heritage Cities, India still has many aspects of its legacy that have yet to be studied and appreciated. Heritage cities have superior employment opportunities and a higher population density than non-heritage cities. This paper describes the aspects and approaches of India's heritage-based city development. The study principally focuses on heritage in the context of India using global principles. It suggests future directions that could be taken to promulgate heritage-based city development in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Badami Caves are a significant example of ancient Indian rock-cut architecture, dating back to the 6th century. These caves are situated in the Malaprabha River valley and are part of the candidate UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Evolution of Temple Architecture—Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal", which is considered to be the cradle of temple architecture in India. Our study aimed to investigate the diversity, distribution, and biodeterioration phenomena of the fungal communities present on the cave surfaces. The study also conducted a comprehensive analysis of fungal biodeterioration on the cave carvings. Utilizing specialized techniques, the dissolution of calcite, alterations in pH levels, and biomineralization capabilities of isolated fungal strains were monitored. Additionally, this study analyzed fungal acid production using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Our findings revealed that the major genera of fungi found on the cave surfaces included Acremonium, Curvularia, Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Aspergillus. These isolated fungi were observed to produce acids, leading to the dissolution of calcium carbonate and subsequent decrease in pH values. Notably, the dominant genus responsible for acid production and the promotion of biomineralization was Aspergillus. These discoveries provide valuable insight into the ecology and functions of fungi inhabiting stone surfaces, contributing to our understanding of how to preserve and protect sculptures from biodeterioration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, the microscopic observation of thin section was utilized to analyse the geological and fine morphological features of the 16th century Amber fort lime plaster -- a World Heritage site. FTIR, XRD and SEM photomicrographs showed the stabilization of different crystalline phases of calcite polymorphs. Chemical analysis and SEM-EDX data revealed dolomitic limestone was probably sourced for plaster works. The high magnesium present in the raw material, the environmental conditions during the application, pH, etc. have stabilized calcite polymorphs in the plaster. The calcite meta-stable phases have undergone dissolution with time making the plaster weak. This has increased porosity, permeability, and resultant lowering of plaster's mechanical strength. Thermal analysis and cementation index revealed use of non-hydraulic, binder-rich, air-lime for plaster works. The granulometric study showed the mixing of reddishbrown sand-size grains, and the aggregates were probably sourced from the same location for major construction activity. The low proportion of aggregates led to reduced mechanical strength, and the plaster is vulnerable to damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kaziranga National Park (KNP), a World Heritage Site in the state of Assam, India, represents an area of unique importance to global rhinoceros conservation. It is home to the world's largest population of the famous black Asiatic one-horned rhinoceros, which remains an endangered species, and one that has been closely threatened with extinction. This article explores the conservation strategies for the great endangered Indian one-horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga by situating it in a regional spectrum of conservation and regimes of ecological governance. It considers the crucial issue of rhinoceros poaching and the current anti-poaching mechanisms in KNP in the light of global wildlife conservation efforts and domestic anti-poaching mechanisms in India. It further identifies the gaps between policy formulation and implementation of conservation strategies regarding the rhinoceros of KNP, a species that holds a unique geopolitical importance, both in the global context of the conservation of endangered species generally, and more locally as the national symbol of the state of Assam, India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Delighting consumers has been one of the most important goals for marketing stakeholders but the effect of historical nostalgia on tourists' delight at the world cultural heritage sites has rarely been examined. This study examines the impact of historical nostalgia on the heritage tourists' delight, their satisfaction, and destination loyalty intention. The survey for the study was conducted at the world cultural heritage site of Mahabalipuram, India. The hypotheses were tested through the structural equation modeling technique. The results indicated positive and significant effect of historical nostalgia on tourists' delight, satisfaction, and destination loyalty intention. The study makes contribution to the tourism studies by examining the role of historical nostalgia in delighting the tourists at the cultural heritage sites and instructs the managers to evoke such experiences to keep the heritage tourists delighted and thereby enhance their loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Delhi, Agra and Jaipur form the