Mumbai hits big this time, clinches 3 awards at UNESCO conservation awards

has a big reason to cheer up as three of its prominent landmarks won prestigious UNESCO awards. In a major development, the landmarks have won this year’s UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation, and the lucky entries are Flora Fountain, Gloria Church at Byculla, and Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue at Kala Ghoda.

These three landmarks from the country’s financial capital are among the four sites that have been chosen from India. The awards were announced at a ceremony held in Penang, Malaysia.
In fact, out of the four winners from India, one is from Ahmedabad, the Award of Distinction for Vikram Sarabhai Library, Indian Institute of Management (IIM). The three names from Mumbai received Award of Merit for Keneseth Eliyahoo Synagogue and Our Lady of Glory Church and the Honourable Mention for Flora Fountain.
The UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation programme recognises the efforts of private individuals and organisations that have been successful in conserving and restoring the buildings and structures of heritage value in the region.
While announcing the awards, the UNESCO stated that by recognizing private efforts to restore and adapt historic properties, the awards aim to encourage other property owners to undertake conservation projects within their communities, either independently or by seeking public-private partnerships.

Also, 16 projects from five countries, i.e., Bhutan, Australia, India, China, and New Zealand have been recognised by the international jury of conservation experts in this year’s awards. The jury met to review 57 entries in August from 14 countries across the Asia-Pacific region.