document_title: List of World Heritage Sites in India

question_text: states of india is located a tiger reserve which is also a world heritage site

text: List of World Heritage Sites in India

text: Location of Heritage sites[edit]

text:
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text: List of Heritage sites[edit]

text: Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was listed as being danger (since 1992),but removed in 2011 following significant improvements.[1] Hampi was added to the danger list in 1999, but removed in 2006 following successful conservation efforts.[2][3]

text:
Sr.
No.

Name
Image
Region
Period
UNESCO data
Description

01
Kaziranga

Assam, India
01520th century
0337 !337; 1985; ix, x
Kaziranga, located in the Northeastern state of Assam in the flood plains of the Brahmaputra River’s south bank, was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 for its unique natural environment. It was first established as a reserved forest in 1908 to protect the dwindling species of rhinoceros. It underwent several transformations over the years, as The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary in 1916, renamed Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950, and declared a national park in 1974. The park, which covers an area of 42,996 hectares (106,250 acres), has the distinction of being home to the largest population of the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. There are many other mammals and birds species in the sanctuary.[4][5][6]

02
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam

Assam, India
01520th century
0338 !338; 1985; vii, ix, x
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the northeastern state of Assam covers an area of 50,000 hectares (120,000 acres) in the plains of the Manas River in the foot hills of the Himalayas, on the border with Bhutan (contiguous with the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan). It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 for its unique natural environment. The sanctuary is the habitat of several species of plants, 21 most-threatened species of mammals (out of 55 mammal species in the sanctuary), 36 reptile species, 3 amphibians and 350 species of birds. Endangered species include tiger, pygmy hog, clouded leopard, sloth bear, Indian rhinoceros, wild buffaloes (the only pure strain of buffalo in India), Indian elephants, golden langur and Bengal florican. In 1907, it was declared a reserve forest, was declared a sanctuary in 1928, and became a tiger reserve in 1973 as part of "Project Tiger" and a World Heritage Site in December 1985. Plants listed under the broad category of Burma Monsoon Forests include 285 species of Dicotyledons and 98 species of Monocotyledons. Since 1992, the sanctuary was listed under "The World Heritage in Danger"|,[7][8][9] but removed in 2011 after significant conservation efforts.

03
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar

Bihar, India
015 3rd century BC, 5th and 6th century AD and 19th century
1056rev !1056 rev; 2002; i,ii, iii, iv, vi
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (Buddha Gaya), spread over an area of 4.86 hectares (12.0 acres) was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List i as a unique property of cultural and archaeological importance. The first temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC (260 BC) around the Bodhi Tree Ficus religiosa (to the west of the temple). However, the temples seen now are dated between 5th and 6th centuries AD. The structures have been built in bricks. Revered and sanctified as the place where Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was enlightened in 531 BC at age 35, and then propagated his divine knowledge of Buddhism to the world, it has been the ultimate temple for reverential worship, over the last several centuries, by Buddhists of all denominations, from all over the world who visit on pilgrimage. The main temple is 50 m in height, built in Indian architectural style, dated between 5th and 6th centuries, and it is the oldest temple in the Indian sub-continent built during the "Golden Age" of Indian culture credited to the Gupta period. Sculpted balustrades of the Ashokan times (3rd century BC) are preserved in the Archaeological Museum located within the temple complex.[10][11]

04
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi

Delhi, India
015 1572
232 ! 232, 1993, (ii), (iv)
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, the first tomb built with several innovations, set at the centre of luxurious gardens with water channels, was the precursor monument to the Taj Mahal (built a century later). It was built in 1570 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Monument in 1993 for its cultural importance. It was built in 1569–1570 by the second Mughal Emperor Humayun’s widow Biga Begum (Hajji Begum). Its architecture is credited to Mirza Ghiyath and its Mughal architectural style has been acclaimed as the "necropolis of the Mughal dynasty" for its double domed elevation provided with Chhatris. Apart from the tomb of Humayun, the funerary also has 150 tombs of various members of the royal family. The tomb is built with a char-bagh (fourfold) layout with two gates, one on the south and the other on the west. It has a number of water channels, a pavilion and a bath. The tomb set on an irregular octagonal plinth has a raised dome of 42.5 m height, covered by marble slabs and decorated with chhatris.[12][13]

05
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi

Delhi, India
015 Late 12th century
233 ! 233, 1993, (iv)
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi, located to the south of Delhi, is a complex with the Qutb Minar as the centre piece, which is a red sandstone tower of 72.5 metres (238 ft) height with a base of 14.32 metres (47.0 ft) reducing to 2.75 metres (9.0 ft) diameter at the top. Built in the beginning of the 13th century, the complex of structures comprises itineraries, the Alai Darwaza Gate (1311), the Alai Minar (an incomplete mound of the intended Minar or tower), the Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque (the earliest existing mosque in India), the tomb of Iltumish, and an Iron Pillar. The complex is a testimony to the Islamic depredations during the period as seen from the materials used for building the complex which are those that were removed after destroying Hindu and Jain temples; a shining iron pillar of 7.02 metres (23.0 ft) height (without any trace of rusting) erected at the centre of the complex, with inscriptions in Sanskrit, of the Chandra Gupta II period is a moot witness. History records its construction, initially by Qutubuddin Aibak in 1192, its completion by Iltumish (1211–36) and again by Alauddin Khalji (1296–1316). It underwent several renovations by subsequent rulers, following damage to the structures due to lightning. It was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List under category iv for its unique representation of the Islamic architectural and artistic excellence.[14][15]

06
Red Fort Complex

Delhi, India
0151648
231rev ! 231rev, 2007, (ii), (iii), (vi)
Red Fort Complex, also known as Lal Qila is a palace fort built in the 17th century by Shahjahan (1628–58), the fifth Mughal emperor as part of his new capital city of Shahjahanabad. located to the north of Delhi. It represents the glory of the Mughal rule and is considered the Highpoint of Mughal architectural, artistic aesthetic creativity. The architectural design of the structures built within the fort represents a blend of Persian, Timuri and Indian architectural styles; Isfahan, the Persian Capital is said to have provided the inspiration to build the Red Fort Complex. The planning and design of this complex, in a geometrical grid plan with pavilion structures, was the precursor of several monuments which were built later in Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and other places. The palace complex has been fortified by an enclosure wall built with red sand stone (hence the name Red Fort). It is adjacent to the Salimgarh Fort on its north built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546 and is now part of the Red Fort Complex (area covered 120 acres) under the revised inscription of the UNESCO World Heritage List under categories (i),(ii), (iii) and (vi). Built between 1639 and 1648, enclosing an area of size 656 metres (2,152 ft)x328 metres (1,076 ft) and raising to a height of 23 metres (75 ft) on the right bank of the Yamuna River, it is linked to the Salimgarh Fort through a bridge over an old river channel, now a city road. The palace within the fort complex, located behind the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), comprises a series of richly engraved marble palace pavilions, interconnected by water channels called the ‘Nehr-i-Behishit’ meaning the "Stream of Paradise", the Diwane-i-khas (Private audience hall), several other essential private structures, and also the Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque built by Emperor Aurangzeb).[16][17]

07
Churches and Convents of Goa

Velha Goa (Old Goa), Goa, India
015 16th and 18th centuries
234 !234; 1986; (ii)(iv)(vi)
Churches and Convents of Goa are monuments inscribed by UNESCO under the World Heritage List in 1986 as cultural property, under criteria (ii),(iv) and (vi), which were built by the Portuguese colonial rulers of Goa between 16th and 18th centuries. These monuments are mainly in the former capital of Velha Goa. Velha Goa is also known Goem, Pornem Gõy, Adlem Gõi, Old Goa or Saibachem Gõi, where Saib or Goencho Saib refers to Saint Francis Xavier. The most significant of these monuments is the Basilica of Bom Jesus, which enshrines the tomb containing the relics of St. Francis Xavier. These monuments of Goa, known as the "Rome of the Orient," were established by different Catholic religious orders, from 25 November 1510 onwards. There were originally 60 churches of which some of the surviving monuments in the city of Velha Goa are the Saint Catherine's Chapel (where one of the first, probably only besides the Angediva Island, Latin rite mass in Asia, was held on Saint Catherine's feast day- i.e. 25 November 1510), the Church and Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi, the Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Jesuit Borea Jezuchi Bajilika or Basílica do Bom Jesus, Igreja de São Francisco de Assis (also known as Asisachea Sanv Fransiskachi Igorz), the Theatine Igreja da Divina Providência (São Caetano) (also known as San Kaitanachi Igorz or the church of Saint Cajetan and its seminary (resembles Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário (also known as Ruzai Saibinnichi Igorz (Church of Our Lady of the Rosary)) and Igreja de Santo Agostinho (also known as Sanv Agustineachi Igorz (Church of Saint Augustine) (only the belfry stands today and some graves, including the Georgian Orthodox Church Saint, Saint Ketevan, who was also a queen). These monuments were forerunners in establishing an ensemble of the Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque art forms in the Asian region. The monuments are built in laterites and walls plastered with limestone mortar mixed with broken shells. For this reason, the monuments need constant maintenance to prevent deterioration due to monsoon climatic conditions, and thus keep them in good shape.[18][19]