golden triangle of India. This tourist triangle is designed to up-sell in the market with lucrative offers. "Palace on Wheels" is a luxury train that runs on this route and is targeted for foreign clientele with its extravagance segment. These three destinations have their significance due to the presence of historical monuments and UNESCO world heritage sites i.e., Qutub Minar, India Gate, Tajmahal, and many more. These places also offer an enormous variety of food and beverage with warm hospitality to relieve the tired tourists. The gourmet dishes of Golden Triangle are a must to try as it dates to the traditional cooking combined with a spicy aroma and soothing beverages. The paper is structured to judge the culinary facet and warm hospitality of the Golden Triangle. The main objective is to find out the impact of traditional food in attracting travellers. It will also identify the food trail experiences in enhancing a niche segment of buyers for culinary tourism. Design/methodology/approach: The research is exploratory and draws on food and beverage culinary experience delivery in the Golden Triangle. The exploratory research will judge the effectiveness of food tours and the warm hospitality extended to food tourists. Findings: The research will examine how Culinary Tourism and Hospitality in the Golden Triangle of India can form a niche segment of food and beverage buyers. How it enhances the customer experience with hospitable conduct. The study will highlight the benefits of culinary tourism and hospitality. Practical implications: The paper recommends the concepts of food and beverage culinary tourism experience for creating a niche segment of buyers as well as attracting potential buyers with its approach. The research will synthesize the factors to improve customer interest in taking food and beverage tourism. Originality/value: The research sought to address the advantages of curating food and beverage tourists in the golden triangle of India. It will also address how food and beverage tours can influence culinary tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the biofilm organisms growing on selected monuments of the Champaner Pavagadh complex (Gujarat, India), which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The cyanobacteria and microalgae were isolated from biofilms collected through non-destructive methods. The identification of these biological organisms was done using micro-morphological characters and confirmed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The exopolysaccharide of each of the isolated strains was extracted, hydrolysed and analysed by the HPTLC. Six isolated strains representing five cyanobacteria and one microalga belong to the genera Desmonostoc, Nostoc, Leptolyngbya, Chroococcidiopsis and Asterarcys. The relationships between substrates' specificity of these isolated biofilm organisms and those identified globally were evaluated using maximum parsimony analysis to generate a consensus phylogenetic tree. The five strains of cyanobacteria isolated were closely clustered with cyanobacteria belonging to a tropical region. At the generic level, no relationship between the species and substratum specificity was recorded. The exopolysaccharide analysis of the isolated strains revealed the presence of seven monosaccharides. While glucose was present in all the analysed species, the concentration of either fucose or arabinose was high. The current study presents a novel HPTLC-based method for determination of monosaccharides composition from the extracellular polymeric substances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluation of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHSs) in India has become a challenging activity for the tourism planners, policy makers and managers to create effective management strategies for them. In this paper, a combined application ofpreference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation (PROMETHEE) and geometrical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA) is presented to appraise the performance of37 Indian UNESCO WHSs based on nine important criteria. It is observed that the Taj Mahal is the most attractive site for both domestic and foreign tourists, followed by the Historic City of Ahmadabad. On the other hand, Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is the least visited site. Number of citations for a specific site in https://www.google.com appears to be the most important evaluation criterion, followed by the number of good accommodations. The application of this combined methodology would help the decision-makers to visualize the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Indian UNESCO WHSs so as to formulate suitable recommendations and policies to increase their tourism attractiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are one of the most productive ecosystems on the Earth. They are generally considered a transitional state between terrestrial-aquatic habitats and provide numerous vital ecosystem services to mankind. Wetlands are under a tremendous pressure due to growing human interference, urbanization, conventional agriculture, industrial expansions, and overexploitation of ecological services. The Keoladeo National Park (KNP) is a manmade wetland, world heritage site and a designated Ramsar site in India, widely known for its avian biodiversity. Due to insufficient amount of water supply and widespread invasion of Prosopis juliflora, notable spatio-temporal changes are observed in the land cover affecting habitat quality of the park. The