Ending years of limbo, Visva Bharati University, located in Shantiniketan, West Bengal, is set to become the world's first living heritage university to receive the UNESCO World Heritage tag.

The university, founded by Rabindranath Tagore in 1921, has been recommended for inscription to the World Heritage List by ICMOS (the advisory body to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre), Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy announced via a tweet.

The Visva-Bharati Society was registered as an organisation in May 1922, and Tagore donated some of his property, including land and a bungalow, to the society.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the nodal committee to submit the nominations for the aforementioned list. The final announcement is expected to be made in September at a World Heritage meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

If accepted, Tagore ‘abode of peace’ will become the 41st world heritage site and Bengal’s third. Earlier, Darjeeling Himalayan Railways and the Sunderbans made it to the prestigious list.

Visva Bharati University has a rich cultural heritage and is known for its unique blend of modern education and traditional Indian values. It has been a center of excellence in the fields of art, literature, music, and philosophy for over a century with open-air classes still conducted under trees. The university has produced many eminent personalities, including Nobel laureates, writers, artists, and musicians.

The university has been working towards getting the UNESCO World Heritage tag for many years, with the first dossier prepared in 2009. The first submission, however, was made in 2021.

It has taken several measures to preserve its heritage, including the restoration of its historic buildings and the promotion of traditional Indian art and culture. The university has also been working on several research projects to document and preserve India's cultural heritage.

Students and teachers expressed elation on receiving the news, “This is a great moment for us to revel in. This is elevating the essence of the cultural treasure the university already is,” said Professor Kishore Bhattacharya.

“It is a proud moment for us. If granted, we will be part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site,” said Debrati Batal, a student of the varsity.