08
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat

Gujarat, India
015Prehistoric and 8th to 14th centuries
1104 !1101; 2004; iii, iv, v, vi
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is situated in Panchmahal district in Gujarat, India. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 as a cultural site. There is a concentration of largely unexcavated archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage properties cradled in an impressive landscape which includes prehistoric (chalcolithic) sites, a hill fortress of an early Hindu capital, and remains of the 16th-century capital of the state of Gujarat. The site also includes, among other vestiges, fortifications, palaces, religious buildings, residential precincts, agricultural structures and water installations, from the 8th to the 14th centuries. The Kalikamata Temple & Jain Temple on top of the Pavagadh Hill is considered to be an important shrine, attracting large numbers of pilgrims throughout the year. The site is the only complete and unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city.[20][21]

09
Group of Monuments at Hampi

Ballari district, Karnataka, India
01514th and 16th centuries
241  !241 ; 1986; (i)(iii)(iv)
The Group of Monuments at Hampi comprise a sombre but ostentatious Hampi town, on the banks of the river Tungabhadra in Karnataka. Hampi subsumes the ruins of Vijayanagara, which was the former capital of the powerful Vijayanagara Empire. Dravidian temples and palaces abound in Hampi. These won the admiration of travellers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Hampi, as an important Hindu & Jain religious centre, has the Virupaksha Temple (different from Pattadakal's Virupaksha Temple) and several other monuments, which are part of the cultural heritage site inscribed under category (i), (iii) and (iv) in the UNESCO World Heritage List.[22][23]

10
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal

Bagalkot District, Karnataka, India
015 8th century
239 ! 239 ; 1987; (iii)(iv)
The Group of monuments in Pattadakal designated under UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1987, cover a remarkable series of nine Hindu temples, as well as a Jain sanctuary in northern Karnataka. In this group of temples, the Virupaksha Temple, built c. 740 by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her husband's (King Vikramaditya II) victory over the Pallava kings from the south, is considered the most outstanding architectural edifice (This is different from the Virupaksha Temple at Hampi.) These are a remarkable combination of temples built by the Chalukya Dynasty in the 6th to 8th century at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal, the latter city was known as the "Crown Rubies". The temples represent a remarkable fusion of the architectural features of northern (Nagara) and southern (dravida) India. Pattadakal is considered a Hindu holy city and within the heritage complex are eight temples dedicated to Shiva, a ninth shaivite sanctuary called the Papanatha Temple, and a Jain Narayana temple.[24][25]

11
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, India
0152nd and 1st centuries BC to the 12th century AD
0524 !524; 1989; (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(vi)
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, located 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Bhopal in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh are a group of Buddhist monuments dated between 200 BC and 100 BC. The site, however, has been conjectured to have been developed in the 3rd century BC, when Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire ruled. The principal monument is Stupa 1 dated to the 2nd century and 1st century BC. These Buddhist sanctuaries were active Buddhist religious monuments, which flourished till the 12th century. The sanctuary has a plethora of monolithic pillars, palaces, temples and monasteries in different status of preservation. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on January 24, 1989 for its unique cultural importance. It was discovered only in 1818 in a deserted state of preservation. Archaeological excavations undertaken thereafter revealed 50 unique monuments.[26][27][28]

12
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, India
01530,000 years
0925 !925; 2003; (iii) (v)
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka described in the UNESCO Inscription as "the site complex … a magnificent repository of rock paintings within natural rock shelters" is located in the foothills of the Vindhya range of hills in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. It is spread in sandstone formations extending over an area of 1893 ha with a buffer zone 10,280 hectares (25,400 acres). The rock shelters, discovered only in 1957, comprise a group of "five clusters of rock shelters" with paintings that are inferred to date from the "Mesolithic period right through to the Historical period", with the 21 villages surrounding them reflecting the traditions displayed in the rock paintings. The unique rock art has been discovered in 400 painted shelters spread over an area of 1,892 ha amidst dense forest with high diversity of flora and fauna, with some of the shelters dated from 100,000 BC (Late Acheulian) to 1000 AD. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003 as a unique cultural property representing a convergence displayed in the art form between the people and the landscape with links to the hunting gathering economy of the past.[27][29][30]

13
Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, India
015 950 AD to 1050 AD
0240 !240; 1986; (i) (iii)
Khajuraho Group of Monuments attributed to the Chandela dynasty which, under sovereignty of Gurjar Pratihars reached its glory. The ensemble of monuments that have survived belong to the Hindu and Jain Religious practices with striking fusion of sculpture and architecture; the best example of this outstanding feature is seen in the Kandariya Temple. Of the 85 temples built, only 22 temples have survived in an area of 6 km2, which represents the Chandela period of the 10th century. Located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, it was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, a cultural property on October 15, 1982 for its unique original artistic creation and proof of the Chandela Culture that existed prior to the Muslim invasion of India in the early 12th century.[31][32]

14
Ajanta Caves

Maharashtra, India
015 2nd century BC to the 6th century
242 !242; 1983; i, ii, iii, vi
Ajanta Caves listed under UNESCO World Heritage as a cultural heritage site, are Buddhist caves that were built in two phases, the first phase was from the 2nd century BC. In the second phase, further additions were made during the 5th and 6th centuries AD of the Gupta period. The caves depict richly decorated paintings, frescoes, which are reminiscent of the Sigiriya paintings in Sri Lanka and sculptures. As a whole, there are 31 rock-cut cave monuments which are unique representations of the religious art of Buddhism.[33][34][35]

15
Ellora Caves

Maharashtra, India
015 600 to 1000 AD
243 !243; 1983; (i)(iii)(vi)
Ellora Caves also known as Ellora Complex are a cultural mix of religious arts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. These are 34 monasteries and temples sculpted contiguously into rock walls of a high basalt cliff, which are seen along a length of 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). Dated to 600 to 1000 AD, they are a reflection of artistic creation of the ancient civilization of India. This cultural property has been inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List.[36][37]

16
Elephanta Caves

Maharashtra, India
015 5th to 8th centuries
244rev !244rev; 1987; (i)(iii)
The Elephanta Caves are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally "the city of caves") in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the east of the city of Mumbai. The island, located on an arm of the Arabian Sea, consists of two groups of caves — the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The Hindu caves contain rock cut stone sculptures, representing the Shaiva Hindu sect, dedicated to the god Shiva. The rock-cut architecture of the caves is dated to between the 5th and 8th centuries, although the identity of the original builders is still a subject of debate. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. Renovated in the 1970s, the caves were designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 to preserve the artwork.[38][39]

17
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus)

Maharashtra, India
015 1887–1888
945rev !945rev; 2004; (ii)(iv)
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus is a historic railway station in Mumbai, which serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways. It is one of the busiest railway stations in India, and serves Central Railway trains terminating in Mumbai as well as the Mumbai Suburban Railway. The station was designed by Frederick William Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887–1888. It took ten years to complete and was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the Queen and Empress Victoria; it was opened on the date of her Golden Jubilee in 1887. This famous architectural landmark in Gothic style was built as the headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. In 1996, in response to demands by the Shiv Sena and in keeping with the policy of renaming locations with Indian names, the station was renamed by the state government after Chatrapati Shivaji, the famed 17th-century Maratha king. On 2 July 2004, the station was nominated as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.[40][41]

18
Sun Temple, Konârak

Puri District, Odisha, India
01513th-century
246 ! 246; 1984;(i)(iii)(vi)
Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the "Black Pagoda"), at Konark, in Odisha. Located on the east coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Mahanadi Delta, it is built in the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the sun god with 24 wheels, and is heavily decorated with symbolic stone carvings and led by a team of six horses. It was constructed from oxidizing weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is one of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site inscribed in 1984 as cultural property under categories (i), (iii) and (vi).[42][43]

19
Keoladeo National Park

Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India
015 1981
340 !340; 1985; (x)
Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur is located within the Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest Biogeographical Province. It extends over an area of 2,783 hectares (6,880 acres). It was declared a national park in 1982. Earlier to this, in 1900, it was a duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajasof Bharatpur, then became a bird sanctuary in 1956, with the Maharajas exercising shooting rights till 1972, and was recorded as a Ramsar Wetland site, in 1981. It was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 under category (x), as a natural property. The area of the wetland of the park shrinks to 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) during most part of the year. It has a human-built environment created partly by embankments dividing the area into 10 units, and has sluice controlled arrangement to maintain the water level. It is famous for 364 species of wintering birds that flock in large numbers, arriving from distant countries of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. It is surrounded by 17 villages and the Bharatpur city.[44][45]

