Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple bags UNESCO award

01 November, Srirangam

The world-renowned Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple, considered as the first and foremost among 108 “Divyadesams” (Lord Vishnu temples) here has bagged an award from the prestigious United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) for conserving Cultural Heritage.

Quoting a communiqu received from the UNESCO, the temple authorities said on Wednesday that Sri Ranganatha Swamy temple is the only religious centre in South India to bag the award this year and also got another distinction of being the first temple in Tamil Nadu to get an award from the UNESCO.

Of the 43 applications from ten countries for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation 2017, Mumbai’s Christ Church and Royal Bombay Opera House were the other monuments in India that received the Award of Merit this year from UNESCO.

The temple got the UNESCO recognition for the beautification and renovation work taken up at a cost of Rs 20 crore, prior to its “Maha Samprokshanam” (consecration) in 2015, without affecting its centuries’ old heritage.