present study is designed to highlight the importance of very high-resolution satellite data for characterization of the wetland ecosystem. It assesses the spatio-temporal dynamics of land use/land cover (LULC) and habitat quality, a model built in the InVEST (Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs) tool, is utilized to analyze the effect of land cover changes and increase in P. juliflora on habitat quality in the park. The study concludes that drastic changes in LULC and rampant spread of P. juliflora have deteriorated the quality of habitat for bird species. Furthermore, it highlights importance of geospatial tools in mapping, monitoring, and managing wetland ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperate wetlands provide ecosystem services for Himalayan communities and are important targets for biological conservation. However, over the past decade, management activities around these sites have lagged due, in part, to limited baselines on their historical ecology and hydrologic dynamics. This article advances Himalayan wetland studies by reviewing available data from Khecheopalri, a temperate peatland located in the Sikkim Eastern Himalayas. Formed after the Last Glacial Maximum, Khecheopalri contains distinctive ecological assemblages as well as a central waterbody considered sacred to Indigenous and local groups. Environmental organizations have collaborated with cultural institutions to conserve these natural resources. Nevertheless, significant anthropogenic changes have continued at Khecheopalri since the late 1980s. By reviewing these developments, this article establishes baselines for future management activities at this peatland. It also presents the first collated record of Himalayan peatland biodiversity, which includes 682 species representing 5 kingdoms, 196 families, and 453 genera reported at Khecheopalri. Results emphasize the need for continued, systematic surveys of biodiversity as well as rigorous hydrologic sampling throughout the Eastern Himalayas. Such data will support ongoing efforts to recognize this site as both a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Learning & Technology is the property of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The taxonomy of the family Geometridae (Lepidoptera: Geometroidea) is rather well established for most temperate regions of our earth, but tropical areas still need large-scale revisions. The Indian Himalayan region with its unique physical attributes is home to a distinctive faunal diversity but there is a lack of comprehensive study on its Geometridae moth fauna. In the present study a total of 113 species of the family Geometridae collected in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Uttarakhand, India have been subjected to DNA barcoding (COl). Distinct Barcode Gaps (difference between intraspecific and interspecific nucleotide divergence) exist between most of the species studied, thus confirming their discrimination. Sequences of species from the Lepidoptera Collection of the ZoologischeStaatssammlung Miinchen collected from western Himalaya (Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir) and eastern Himalaya (Sikkim) were included into the analysis. Four species from Sikkim show deep genetic (K2P distance) divergence from conspecifics collected in the western Himalaya (Uttarakhand), indicating potential cryptic diversity. Our preliminary assessment was based on DNA barcoding in combination with standard taxonomy, and revealed one new species record for India and distribution extensions of 15 other species within India. The baseline data generated through this study will provide scope to do further extensive research on moths in this region, providing effective geographical distribution data, ecological understanding and foundation for their conservation in the face of habitat degradation and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical lime plasters of World Heritage Site of Hampi were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), petrological microscope, granulometric analysis, X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The studies indicated presence of aragonite and vaterite, i.e., the polymorphs of calcite in the lime platers of Hampi. The crystallization of calcite has significantly been influenced by self-healing of lime due to wet and dry cycle in the presence of magnesium that promoted formation of calcite polymorphs. The increasing solubility of metastable calcite led to loss of plaster by water dissolution. Granulometric analysis revealed inclusion of sub-angular to sub-rounded medium-sized aggregate grains of granitic origin and the sediments were medium transported before its deposition in fluvial river basin. The cementation index and mineralogical composition point use of air lime/sub-hydraulic lime admixed with non-hydraulic components sourced differently for Hampi plaster. Petrological analysis confirmed the plaster rich in essential minerals like quartz, orthoclase, plagioclase, and other clay components. The presence of chlorite and cristobalite revealed from SEM studies may be resultant minerals from the river sand of Tungabhadra. The scientific studies yielded information about the mineralogical, micro-structural, and chemical composition of the Hampi plasters useful to tailor compatible lime plaster for future conservation works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Champaner-Pavagadh, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gujarat, is an interesting and unusual case study in how religion, culture, terrain, and