20
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
015 1727 and 1734
1338 !1338; 2010; (iii)(iv)
The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (King) Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It is modelled after the one that he had built at the Mughal capital of Delhi. He had constructed a total of five such facilities at different locations, including the ones at Delhi and Jaipur. The Jaipur observatory is the largest and best preserved of these and has a set of some 20 main fixed instruments built in masonry. It has been inscribed as cultural property on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period."[46][47]

21
Great Living Chola Temples

Brihadeeswarar temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Tamil Nadu, India
01511th and 12th century
250bis !250bis; 1987; (ii)(iii)
The Great Living Chola Temples, built by kings of the Chola Empire stretched over all of Tamil Nadu. This cultural heritage site includes three great temples of 11th and 12th centuries namely, the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholisvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. The Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram, built by Rajendra I, was completed in 1035. Its 53 metres (174 ft) vimana (sanctum tower) has recessed corners and a graceful upward curving movement, contrasting with the straight and severe tower at Thanjavur. The Airavatesvara temple complex, built by Rajaraja II, at Darasuram features a 24 metres (79 ft) vimana and a stone image of Shiva. The temples testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting. The site was inscribed under UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 as Cultural heritage under criteria (ii) and (iii).[48][49]

Airavateshwarar Temple, Darasuram, Tamil Nadu, India

Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India

22
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu, India
0157th and 8th centuries
249 !249; 1984; (i)(ii)(iii)(vi)
The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, in Tamil Nadu, about 58 km from Chennai, were built by the Pallava kings in the 7th and 8th centuries. The town is said to have gained prominence under the rule of Mamalla. These monuments have been carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast. The temple town has approximately forty monuments, including the largest open-air bas-relief in the world. It was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984 as a cultural heritage under categories (i)(ii)(iii)(vi). The monuments inscribed are the Ratha Temples: Temples in the form of chariots, Mandapas, 11 Cave sanctuaries covered with bas-reliefs, rock relief of Descent of the Ganges, which is the largest open air Rock relief also known as Arjuna's Penance or Bhagiratha's Penance.[50][51]

23
Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh, India
015 16th century
251 !251; 1983; iii
Agra Fort, also known as the Red Fort of Agra, which represented Mughal opulence and power as the centre piece of their empire was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982, under Category iii as a cultural monument. The fortress located on the right bank of the Yamuna River, built in red sandstone, covering a length of 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) and surrounded by a moat, encloses several palaces, towers and mosques. These were built from the 16th century onwards till the early 18th century, starting with Emperor Akbar's reign in the 16th century to that of Aurangzeb in the early part of the 18th century, including the contributions made during the reign of Jahangir and Shahjahan of the Moghul Rule in India; the impressive structures built within the precincts of the fort are the Khas Mahal, the Shish Mahal, Muhamman Burje (an octagonal tower), Diwan-i-Khas (1637), Diwan-i-Am, white marble mosque or the Pearl Mosque (built during 1646–1653) and the Nagina Masjid (1658–1707). These monuments are remarkable for the fusion of Persian art of the Timurid and the Indian art form. It is very close to the famous Taj Mahal with a buffer zone separating the two monuments.[52][53]

24
Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh, India
015 16th century
255 !255; 1986; ii,iii,iv
Fatehpur Sikri, "the City of Victory," was built during the second half of the 16th century by the Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556–1605). It was the capital of the Empire and seat of the grand Mughal court, but only for 14 years. Despite bearing exceptional testimony to the Mughal civilization at the end of the 16th century, it had to be abandoned due to the twin reasons of lack of water and unrest in north-west India, leading the emperor to shift the capital to Lahore. Akbar decided to construct it in 1571, on the same site where the birth of his son, the future Emperor Jahangir, was predicted by the wise saint Shaikh Salim Chisti (1480–1572). The work, supervised by the great Mughal himself, was completed in 1573. The complex of monuments and temples, all uniformly in Mughal architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid, the Buland Darwaza, the Panch Mahal, and the Tomb of Salim Chishti. The English traveller Ralph Fitch considered the city in 1585 as 'considerably larger than London and more populous.' Its form and layout strongly influenced the evolution of Indian town planning, notably at Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi). The city has numerous other palaces, public buildings and mosques, as well as living areas for the court, the army, servants of the king and for an entire population whose history has not been recorded.[54][55]

25
Taj Mahal, Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh, India
015 17th century
251 !252; 1983;i
Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World is a mausoleum – a funerary mosque. It was built by Emperor Shahjahan in memory of his third wife Begum Mumtaz Mahal who had died in 1631. It is a large edifice made in white marble in typical Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles. This much acclaimed masterpiece was built over a 16-year period between 1631 and 1648 under the Chief Architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri supported by several thousand artisans under the guidance of an Imperial Committee. It was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983, under Category i, as a cultural property/monument. It is set amidst vast Mughal Gardens, which cover 17 hectares (42 acres) of land on the right bank of the Yamuna River. It has an octagonal layout marked by four exclusive minarets at four corners with a pristine elevation of a central bulbous dome below which the tombs are laid in an underground chamber. Calligraphic inscriptions in-crusted in polychromatic pierra dura, decorative bands and floral arabesques glorify the monument's graphic beauty and provide a picture perfect impression to the viewers.[56][57]

26
Mountain Railways of India

Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), Darjeeling, West Bengal, India
01519th and early 20th centuries
944ter  !944ter; 1999, 2005, 2008; (ii)(iv)
The Mountain Railways of India represents a collective listing of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kalka-Shimla Railway under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Two railways, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1881) and the Kalka-Shimla Railway (1898) are located in the rugged hill regions of the Himalayas of Northern India and the other two, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway (1908) and the Matheran Hill Railway (1907) are located in the rugged hill regions of the Western Ghats of Southern India. The World Heritage UNESCO recognition to these mountain railways of India has been stated as for being "outstanding examples of bold, ingenious engineering solutions for the problem of establishing an effective rail link through a rugged, mountainous terrain. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was recognized first in 1999, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway followed suite as an extension to the site in 2005, and in 2008 the Kalka–Shimla Railway was further added as an extension; and the three together have been titled as Mountain Railways of India under Criteria: ii, iv under the region in the Asia-Pacific. The claim of the Matheran Hill Railway, the fourth mountain railway, is pending acceptance by the international body.[58][59]

Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005) Ooty, Tamil Nadu, India

Kalka-Shimla Railway, Himachal Pradesh (2008)
India

27
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks

Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, India
0151939 and 1982
335bis !335bis; 1988, 2005 ;(vii),(x)
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks are nestled high in West Himalaya. Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and outstanding natural beauty. It is located in the Garhwal Himalaya of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park. Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of 87.5 km2 (33.8 sq mi). It was established as a national park on 6 November 1982. However, it was initially established as a game sanctuary on 7 January 1939. It was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988 with extension in 2005 under category (vii) and (x).[60][61] Together, they comprise the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, which is on the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.

28
Sundarbans National Park

West Bengal (India)
015 1939 and 1982
452 ! 452; 1987 ; (ix) and (x)
The Sundarbans National Park, the largest estuarine mangrove forest in the world is a national park, tiger reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biosphere reserve located in the Sundarbans Ganges river delta bordering the Bay of Bengal, in West Bengal. It is also on the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The Sundarbans as a whole encompasses 10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) of land and water, about 5,980 km2 (2,310 sq mi) in Bangladesh and the balance is in India. It is integral to the world's largest delta of 80,000 km2 formed from sediments deposited by the three great rivers, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna, which confluence in the Bengal Basin. The entire basin is traversed by a complex network of interconnecting waterways. Though, the history of protection in the area of Indian part of the Sundarbans dates back to 1878, it was declared as the core area of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977 of 133,000-hectare core area within the 258,500 hectares (639,000 acres) Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. On May 4, 1984 it was declared a National Park. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987 as a natural property under category (ix) and (x). This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile.[62][63]

29
Western Ghats

Agasthyamalai Sub-Cluster

2012
Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Mountains, a mountain range along the western side of India and one of the world’s ten "Hottest biodiversity hotspots" (sub cluster nomination)[64][65][66] A total of thirty nine properties (including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests) were designated as world heritage sites – twenty in the state of Kerala, ten in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra.[67][68]

Periyar Sub-Cluster

Anamalai Sub-Cluster

Nilgiri Sub-Cluster

Talakaveri Sub-Cluster (five properties)

Kudremukh Sub-Cluster (five properties)

Sahyadri Sub-Cluster

30
Hill Forts of Rajasthan

Chittorgarh
7th to 16th centuries[69]
247 ! 247; 2013;(ii)(iii)
Hill Forts of Rajasthan, are a series of sites located on rocky outcrops of the Aravallis mountain range in Rajasthan. They represent a typology of Rajput military hill architecture, a style characterized by its mountain peak settings, utilizing the defensive properties of the terrain. These hill forts in Rajasthan represent Rajput military strongholds across a vast range of geographical and cultural zones.It represents number of hill forts and is said to express the development of Rajput defensive architecture. examples of Rajput military architecture. Rajput forts are well known for their defensive architecture. They enclose large territories and even complete villages in walled compounds. The property consists of Chittor Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Ranthambore Fort, Gagron Fort, Amer Fort, Jaisalmer Fort. These fort complex includes palaces, Hindu and Jain temples, urban centers and trading centers.[70] Due to the variety of built structures in each hill fort, only the most significant elements of each complex are described.[71][72]

