Tilaurakot nominated for UNESCO World Heritage Site status

KATHMANDU, June 9: The Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) has prepared and submitted the final nomination document for enlisting Tilaurakot, Kapilvastu in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Tilaurakot is recognized as the capital city of the ancient Shakya kingdom by many scholars. It is situated 29 kilometers west of Lumbini, the birthplace of Lord Buddha. 

Tilaurakot was rediscovered in 1899 by P.C. Mukherji where Prince Siddhartha spent his early life.  UNESCO had put the archaeological site-Tilaurakot- in the list of possible world heritage sites in 1996.

The process to enlist the archeological site to the World Heritage Site was taken forward in accordance with the government's annual policies and plans for the last and current fiscal year, according to Sanuraja Shakya, member-secretary of the LDT.

Nepal’s Ambassador to France, Sudheer Bhattarai, also Nepal's Permanent Representative to UNESCO, last year handed over the nomination document to the representative of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

A team of UNESCO is arriving in Nepal in August for on-site study of the strategic nomination document, the LDT said. 

Member-Secretary Shakya expressed his confidence that Tilaurakot would be enlisted in the World Heritage Sites by November. 

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