1971, UNESCO 25th Anniversary
India, one of the founding members of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), issued this commemorative stamp on the organisation’s 25th anniversary in 1971. The stamp depicts a famous mural of the Bodhisattva in the Ajanta Caves complex, which in 1971 underwent a restoration project supported by UNESCO. The Ajanta Caves complex became India’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
UNESCO was founded to develop the “intellectual and moral solidarity of mankind” as a means of building lasting peace. The core purpose of UNESCO’s programme is to achieve education for all, in its broadest sense, and to preserve the cultural heritage of humanity. As of July 2025, UNESCO had recognised 44 World Heritage Sites in India.
Ajanta Caves. Photo: Ministry of Tourism
The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta date from the 2nd and 1st Centuries BC. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence.
UNESCO inscribes World Heritage Sites under the framework of UNESCO’s 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO on 16 November 1972.
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