Kumbhalgarh

Ranthambhore

Amber Sub-Cluster

Jaisalmer

Gagron

31
Rani ki vav (The Queen's Stepwell)

Patan, Gujarat, India
11th century AD[73]
2014
Rani ki vav (The Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat, is a famous stepwell It is famous for its size and sculpture. The length of Rani ki Vav is more than 64m long, 20m wide & 27m deep and there are more than 500 sculptures of god. Most of the sculptures are in devotion to Vishnu, in the forms of Dus-Avatars Kalki, Rama, Mahisasurmardini, Narsinh, Vaman, Varahi and others representing their return to the world. Nagkanya, Yogini beautiful women – Apsara showcasing 16 different styles of make-up to look more attractive called Solah-shringar.[74][75]

32
Great Himalayan National Park

Himachal Pradesh, India

2014[76]
Great Himalayan National Park at Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, is characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. The 90,540 ha property includes the upper mountain glacial and snow melt water source origins of several rivers, and the catchments of water supplies that are vital to millions of downstream users. The GHNPCA protects the monsoon-affected forests and alpine meadows of the Himalayan front ranges. It is part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and includes 25 forest types along with a rich assemblage of fauna species, several of which are threatened. This gives the site outstanding significance for biodiversity conservation.[76]

33
Nalanda

Bihar, India
5th to 12th centuries
2016[77]
The Nalanda Mahavihara site is in the State of Bihar, in north-eastern India. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian Subcontinent. It engaged in the organized transmission of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years. The historical development of the site testifies to the development of Buddhism into a religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions.

34
Khangchendzonga National Park

Sikkim, India

2016[78]
Located at the heart of the Himalayan range in northern India (State of Sikkim), the Khangchendzonga National Park includes a unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular, snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests, including the world’s third highest peak, Mount Khangchendzonga.[79]

35
The Architectural Work Of Le Corbusier

Chandigarh, India
20th century
2016[80]
Chosen from the work of Le Corbusier, the 17 sites comprising this transnational serial property are spread over seven countries. Urban and Architectural Work of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh, is home to numerous architectural projects of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki and Albert Mayer.

36
Historic City of Ahmadabad

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

2017[81]
The walled city of Ahmadabad, founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in the 15th century, on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river, presents a rich architectural heritage from the sultanate period, notably the Bhadra citadel, the walls and gates of the Fort city and numerous mosques and tombs as well as important Hindu and Jain temples of later periods. The urban fabric is made up of densely-packed traditional houses (pols) in gated traditional streets (puras) with characteristic features such as bird feeders, public wells and religious institutions. The city continued to flourish as the capital of the State of Gujarat for six centuries, up to the present.

text: Kumbh Mela in 2017 which is orgnised in every 12 year in for different holy places in India Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh Haridwar in Uttarakhand, Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and Nashik in Maharashtra.

text: Sites by states[edit]

text: The list shows the number of the heritage sites statewise.

text:
Community
Exclusive sites
Shared sites

Assam
2
0

Bihar
2
0

Chandigarh
1
0

Delhi
3
0

Goa
1
0

Gujarat
3
0

Himachal Pradesh
1
1

Karnataka
2
1

Kerala
0
1

Madhya Pradesh
3
0

Maharashtra
4
1

Odisha
1
0

Rajasthan
3
0

Tamil Nadu
2
2

Uttarakhand
1
0

Uttar Pradesh
3
0

West Bengal
1
1

Sikkim
1
0

text: Tentative list of Heritage sites[edit]

text: Apart from the 36 sites inscribed on the World Heritage list, India has also maintained a list of tentative sites for recognition which has been submitted to UNESCO Committee for evaluation and acceptance. This procedure of prelisting is a prerequisite for the nominations for the World Heritage list to be accepted.[82][83]

text:
Sr.
No.

Name
Image
Region
UNESCO data
Period
Description

01
Temples at Bishnupur

Bishnupur, West Bengal, India
1998
1600–1758 AD
West Bengal is famous for its terracotta temples built in the 17th and 18th centuries and the balucheri sarees

02
Mattancherry Palace

Mattancherry, Kochi, Kerala, India
1998
1555 AD
Mattancherry Palace, also known as the Dutch Palace, in Mattancherry, Kochi, Kerala features Kerala murals depicting Hindu temple art, portraits and exhibits of the rajas of Kochi. (1998)

03
Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Group of Monuments

Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, India
1998
10th century AD[84]
Mandu, Madhya Pradesh Group of Monuments are in the fortress town on a rocky outcrop about 100 km (62 mi) from Indore, and are celebrated for their fine architecture

04
Ancient Buddhist Site in Sarnath

Sarnath, Varanasi District, Uttar Pradesh, India
1998
500 CE
Ancient Buddhist Site in Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. (1998)

05
Sri Harimandir Sahib (The "Golden Temple")

Amritsar, Punjab, India
2004
August 1604
Sri Harimandir Sahib (The "Golden Temple") in Amritsar, Punjab, is the holiest shrine in Sikhism

06
River Island of Majuli

Brahmaputra River, Assam, India
2004

River Island of Majuli in midstream of the Brahmaputra River in Assam, it is the largest river island in the world.[85][86]

07
Namdapha National Park

Arunachal Pradesh, India
2006

This is the largest protected area in the Eastern Himalaya biodiversity hotspot is located in Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India

08
Wild Ass Sanctuary

Kutchh, Gujarat, India
2006

Wild Ass Sanctuary, largest wildlife sanctuary in India is known for the endangered wild ass subspecies of Indian wild ass in Little Rann of Kutch

09
Bhitarkanika Conservation Area

Odisha, India
2009

A mangrove wetland in Odisha

10
Neora Valley National Park

Darjeeling District, West Bengal, India
2009

This is one of the richest biological zones in the entire Northeast situated in the Kalimpong subdivision under Darjeeling District in West Bengal

11
Desert National Park

Rajasthan, India
2009

This is an example of the ecosystem of the Thar Desert

12
Mughal Gardens in Jammu and Kashmir

Chashma Shahi, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
2010
1619–1650 AD
There are six gardens. They are Chashma Shahi, Shalimar Bagh, Pari Mahal, Verinag Garden, Achabal Gardens and Nishat Bagh

Shalimar Bagh, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Verinag Garden, Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Pari Mahal, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Achabal Gardens, Anantnag, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Nishat Bagh, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

13
Silk Road Sites in India

Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, Puducherry, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh in India
2010
Around 114 BC – 1450s
This is part of the extensive interconnected network of trade routes across the Asian continent connecting East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean world, as well as North and Northeast Africa and Europe

14
Santiniketan

Shantiniketan, West Bengal, India
2010
1862
Santiniketan made famous by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, whose vision became the present university town Visva-Bharati University

15
Delhi

NCT Delhi, India
2012
6th century BC
India's historic national Capital- nominated for World Heritage City status

16
The Qutb Shahi Monuments of Hyderabad

Hyderabad, India
2011
1594[87]
This is a collection of the Qutb Shahi Monuments in and around Hyderabad city. They are Golconda Fort, Qutb Shahi Tombs, Charminar, Char Kaman and Taramati Baradari

17
The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai

Mumbai, India
2012
1862
This is acollection of the Victorian Gothic buildings and Art Deco buildings. They are Bombay High Court, Rajabai Clock Tower, Eros Cinema and University of Mumbai

18
Apatani Cultural Landscape

Arunachal Pradesh, India
2014

19
Archaeological remains of Lothal

Gujarat, India
2014
3700 BCE.[88]
It is one of the most prominent city of the ancient Indus valley civilisation, discovered in 1954, Lothal was excavated from 13 February 1955 to 19 May 1960 by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Lothal's dock—the world's earliest known—connected the city to an ancient course of the Sabarmati river.).[89]

20
Bahá'í House of Worship

New Delhi, India
2014
24 December 1986

21
Cellular Jail

Andaman Islands, India
2014
1906 AD
Historic Cellular Jail in Port Blair was used by the British to exile political prisoners during the struggle for India's independence to the remote archipelago. Presently, the jail complex serves as a national memorial monument.[90]

22
Chettinad, Village Clusters of the Tamil Merchants

Chettinad, Tamil Nadu, India
2014

23
Chilika Lake

Odisha, India
2014

It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world.[91][92]

24
Monuments and Forts of the Deccan Sultanate

Karnataka (Gulbarga, Bidar, Bijapur) and Telangana (Hyderabad), India
2014
1656[93]

25
Ekamra Kshetra – The Temple City

Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
2014
3rd century BCE
Bhubaneswar is famous for Kalinga Style temples and Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves, Bhubaneswar got the name Ekamra Kshetra as Lingaraj, deity of Lingaraja Temple, is believed to be originally under a mango tree (Ekamra), according to Ekamra Purana. Bhubaneswar is considered as pilgrimage site by Shaivite, Buddhist and Jain.[94]

26
Iconic Saree Weaving Clusters of India

India
2014

27
Padmanabhapuram Palace

Tamil Nadu, India
2014
1601 AD[95]
Padmanabhapuram Palace is located in the Kanyakumari district , Tamil Nadu but it is owned and controlled by Kerala Govt.