climate interact in creating water systems that sustained large communities for 800 years between the eighth and sixteenth centuries. Water is central to Hindu worship rituals and at Pavagadh Hill, embodiment of the goddess Kalika, is symbolic of her nurturing aspects. The ornate water architecture of Champaner city at the foothill, inhabited by Muslims, celebrated water not for its symbolic value but for its sensual and utilitarian aspects. In 'water-intelligent' settlement planning at Champaner-Pavagadh, historic water catchment and conveyance systems ensured availability of water throughout the year. The article concludes with outlining the landscape approach to sustainable heritage landscape conservation within which water systems are restored and made functional, to serve the needs of local residents and pilgrims, and to enhance the legibility of this complex and layered site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration motivated by searching for a good life is usually associated with the privileged citizens of the Global North. This is even more apparent if we look at the intersections of migration and tourism. These are usually 'expatriates' from the Global North in the Global South who fulfill their quest running lifestyle oriented small tourism businesses. Meanwhile, migrants who originate from the Global South are imagined as homo economicus, motivated predominantly by better earning opportunities. I challenge this assumption by scrutinizing the informal tourism sector at the Hampi World Heritage site in India. The majority of small entrepreneurs in this sector are seasonal migrants. When asked about the reasons for choosing Hampi, they point at the category of shanti (i.e. tranquility), which they use to counter capitalist notions of profitability. I seek to answer the question of how 'tranquility' is defined by them and how this affects their migratory decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

National Parks worldwide are natural heritages visited by millions of tourists with varying length of stay depending on the level of uniqueness in terms of scientific, historical, aesthetic, economic, recreational or educational values. Manas and Kaziranga are two ecotourism destinations of India located in the state of Assam, widely acknowledged for their universal values by UNESCO as world heritage sites. This paper is an attempt to make a comparison between the status of tourism in these two protected areas from the stand point of visitor satisfaction and overall sustainability aspects. A symbiosis between geotourism and wildlife tourism is the central goal. The study evaluates the exemplarity of the landforms with a focus on the paradigm shift in tourism planning and management of national parks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time in the history of rhinoceros conservation in India, three rescued orphan greater one-horned rhino calves have been rehabilitated in an area that in the recent past was a good habitat for rhinos. The calves were rescued in Kaziranga National Park (NP) when they were about one to five months old when they were swept away by flood waters. The calves were hand reared and nursed at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC) with the aim of releasing them into their natural habitat. They were fed human baby formula until they reached two years of age, and then with concentrates and greens in paddocks in CWRC. At the age of about three years the calves were translocated to Manas NP, about 500 km away from Kaziranga, and placed in a pre-release area measuring 600 acres. This pre-release area is enclosed with an electric fence and the calves were free to roam and forage within it. After spending about two years in this area the calves were released into Manas NP. The calves were radio monitored for two years; they all survived and created their own home ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountains are one of the last refuges of biodiversity worldwide. As the global discourse on nature conservation becomes prominent within sustainability debates and local populations continue to be blamed for environmental destruction, projected territorial expansion of protected areas will likely lead to high levels of conflict and contestation around mountains of the world. At the same time, deeper penetration of transnational advocacy networks and wider connections of civil society will bring new tools of resistance to bear on this conflict. We propose that democracy plays an increasingly critical role in assisting local opposition to thwart new restrictions on access to natural areas prioritized for conservation. We illustrate this larger argument through the case of the Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA), recently designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Indian Himalayas. In their opposition to exclusion, local communities have employed heritage as a weapon, successfully marshaling the representation of the region as the “Valley of the Gods” and putting their cultural heritage to work against global conservation agendas. Tourism posters depicting the sacred geography of numerous local deities allow local communities to justify opposition to the conservation status that restricts access to their gods, while channeling their demands through elected representatives. The state navigates this complex territory between global and local heritage uneasily, primarily through a series of compromises at the local level. This article focuses on the ways in which mountain heritage—local and global, cultural and natural—is negotiated in the crucible of democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Ecology is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose – The Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India, set up the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) in March 2010 to provide guidelines for improved management within the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. The WGEEP's Mandate was to identify ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs). The Panel submitted their report in 2011 but it remained unimplemented. It was not clear whether the delay was due to the unwillingness of civil society to accept ambitious environment management plans, or whether the report had shortcomings. