Delhi, Ahmedabad to jostle for world heritage city spot

Giving Ahmedabad tough competition in the race for nomination to UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage City (WHC) status for Delhi, chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said the government would submit its application for the same next week.

Giving Ahmedabad tough competition in the race for nomination to UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage City (WHC) status for Delhi, chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday said the government would submit its application for the same next week.

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"We are not competing with Ahmedabad, but we will certainly win. Delhi has got the kind of monuments no other city has. We will definitely put up the application for the WHC status," Dikshit said after unveiling a catalogue called 'Delhi: A Living Heritage'.

The catalogue has been brought out by the Indian National Trust for Arts and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). Observing that "modern Delhi should exist with heritage Delhi," Dikshit assured considering shifting the INTACH exhibition permanently to the Dara Shikoh library at Kashmere Gate.

She also promised that there would be no dearth of funds for heritage conservation.

Speaking about the catalogue, INTACH's Delhi chapter convenor AGK Menon said, "Quite often, heritage is seen as a negative component in a city's development. This catalogue tries to show how heritage can add value to a city."

Lavishly illustrated with over 300 archival images, photographs and architectural drawings, the catalogue showcases Delhi’s vast heritage, with contributions by eminent persons writing on different subjects.