28
Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala

Karnataka (Belur and Halebidu), India
2014
1113–1268 AD
Group of 25 Jain and Hindu temples.[96][97][98][99] built in 12th and 13th century AD by Hoysala Emperors.

29
Monuments of Srirangapatna Island Town

Karnataka, India
2014
9th–18th century
Group of structures including Ranganatha Swamy Temple, Tipu Sultan's palace, Tipu Sultan's Gumbaz, Garrison cemetery, Scott's Bungalow, Srirangapatna Fort, Bailey's Dungeon, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.

30
Narcondam Island

Andaman and Nicobar islands, India
2014

It is a small volcanic island located in the Andaman Sea. Famous for endangered Narcondam hornbill that is endemic to the island.

31
The Neolithic Settlement of Burzahom

Jammu & Kashmir, India
2014
3000 BC to 1000 BC
Prehistoric occupational culture of Neolithic era, Megalithic era and early Modern Period

32
Thembang Fortified Village

Arunachal Pradesh, India
2014

33
The Glorious Kakatiya Temples and Gateways

Warangal, Telangana, India
2014
1163 AD[100]
This is a collection of the Kakatiya era Gateways and Temples. They are Kakatiya Kala Thoranam, Warangal Fort, Ramappa Temple and Thousand Pillar Temple.

34
Sites of Satyagraha, India’s non-violent freedom movement

India
2014

Satyagraha loosely translated as "insistence on truth"[101] generally known as nonviolent resistance, was coined and developed by Mahatma Gandhi[102] for Indian independence movement. Satyagraha theory influenced Nelson Mandela's struggle in South Africa under apartheid, Martin Luther King Jr.'s and James Bevel's campaigns during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States, and many other social justice and similar movements.[103][104]

35
Sites along the Uttarapath, Badshahi Sadak, Sadak-e-Azam, Grand Trunk Road

India
2015
Antiquity – present
It is one of Asia's oldest and longest major roads.[105]

36
Moidams – the Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty

Assam, India
2014

Those are tumuli of the royalty and aristocracy of the medieval Ahom Kingdom (1228–1826) in Assam.[106]

37
Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam

Srirangam, Tiruchirapalli, Tamil Nadu, India
2014
10th century AD[107]

38
Dholavira: A Harappan City

Gujarat, India
2014
2650 BCE
Ancient Dholavira, archaeological site in Kutch District contains ruins of ancient Indus Valley Civilization city, it is one of the largest Harappan archaeological sites.[108]

39
Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal

Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal in Karnataka, India
2015
450 A.D.
Cradle of Indian rock cut architecture

40
Jaipur

Jaipur, Rajasthan
2015
18 November 1727
India's historic city and capital city of state of Rajasthan- nominated for World Heritage City status. Famous for palaces and Forts.

41
Cold Desert Cultural Landscape of India

Ladakh, India
2015

Much of it being over an altitude of 3,000 m (9,800 ft).[109][110]

42
Mountain Railways of India (Extension)

India
2014
1881
The Matheran Hill Railway, Maharashtra is proposed to be included to the group of already inscribed Mountain Railway Lines.

43
Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area

Manipur
2016
1977
Keibul Lamjao Conservation Area comprises Keibul Lamjao National Park and Loktak Lake and Pumlen Pat. Loktak Lake is famous for Phumdis, a series of floating islands.[111] Keibul Lamjao National Park is rich amalgam of aquatic, wetland and terrestrial ecosystem.[112]


document_title: Flag desecration

question_text: what is the meaning of flying the us flag upside down

question_tokens: what is the meaning of flying the us flag upside down

root

text: Flag desecration

text: Background[edit]

text: Actions that may be treated as flag desecration include burning it,[1] urinating or defecating on it, defacing it with slogans,[1] stepping upon it, damaging it with stones or guns, cutting or ripping it,[1] verbally insulting it, or dragging it on the ground.[2]

tag: p

text: Flag desecration may be undertaken for a variety of reasons. It may be a protest against a country's foreign policy, including one's own, or the nature of the government in power there. It may be a protest against nationalism or a deliberate and symbolic insult to the people of the country represented by the flag. It may also be a protest at the very laws prohibiting the act of desecrating a flag.

text: Burning or defacing a flag is a crime in some countries. In countries where it is not, the act may still be prosecuted as disorderly conduct, arson, or, if conducted on someone else's property, theft or vandalism.

text: Using a flag unconventionally, such as hanging it upside down or reversed, may be regarded as desecration.[1] Flying a flag at half-mast is considered desecration in Saudi Arabia.[3] In some countries, however, flying a flag upside-down is conventional protocol to indicate an emergency or problem, or to indicate a state of war. Moreover, some flags (such as the flag of Austria) when hung upside down and/or reversed look the same because they are vertically and/or horizontally symmetrical.

text: Some countries regard it as desecration to make toilet paper, napkins, doormats, and other such items bearing the image of the flag, so that the flag's image will be destroyed or soiled.[citation needed] It is, however, increasingly common in some countries to see clothing with the image of the flag forming a substantial part of the piece.[citation needed] Views vary as to whether some of this is an act of national pride or disrespect.

text: By jurisdiction[edit]

text: Algeria[edit]

text: In Algeria, flag desecration is a crime. According to article 160bis of the Algerian penal code, the intentional and public shredding, distortion, or desecration of the national flag is punishable by 5 to 10 years of imprisonment.

text: In 2010, an Algerian court convicted 17 people of flag desecration and punished them by up to 6 years of imprisonment and $10,000 in fines after protests about jobs and housing.[citation needed]

text: Argentina[edit]

text: The Penal Code (Código Penal) on its Article 222 criminalizes the public desecration of the national flag, coat of arms, national anthem, or any provincial symbol, imposing from 1 to 4 years of imprisonment.[4]

text: Australia[edit]

text: Legality[edit]

text: Flag desecration is not, in itself, illegal in Australia.[5] However, flag desecration must otherwise be compliant with the law.

text: In Coleman v Kinbacher & Anor (Qld Police),[6] Coleman was successfully prosecuted for flag burning, not because of its political nature, but because given the size of the flag, the use of petrol as an accelerant, and the fact that it was in an open park area, many members of the public experienced "concern, fright and anger", and in these circumstances flag burning could be considered disorderly conduct.

text: Attempts to ban flag burning[edit]

text: There have been several attempts to pass bills making flag burning illegal in Australia, none of which have yet been successful. As of May 2016, the most recent bill which attempted to ban flag burning was the Flags Amendment (Protecting Australian Flags) Bill 2016, which was introduced by National Party MP George Christensen and is not proceeding.[7]

text: Historical occurrences[edit]

text: During the 2005 Cronulla riots, a Lebanese-Australian youth, whose name has been kept secret, climbed an Returned and Services League (RSL) club building and tore down its flag before setting it on fire. The youth was sentenced to 12 months probation not for flag desecration but for the destruction of property of the RSL.[8] In October of that year the youth accepted an invitation from the RSL to carry the Australian flag along with war veterans in the Anzac Day march the following year.[9] However, the RSL was forced to withdraw this invitation as it received phone calls from people threatening to pelt the youth with missiles on the day.[10] The head of the New South Wales RSL was quoted as saying that "the people who made these threats ought to be bloody ashamed of themselves".[9]

text: In 2006, Australian contemporary artist Azlan McLennan burnt an Australian flag and displayed it on a billboard outside the Trocadero artspace in Footscray, Victoria. He called the artpiece Proudly UnAustralian.[11]

text: The socialist youth group Resistance marketed "flag-burning kits"—inspired by, and to protest, the censorship of Azlan McLennan's art—to university students.[12]

text: Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre worker Adam Thompson burned the Australian flag on the week of Australia Day (2008) celebrations in Launceston's City Park to the cheers of about 100 people, who were rallying against what they call "Invasion Day".[13]

text: Tent embassy activists burned the Australian flag on 27 January 2012 at the entrance to Canberra's Parliament House as they called for Aboriginal sovereignty over Australia.[14]

text: Austria[edit]

text:
In Austria flag desecration is illegal under §248 Strafgesetzbuch.[15] Offenders can be fined or punished with up to 6 months of imprisonment. Under §317 Strafgesetzbuch desecration of flags of foreign states or international organizations can be punished if Austria maintains diplomatic relations with them or belongs to the respective organization.[clarification needed][16]
As Austria was formerly part of Nazi Germany, use of the Nazi flag in Austria today is illegal (see section Germany – Nazi flag below).

