The natural heritage of Varkala in Kerala has been added to the UNESCO Tentative List of World Heritage Sites, along with six other remarkable natural sites from across India. This inclusion highlights India’s continued efforts in preserving its rich and diverse natural and cultural legacy.

The announcement was made by the Permanent Delegation of India to UNESCO, which confirmed that a total of seven new properties have been added to the Tentative List under the Natural category. These include:

  1. Deccan Traps at Panchgani and Mahabaleshwar (Maharashtra)
  2. Geological Heritage of St Mary's Island Cluster (Udupi, Karnataka)
  3. Meghalayan Age Caves (East Khasi Hills, Meghalaya)
  4. Naga Hill Ophiolite (Kiphire, Nagaland)
  5. Erra Matti Dibbalu (Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh)
  6. Tirumala Hills (Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh)
  7. Natural Heritage of Varkala (Kerala)

Among these, Varkala’s coastal cliffs and unique geological formations have earned special recognition for their ecological, scientific, and cultural significance. The site is known not only for its natural beauty but also for its rare sedimentary structures that date back millions of years.

With these additions, India now has 69 properties on UNESCO’s Tentative List: comprising 49 cultural, 3 mixed and 17 natural heritage sites.

Being on the Tentative List is an essential step before a property can be nominated for the World Heritage List.