Positive signals have come out from the three-day trip of Sri Lankan archaeologist Prof Jagath Weerasinghe, en expert with the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to Majuli. He had been there for technical evaluation of the parameters on the basis of which the largest inhabited river island in the world is seeking the UNESCO’s coveted world heritage site title.

Prof Jagath Weerasinghe, an archaeologist with the Colombo based University of Kelaniya, was in Majuli for three days during which he toured the island and interacted with officials and representatives of various NGOs. He will submit his report at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

This is te first time in India that a living area has been nominated for world heritage site status as a cultural landscape. All previous Indian nominees for world heritage site tag were natural wonders like Kaziranga and Manas of historical monuments like Taj Mahal or the Red Fort. Majuli’s nomination is path breaking because it embodies not just natural beauty of historical splendour but also living traditions. Surrounded by rive Brahmaputra, which has been both its friend and foe, the island is the hub of Vaishnavite traditions started by reformer Saint Srimanta Sankardeva. Majuli now has 30 Xatras and 243 villages spread across 875 sq. km.

The Sri Lankan is understood to have been impressed by the cultural mosaic of Majuli. During his stay Prof Weerasinghe visited the Xatras and various ethnic villages in the river island. It is learnt that all sections of the society in the river island unanimously voiced their desire for inclusion in the heritage list before the ICOMOS expert.

Based on the assessment made by Prof Weerasinghe, the UNESCO will send its own team to Majuli at a later date to consider the river islands claim to the heritage tag. If the signals immediately coming out of Weerasinghe’s visit are any pointer, then it seems that day is not far off when this wonderful natural wonder will deservedly be a world heritage site. Entire country is now waiting eagerly to know the report of Sri Lankan archaeologist.

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