text: Brazil[edit]

text: Brazilian law number 5700,[17] from 1971, article 31, point out the forms of disrespect as the following:

text:
I – Being presented or flying it in a poor condition;
II – Changing the proportions, colors, shape, label or add any other inscriptions;
III – Using it as a clothing piece, mouthpiece, drapery, tablecloth or napkin, table trim, podium coating, or as a cover for objects that are to be inaugurated; and
IV – Using it as a label or wrapping for products at a sale.

tag: ul

text: Also, in the article 30, caput, it is stated that, when in March or parade, such as the execution of National Anthem, all people must take a respectful attitude, standing and in silence, with the male civilians without any head cover and the military personnel in the salute or present arms stance, following each corporation internal regulations.

text: Article 32 says that the flags in bad condition must be sent to the nearest military unit, for incineration in the Flag's Day, following the ceremonial procedures.

text: Article 33 rules that may not be any foreign flag in its right side, in the same size and in a highlight position over the Brazilian flag, when inside Brazilian territory, except when at diplomatic missions, such as embassies and consulates.

text: According to this same law's article 35, the act of a civilian breaking this law is considered a misdemeanor, punished with a fine of one to four times the highest reference value active in the Country, and doubled in repeated infringement cases; in the Brazilian Armed Forces' Military Penal Code,[18] article 161, the soldier, airman or seaman that disrespect any national symbol is punished with one to two years of detention, and the officer may be declared incompatible with the officership.

text: Belgium[edit]

text: Flag desecration is not forbidden by Belgian law. Flemish nationalists have burned Belgian flags on at least one occasion.[19]

text: Canada[edit]

text: Canada has no laws prohibiting flag desecration. Acts of this nature are forms of expression protected by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

text: In 1990, during heated political times around the Meech Lake Accord, the flag of Quebec was desecrated by protestors in Brockville, Ontario opposed to Quebec's language laws after the Canadian flag had been burnt in protests in Quebec. Televised images of individuals stepping on the Quebec flag were played in Quebec and contributed to the deterioration in relations between Quebec and English Canada. The incident, seen as a metaphor of Canada's perceived rejection of Quebec (and of Quebec's distinctiveness in the demise of the Meech Lake Accord) was invoked by Quebec nationalists during the run-up to the 1995 referendum on Quebec independence and is still remembered today.[citation needed]

text: In 1999, members of the Westboro Baptist Church from the United States staged a burning of the Canadian Flag outside of the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario. This was to protest legalization of same-sex marriage which was being adjudicated by the Canadian court.

text: China[edit]

text: Flag desecration is prohibited in China. The penal code[20] provides for an imprisonment up to three years, criminal detention, public surveillance, or deprivation of political rights for anyone who "desecrate[s] the National Flag (Wǔ Xīng Hóngqí) or the National Emblem of the People's Republic of China by intentionally burning, mutilating, scrawling on, defiling or trampling upon it in public".

text: Croatia[edit]

text: Croatian history recalls the burning of the flag of the Kingdom of Hungary during the 1895 visit of Emperor Franz Joseph to Zagreb. Two people involved in the incident, Stjepan Radić and Vladimir Vidrić, later pursued notable careers in politics and literature, respectively. In modern Croatia it is illegal to desecrate any flag or to treat any flag in a disrespectful manner. Offenders are punishable with up to one year of imprisonment.[21]

text: Denmark[edit]

text: In Denmark, it is legal to burn or desecrate the national flag, the Dannebrog.[22][23] It is illegal to publicly burn or desecrate the flags of foreign countries, the United Nations and Council of Europe according to section 110(e) of the Danish penal code[23][24] because Parliament has decided that burning or desecrating these is a matter of foreign relations,[22] as it could be construed as a threat. This law is rarely used; the last conviction was in 1936.[22]

text: According to Danish tradition, burning is the proper way to dispose of a worn Dannebrog flag.[25] According to tradition, care must be observed to ensure that a flag never touches the ground, i.e., even when being disposed of, it should be placed on top of a fire. Flying the flag after sundown is also inappropriate behaviour.[26]

text: Faroe Islands[edit]

text: According to the Faroese flag law the Faroese flag, Merkið, may not be desecrated, "neither by words or by deeds".[27]

text: Finland[edit]

text: According to the law on the Finnish flag,[28] it is illegal to desecrate the flag, treat it in disrespecting manner, or remove it from a public place without permission.

text: France[edit]

text: According to French law,[29] outraging the French national anthem or the French flag during an event organized or regulated by public authorities is liable for a fine of €7,500 (and six months' imprisonment if performed in a gathering). The law targets "outrageous behaviour" during public ceremonies and major sports events.

text: This clause was added as an amendment to a large bill dealing with internal security, in reaction to a football match during which there had been whistles against La Marseillaise, but also to similar actions during public ceremonies.[30] The amendment initially prohibited such behaviour regardless of the context, but a parliamentary commission later restricted its scope to events organized or regulated by public authorities,[31]—which is to be understood, according to the ruling of the Constitutional Council as events organized by public authorities, mass sport matches and other mass events taking place in enclosures, but not private speech, literary or artistic works, or speech during events not organized or regulated by public authorities.[32]

text: In 2006, a man who had publicly burnt a French flag stolen from the façade of the city hall of Aurillac during a public festival, organized and regulated by public authorities, was fined €300.[33]

text: A July 2010 law makes it a crime to desecrate the French national flag in a public place, but also to distribute images of a flag desecration, even when done in a private setting.[34] On 22 December 2010, an Algerian national was the first person to be convicted under the new status, and ordered to pay a €750 after breaking the pole of a flag hung in the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture a day prior.[35]

text: Germany[edit]

text: Under German criminal code (§90a Strafgesetzbuch (StGB)) it is illegal to revile or damage the German federal flag as well as any flags of its states in public. Offenders can be fined or sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison, or fined or sentenced to a maximum of five years in prison if the act was intentionally used to support the eradication of the Federal Republic of Germany or to violate constitutional rights. Actual convictions because of a violation of the criminal code need to be balanced against the constitutional right of the freedom of expression, as ruled multiple times by Germany's constitutional court.[36]

text: It is illegal to damage or revile flags of foreign countries, if they are shown publicly by tradition, event, or routinely by representatives of the foreign entity (§104 StGB). On the other hand, it is not illegal to desecrate such flags that serve no official purpose (especially any provided by the perpetrator).

text: After the fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989, many East Germans cut out the emblem from their national flag in support for a reunified, democratic Germany. This flag is now used by the Federal Foundation for the Reappraisal of the SED Dictatorship.[37][38]

text: During the 2006 World Cup, the anti-German German musician Torsun (half of the group Egotronic) recorded a techno cover of the song "Ten German Bombers". The song and its accompanying YouTube video (featuring footage of German planes being shot down, the Wembley goal, a burning German flag, etc.) attracted media attention in Germany, as well as from the British tabloid News of the World. The song was eventually included in the World Cup–themed compilation Weltmeister Hits 2006.[39][40][41]

text: Nazi flag[edit]

text: On 19 December 1932, Weimar Republic Reichspräsident Paul von Hindenburg made desecration of the German flag illegal by signing into law §134a StGB[42] by presidential decree. Initially, this law applied to the black-red-gold flag of democratic Germany.

text: On 26 July 1935 in New York a group of demonstrators boarded the SS Bremen, tore the Nazi party flag from the jackstaff and threw it into the Hudson River. The German ambassador sharply protested, but the protest was rejected, with the judgement that only a party symbol was harmed and the national flag was not affected. On 15 September 1935, in response to this incident, the Reichsflaggengesetz (Reichs flag law) (RGBl. I S. 1145) came into effect, declaring the Nazi flag to be the exclusive national flag of Germany and removing the status of the black-white-red tricolor flag of the German Empire as co-national flag.[citation needed]

text: In January 1941, the flag of Nazi Germany flying from the German consulate in San Francisco was slashed and torn down by two United States Navy sailors. They were arrested, tried, and convicted of malicious mischief.[43] The German government protested the incident and the United States Department of State expressed their regrets.[44] Later that year, after Germany declared war on the United States, one of the sailors, Harold Sturtevant, who had been dismissed because of the incident, received a pardon and reenlisted in the Navy.[45]

text: The display of Nazi symbols for anything other than educational purposes is forbidden in Germany according to the German criminal code Strafgesetzbuch section 86a. Similar laws exist in Austria (Verbotsgesetz 1947,[46] Abzeichengesetz 1960[47]).