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – The authors undertook a critique of the WGEEP report and its Mandate, to evaluate key issues that could have prevented its implementation. Findings – The analysis indicated that the WGEEP Mandate was ill-defined and the WGEEP report identified ESAs without providing a working definition. The absence of critical review of earlier environment management failures, the delayed dialogue with civil society, the absence of legislative foundation upon which such a management plan could be implemented, and the vague definition of ESAs were possibly the reasons for the unease among various stakeholders. Originality/value – The paper stresses that in order for large-scale biodiversity management projects to succeed, it is important that first, the civil society understands the project's objective before its initiation, second stakeholders are formally involved alongside ecological experts and third, that methods are critically reviewed. The lack of acceptance of the report cannot be dismissed only as a rejection of enlightened practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the rock art sites in Bhimbetka area in the Raisen District of Madhya Pradesh, India. Topics covered include the presentation of the sites included in the World Heritage List in 2003, the management and conservation of the site to protect the ground from erosion, and the subject matter of the Bhimbetka rock art.

The heritage of Chandigarh, India is a complex subject. While widely acknowledged by academic and professional communities worldwide as a significant work of modernist architecture and urban design, Chandigarh's specific temporal, geographical and cultural contexts complicate efforts to get the city inscribed on United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization's World Heritage List. This article outlines the persistent attempts by both local and international organizations to achieve this inscription, efforts that have not yet been successful. Relying on historical scholarship and fieldwork, the authors reassess the value of Chandigarh's heritage both in terms of historical significance and contemporary planning. By addressing the complexity and scope of the design and planning process, embracing the inhabitation and appropriation of the city, and fostering an appreciation of modern architecture, Chandigarh can develop a more localized understanding of heritage – yet one that can be appreciated worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Microclimatic conditions constitute a critical factor in the conservation of cave paintings of Ajanta (2nd century BC to 4th century AD), a World Heritage Site in India. The monitoring campaigns carried in cave no. 2 of Ajanta include recording data for relative humidity, temperature, CO2 content at different locations inside the cave, and the impact of more than the recommended number of visitors on cave environ and noise level. The fluctuating hygrometric condition and thermal stability of cave no. 2 were compared to the most ancient cave no. 10 situated in the middle of the crescent-shaped scrap of basaltic hillock. The comparatively drastic environmental condition of cave no. 2 has caused severe problems of conservation of murals in the form of detachment of paint layer, falling of the white pigments, and formation of ridges, cracks and gaps in the painted plaster. The lower painted wall surface shows high humidity with increased conservation problems. The CO2 content is quite high in the central hall of the cave due to exhalation by visitors. The low permeability shellac varnishes applied in 1920 have hindered the breathability of the paint layer. The conservation measures carried out for stabilizing and scientific cleaning of the paintings have also been outlined here along with entomological studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between World Heritage Sites (WHSs) and local community development in Agra, India. We investigate two interrelated themes: the role of planning in developing the tourism potential of the Taj Mahal and other WHSs in Agra, and the impact of the WHS framework on the development of the city. We analyze the weaknesses of the institutions and agencies responsible for Agra's inability to convert the development potential created by its three WHSs into significant economic, community and infrastructure improvements. The Agra case reveals a set of developmental paradoxes, whereby the restructuring of the tourist industry induced by the designation of WHSs does not lead to proportionate advances in local community development. Several factors were found to be systemic problems, but some recent schemes are worth supporting and expanding. The paradoxes and potential of economic, tourism, and community development