india

Updated: Jul 16, 2017 08:32 IST

Gujarat’s Ahmedabad has become India’s first World Heritage City after the Unesco’s World Heritage Committee included it in its list at a meeting at Krakow in Poland on Saturday.

Following Unesco’s announcement, Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani tweeted, “Thrilled to learn that Ahmedabad has been recognised as a UNESCO #WorldHeritage city, first of its kind in India.”

Thrilled to learn that Ahmedabad has been recognised as a UNESCO #WorldHeritage city, first of its kind in India. https://t.co/cU5dkmumnK — Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) July 8, 2017

Ahmedabad, which was established in the 11th century, has 36 structures protected by the Archaeological Survey of India, as well as hundreds of pols (societies built with ancient architecture) that capture the essence of community living.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has a heritage cell to implement a revitalisation programme for historic sites.

According to reports, Ahmedabad was one of three cities, along with national capital Delhi and Mumbai, which were shortlisted for the title and the Union culture ministry chose it as the nation’s official entry in January 2016.

The World Heritage Committee in June had deferred India’s nomination, saying some vital elements were missing from the dossier. The AMC asked for a review of the case, which was considered.