text: Hong Kong[edit]

text: The Chinese law about flag desecration were incorporated into Hong Kong law as the National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance in 1997 as required by Annex III of the territory's constitution. The Regional Flag and Regional Emblem Ordinance is the equivalent statute in respect of the Hong Kong flag. Both ordinances ban desecration of the Chinese flag and Hong Kong flag, respectively, through methods including "burning, mutilating, scrawling on, defiling or trampling".[48]

text: In 1999, two individuals were convicted for desecration of the Regional Flag of Hong Kong and the Chinese flag. They were found guilty by a magistrate, had the conviction overturned in the High Court[49] but the convictions were restored by the Court of Final Appeal.[50]

text: They were bound over to keep the peace on their own recognisance of $2,000 for 12 months for each of the two charges.[citation needed]

text: In the judgement, Chief Justice Andrew Li said although the Basic Law of Hong Kong guarantees freedom of speech, flag desecration is not legal because there are other protest methods.[citation needed]

text: Social activist Koo Sze-yiu has been convicted twice of flag desecration. He was sentenced to a nine-month prison term in 2013 for the offence.[51] However, the sentence was reduced to four months and two weeks after an appeal. In March 2016 he was sentenced to a six-week prison term for burning the regional flag in Wanchai on HKSAR Establishment Day in 2015. Koo responded that "he is happy to be punished as being jailed is part of the life of an activist, and he would continue to protest against the Beijing and Hong Kong governments and fight for democracy."[51]

text: In October 2016, some miniature Chinese and Hong Kong flags that had been placed by pro-Beijing legislators in the Legislative Council chamber were flipped upside down by lawmaker Cheng Chung-tai, who regarded them as "cheap patriotic acts". In April 2017 he was charged with flag desecration. He alleged that the arrest was part of a "general cleansing" of dissenting voices ahead of Carrie Lam's inauguration as new chief executive.[48] On 29 September 2017, the Eastern Magistrates' Court found Cheng guilty and fined him $5,000.[52]

text: Hungary[edit]

text: During a demonstration at the beginning of the Hungarian revolution of 1956 someone in the crowd cut out the communist coat of arms from the Hungarian flag, leaving a distinctive hole, and others quickly followed suit. The "flag with a hole" became a symbol of the Hungarian resistance.[53][54] The practice of cutting out the communist coat of arms was also followed by other Eastern Bloc countries, such as Romania, especially during the Revolutions of 1989.

text: India[edit]

text: The Indian Flag Code is a set of laws that govern the usage of the Flag of India. The Bureau of Indian Standards is in charge of the enforcement of the manufacture of the flag according to the guidelines.

text: Violation of the code may invite severe punishments and penalties. The code was written in 2002 and merged the following acts: provisions of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 (No.12 of 1950) and the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 (No. 69 of 1971).

text: The Indian Flag Code was often criticized for being too rigid and prevented ordinary citizens from displaying the flag on homes and other buildings. For many years, only government officials and other government buildings could unfurl the flag. That changed in 2001 when Naveen Jindal won a court case in the Supreme Court of India to give Indians the right to unfurl the flag publicly. The Indian cricket batsman Sachin Tendulkar was accused of sporting the flag on his cricket helmet below the BCCI emblem. He later changed it and placed the flag above BCCI emblem. The flag code was updated in 2005; some new provisions include that the flag cannot be worn under the waist or on undergarments.[55]

text: Iraq[edit]

text: In 2004, many copies of the proposed new flag for Iraq were burnt (see flag of Iraq). There were no such examples of burning the current Iraqi national flags, even by political opponents, as both contain the words Allahu Akbar (God is great), so this would be seen as a religious insult.[citation needed]

text: Ireland[edit]

text: The Department of the Taoiseach's guide to the flag of Ireland includes a list of "practices to avoid".[56] This states in part "The National Flag should never be defaced by placing slogans, logos, lettering or pictures of any kind on it, for example at sporting events."[56] A tricolour inscribed "Davy Keogh says hello" waved continually since 1981 has given its eponymous bearer a modicum of fame among Republic of Ireland soccer supporters.[57][58][59] Guinness ran a promotion before the 2002 FIFA World Cup distributing Irish flags to supporters in pubs, on which the tricolour's white band was defaced with Guinness's harp logo.[60] Guinness apologised after public criticism.[60] Cecilia Keaveney said in a subsequent Dáil debate, "It may not be possible to address defacing the flag through legislation, but the House must issue a strong message that this is unacceptable."[61]

text: Seán O'Casey's 1926 play The Plough and the Stars attracted controversy for its critical view of the Easter Rising, in particular a scene in which a tricolour is brought into a pub frequented by a prostitute.[62] On 7 May 1945, the day before V-E Day, celebrating unionist students in Trinity College Dublin raised the flags of the victorious Allies over the college; when onlookers in College Green began jeering, some took down the flag of neutral Ireland, set fire to it and tossed it away, provoking a small riot.[63][64] In response, nationalist students from University College Dublin, including future Taoiseach Charles Haughey, burned the British flag in Grafton Street.[63] The Provost of Trinity College apologised for the incident, which was not reported in Irish newspapers owing to wartime censorship.[63]

text: Israel[edit]

text: In 2007 six teenagers in the South Tel Aviv suburb of Bat Yam were arrested for burning an Israeli flag. This incident was considered serious by the police and others since the youths were suspected in other acts of vandalism and claimed to be Satanists.[65]

text: In 2016, Israel passed an amendment, meaning those convicted of burning an Israeli flag, or the flag of allied countries, face up to three years in prison.[66]

text: Italy[edit]

text: In Italy, desecration of any Italian or foreign nation's national flag (villipendio alla bandiera) is prohibited by law (Article 292 of the Italian Penal Code) and punished with fines (between 1,000 and 10,000 euros) for verbal desecration and with reclusion (up to two years) for physical damage or destruction.[67]

text: Japan[edit]

text: In Japan, under Chapter 4, Article 92 of the Criminal Code, any desecration of a recognized foreign nation's national flag and symbol to dishonour that particular nation is prohibited and punishable by fine or penal labour, but only on complaint by the foreign government.

text: In May 1958, the flag of China, the Wǔ Xīng Hóngqí, at a postage stamp convention was pulled down and damaged, but as Japan did not recognize the PRC at the time, the law was not applied. In February 2011, Japanese ultra-rightists held a protest over the Kuril islands dispute outside of the Russian embassy in Tokyo, during which they dragged a Russian flag on the ground; Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov stated that his ministry had asked the Japanese government to launch a criminal case over the incident.[68]

text: However, there has never been a law explicitly prohibiting desecration of the Japanese flag, the Hinomaru. Absent such law, the act of desecration is implicitly protected by Article 21 covering freedom of speech in the Constitution of Japan.

text: On 26 October 1987, an Okinawan supermarket owner burned the Hinomaru, before the start of the National Sports Festival of Japan.[69] The flag burner, Shōichi Chibana, burned the national flag not only to show opposition to atrocities committed by the Japanese army and the continued presence of U.S. forces, but also to prevent it from being displayed in public.[70] Other incidents in Okinawa included the flag being torn down during school ceremonies and students refusing to honor the flag as it was being raised to the sounds of Kimigayo.[71]

text: Malaysia[edit]

text: While Malaysia does not have specific legislation regarding flag desecration, legal action can be taken against those who show disrespect towards the national flag Jalur Gemilang under the Penal Code (Act 574), Sedition Act 1948 (Act 15) and the Emblems & Names (Prevention of Control of Improper Use) 1963 (Act 193).[72][73] In October 2013, the Law Minister Nancy Shukri announced that the Government would be removing the proposed  Clause 5 amendment to the Penal Code, which proposed fining or jailing anyone charged with desecrating the Jalur Gemilang or a foreign flag for a term of between five and fifteen years. She clarified that provisions for safeguarding the national flag would be added under the proposed National Harmony Act.[74]

text: Nine Australian men, the 'Budgie Nine', were arrested after celebrating the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix by stripping to their 'budgie smuggler' swimming trunks, decorated with the Malaysian flag.[75] After three days in custody they were charged with public nuisance and released. The briefs had been made in Australia, not Malaysia.[76]

text: Mexico[edit]

text: The use of the National Symbols (Coat of Arms, Anthem, and National Flag) in Mexico is protected by law.[77] In Mexico the desecration of the flag is illegal. Although punishment is not sought often and are usually not harsh, there are a few instances; for example, in 2008 a federal judge convicted an individual for 'desecrating the flag' in a poem. The ministry that oversees the use of national symbols requested four years in jail, but the judge only issued a small fine and a public warning.[78]

text: New Zealand[edit]

text: In New Zealand, under the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act 1981 it is illegal to destroy the New Zealand flag with the intent of dishonouring it. In 2003, Paul Hopkinson, a Wellington schoolteacher, burned the Flag of New Zealand as part of a protest in Parliament grounds at the New Zealand Government's hosting of the Prime Minister of Australia, against the background of Australia's support of the United States in its war in Iraq. Hopkinson was initially convicted under Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act 1981 of destroying a New Zealand flag with intent to dishonour it, but appealed against his conviction. On appeal, his conviction was overturned on the grounds that the law had to be read consistently with the right to freedom of expression under the Bill of Rights. This meant that his actions were not unlawful because the word dishonour in the Flags, Emblems and Names Protection Act had many shades of meaning, and when the least restrictive meaning of that word was adopted Hopkinson's actions did not meet that standard. This somewhat unusual result was due in part to the fact that the Bill of Rights does not overrule other laws (Hopkinson v Police).[79][80][81]

text: In 2007, activist Valerie Morse had burned the New Zealand flag during an ANZAC Day dawn service in Wellington. She was fined NZ$500 by the Wellington District Court and her conviction was upheld by the High Court and the Court of Appeal. After Morse's lawyers appealed the conviction on the grounds that she was being punished for expressing ideas, the New Zealand Supreme Court ruled in 2011 that the previous rulings had misinterpreted the meaning of "offensive behavior" in the Summary Offences Act.[82][83]

text: Norway[edit]

text: Desecration of foreign countries' flags or national coats of arms was previously banned according to the General Civil Penal Code §95. The ban had however rarely been practiced, and was eventually lifted in 2008.

