Cyclopean Wall listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site

Context

  • Bihar government has sent a fresh proposal to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to get Cyclopean wall, a more than 2,500 years old structure at Rajgir, listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

About Cyclopean Wall

  • The Cyclopean Wall of Rajgir is a 40 km long wall of stone which encircled the ancient city of Rajgir to protect it from external enemies and invaders, built before 3rd century BC.
  • The 40-km long Cyclopean Wall of Rajgir is believed to have been built in the pre-Mauryan era, using massive undressed stones.

    Cyclopean Wall
    Source: Wikipedia
  • It is believed that the Cyclopean Wall at Rajgir is similar to “Frontiers of the Roman Empire” that runs through Germany, UK and Northern Ireland, which was included on UNESCO’s world heritage list in 1987.
  • It was erected by the rulers of the Brihadratha (rawani) Dynasty using massive undressed stones. The walls are also mentioned in Buddhist works.
  • The wall is a type of stonework built with massive limestone boulders, roughly filled together with minimal clearance between adjacent stones and no use of mortar. Bihar is the home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and quite a few sites on the tentative list.
    • Nalanda University is one of the two UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bihar and was listed in 2002.
    • It is listed as the Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara at Nalanda, Bihar in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India list.
    • Another ancient monument in the state that has been included in UNESCO World Heritage Site list, is Mahabodhi temple of Bodhygaya.

Reference:

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/patna/bihar-unesco-heritage-tag-cyclopean-wall-7871141/


Visit Abhiyan PEDIA (One of the Most Followed / Recommended) for UPSC Revisions: Click Here


IAS Abhiyan is now on Telegram: Click on the Below link to Join our Channels to stay Updated 

IAS Abhiyan Official: Click Here to Join

For UPSC Mains Value Edition (Facts, Quotes, Best Practices, Case Studies): Click Here to Join

Leave a Reply