in Agra echo those of other developing localities which host WHSs around the world. Following an assessment of problems and challenges, a set of recommendations is directed toward the development of pro-poor, community-based heritage tourism with the aim of informing integrated planning for the community and for heritage and tourism resources in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In 2002 the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Bodhgaya was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. As the alleged site of Buddha's enlightenment it is one of the most revered and sanctified places for Buddhists around the world. This international designation has also set in motion a series of development proposals and heritage policies that seek to rehabilitate and recreate this centre of world Buddhism that provides glimpses of the land of enlightenment as it used to be in the times of the Buddha. Central to these initiatives are plans on behalf of the Bihar state tourism department to promote Brand Buddhism and spiritual tourism through the establishment of an 18 hole golf course and five-star hotels. These development proposals along with the recent UNESCO World Heritage designation have brought to the foreground the multiplicity of stakeholders in competition over the site's spiritual capital today. This paper will explore some of the contradictions and entanglements over Bodhgaya's present and uncertain future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ‘Vallée de Mai’ on the island of Praslin in the Seychelles group is a World Heritage Site because of its unique forest vegetation dominated by the palm Lodoicea maldivica. However, despite its great conservation importance, the stand structure, species diversity and regeneration of this forest have not previously been studied. Moreover, the conservation value of the reserve is currently threatened by invading alien plants and limited regeneration of some native species. The species composition of the forest was studied in six permanent plots (1985 and 1998) and along seven trail transects (1997). To explain potential variation in tree regeneration, the light climate within all plots was investigated using hemispherical photographs. The results reveal little change in forest structure, species diversity and regeneration in the permanent plots over the 13-year period, but some regeneration of most woody species, presence of some alien species and a relatively high species turnover. We found no significant influence of local light climate upon forest structure, species diversity or regeneration. Although the stand characteristics seem to be relatively stable, the permanent plots and transects should be monitored in order to detect future changes in stand structure and to optimize the protection of this unique forest reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on challenges and responses in cultural heritage planning and design in Champaner-Pavagadh, Gujarat, India. It received the World Heritage status in 2004. The site is immense, spreading over six square kilometres, and covers the partially buried fifteenth century Islamic capital city of Champaner and the sacred hill, Pavagadh, a regional pilgrim center to the Hindus. Its religious importance caters to the heavy pilgrim traffic. The presence of local communities and short visits by over two million pilgrims to the hill annually adds a significant dimension in cultural heritage planning. While Champaner is the preserve of archaeologists and historians, Pavagadh is of interest primarily to cultural geographers and religious historians. Islamic Champaner and Hindu/Jain Pavagadh can be seen in oppositional terms, interests of tourists conflicting with those of pilgrims, and those of preservationists with forces of development. However, the complex web of relationships, both man-made and ecological, tie the site together into a whole. At present, the archaeological remains of Pavagadh and Champaner remain neglected and off the beaten track of pilgrims whose knowledge of the past is derived from timeless mythology. About 35 standing monuments are currently protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, 20 on the hill and 15 below in plains.

Elephanta Island lies within a large natural harbour 7 km east of Mumbai, India, and is the site of several cave temples devoted to the Hindu deity Siva dated 4th to 9th century AD. The number, scale and quality of the bas-reliefs and sculptures within the temples, together with their uniqueness and setting, secured inscription as a World Heritage (Cultural) Site in 1987. Otherwise, the silvan nature of the island contrasts vividly with the densely populated city nearby that is largely bereft of urban greenspace. Could conservation measures for the cave temples have incidental benefit for the natural environments of the island, providing an economical means of securing a natural conservation area for Mumbai inhabitants? Exploring this apparently simple question revealed a complex situation necessitating consideration of issues well beyond the techniques of either cultural or nature conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the Khangchendzonga National Park (KNP) in Sikkim, India has been named as the 35th World Heritage Site by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee. Topics discussed include the cultural and natural heritage criteria met by the park to be named as heritage site, the criteria for cultural preservation and biodiversity conservation, and park's biological and cultural landscape.