text:
Comedian Otto Jespersen burned a US flag during a satirical TV show in 2003.
During the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy, Norwegian flags were burned in demonstrations in various Muslim countries.[citation needed]

text: Pakistan[edit]

text: Pakistan's flag comes under the strict protection of various constitutional clauses. However, the statutes governing the topic consist only of Pakistan Flag Protocols and are unclear as with regards to legal status of the offender and the punishment under the Pakistan Penal Code.

text: Except for a few occasions during 1971 Liberation War between then East and West Pakistan. The Bengali Separatists (Muktibahini) and their associated groups burned several flags as well as the flags of the armed forces of Pakistan. No incident of National Flag burning has been witnessed.

text: Panama[edit]

text: On 9 January 1964, a dispute broke out between Panamanian students and Americans living in the Panama Canal Zone over the right of the flag of Panama to be raised next to the flag of the United States, as the Canal Zone was then a disputed territory between the two nations. During the scuffle a Panamanian flag carried by Panamanian students was torn. This sparked four days of riots that ended with 22 Panamanians and four Americans dead and with Panama breaking diplomatic relations with the United States. This event is considered very important in the decision to negotiate and sign the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, by whose terms the Panama Canal administration was handed over to the Panamanian Government on 31 December 1999. 9 January is known as Martyrs' Day and is commemorated in Panama as a day of mourning.[citation needed]

text: Peru[edit]

text: The precise law in Peru is unclear, but such acts are clearly capable of causing outrage. In 2008 the dancer, model and actress Leysi Suárez appeared naked photographed using Peru's flag as a saddle while mounted on a horse. The country's defence minister said she would face charges that could put her in jail for up to four years for offending patriotic symbols".[84][85] However the case was closed in 2010.[86]

text: Philippines[edit]

text: Article III, Section 4 of the 1987 Philippine constitution reads as follows:[87]

text: No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances.

text: Section 34a the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines declares that it is a prohibited act "[t]o mutilate, deface, defile, trample on or cast contempt or commit any act or omission casting dishonor or ridicule upon the flag or over its surface;"[88]

text: Section 50 declares, "Any person or judicial entity which violates any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (5,000.00) not more than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000.00), or by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court: Provided, That for any second and additional offenses, both fine and imprisonment shall always be imposed: Provided, That in case the violation is committed by a juridical person, its President or Chief Executive Officer thereof shall be liable."[88]

text: Portugal[edit]

text: Currently, according to article 332 of the Penal Code,[89] "Who publicly, by means of words, gestures or print publication, or by other means of public communication, insults the Republic, the Flag or the National Anthem, the coats of arms or the symbols of Portuguese sovereignty, or fails to show the respect they are entitled to, shall be punished with up to two years imprisonment or a fine of up to 240 days". In the case of the regional symbols, the person shall be punished with up to one year imprisonment or a fine of up to 120 days (fines are calculated based on the defendant's income).

text: The Portuguese Penal Code (article 323) also forbids the desecration of foreign symbols: "Who publicly, by means of words, gestures or print publication, or by other means of public communication, insults the official flag or other symbol of sovereignty of a foreign State or of an international organization of which Portugal is a member shall be punished with up to one year imprisonment or a fine of up to 120 days." This article applies under two conditions (article 324): that Portugal maintains diplomatic relations with the insulted country, and that there is reciprocity (i.e., that the insulted country would also punish any insult against Portuguese symbols of sovereignty, should they occur there).

text: On 5 October 2012, Cavaco Silva, then-President of the Republic, during the celebration of the 102 years of the Portuguese Republic, mistakenly flew the national flag upside down, which generated much controversy, with the Portuguese people regarding it as a "joke" and as a sign of disrespect.[citation needed]

text: Romania[edit]

text:
The Romanian Penal Code[90] no longer prohibits flag desecration (as it was the case with the previous penal code[91]). Several laws attempting to reinstate punishments for manifestations which express contempt for the Romanian symbols (according to the constitution, these are the flag, national day, anthem and coat-of-arms) have not been approved.
[92]
[93]

text: During the Romanian Revolution, the Communist era flag was flown with a hole on the coat of arms.[citation needed]

text: Saudi Arabia[edit]

text: The flag of Saudi Arabia bears the shahada or Islamic declaration of faith. Because the shahada is considered holy, Saudi Arabia's flag code is extremely strict and even the slightest violation amounts to desecration not only of the flag but is also blasphemous to Islam. This has led to several incidents of controversy. In 1994, McDonald's printed carry-out bags bearing the flags of all nations participating in the FIFA World Cup (with a green flag with Saudi Arabia's coat of arms superimposed, rather than the Saudi flag), while Coca-Cola did the same on cans of soda. Because of Saudi outrage, the companies stopped producing those items.[94] Also during the FIFA World Cup, in 2002, Saudi officials protested against printing the flag on a soccer ball on the belief that kicking the creed with the foot was totally unacceptable.

text: Serbia[edit]

text: In Serbia, flag desecration is illegal and on 20 May 2009 secretary general of the International Workers' Association Ratibor Trivunac was arrested and punished with 10 days in prison for burning an American flag during the visit of the US Vice President Joe Biden. Due to the mass demonstrations and protests, he was freed from prison two days later.[citation needed]

text: South Korea[edit]

text: South Korean Criminal Act punishes flag desecration in various ways:[95]

text:
Article 105 imposes up to 5 years in prison, disfranchisement of up to 10 years, or a fine up to 7 million South Korean won for damaging, removing, or staining a South Korean flag or emblem with intent to insult the Republic of Korea. Article 5 makes this crime punishable, even if done by aliens outside South Korea.
Article 106 imposes up to 1 years in prison, disfranchisement of up to 5 years, or a fine up to 2 million South Korean won for defaming a South Korean flag or emblem with intent to insult the Republic of Korea. Article 5 makes this crime punishable, even if done by aliens outside South Korea.
Article 109 imposes up to 2 years in prison or a fine up to 3 million South Korean won for damaging, removing, or staining a foreign flag or emblem with intent to insult a foreign county. Article 110 forbids prosecution without foreign governmental complaint.

text: Soviet Union[edit]

text: The flag of the Soviet Union was burned many times by protestors against its government's policies, for instance in Brazil by those protesting the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia of 1968,[96] and in New York City in 1985 by protesters against the Soviet–Afghan War.[97] The Soviet flag has also been burned during the Euromaidan in Ukraine.[98]

text: Sweden[edit]

text: The desecration of national symbols is not specifically criminal, but flag desecration is prosecuted under the more general clauses against disorderly conduct.[citation needed]

text: Switzerland[edit]

text: Destruction, removal, or desecration of national emblems installed by a public authority (i.e., the Swiss flag, the Swiss coat of arms, the cantonal or municipal flags and coats of arms) is punishable by a monetary penalty or imprisonment of up to three years according to the Swiss federal penal code.[99] The destruction or desecration of privately owned flags or coats of arms is legal.[citation needed]

text: Thailand[edit]

text: In October 2018, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha ordered the Foreign Ministry to investigate fashion footwear in Paris that incorporates the colours of the Thai national flag. Photos of the shoes, shown on the Vogue Paris Facebook page taken during Paris Fashion Week, outraged Thai social media users, some of whom demanded apologies and jail sentences for the perpetrators. As was pointed out in the Bangkok daily, The Nation, "The combination of the Thai flag and human feet is a contentious cultural cocktail for Thais."

text: The designers are immune from prosecution as the shoes were made and displayed outside Thailand. Were the offence committed in Thailand, those responsible could face a 2,000 baht fine or a year in jail.

text: A spokesman at the Thai National Flag Museum[100] commented that no one has a copyright on the flag's colours or the order in which they are presented.[101]

text: Turkey[edit]

text: The flag of Turkey bears the star and crescent over a red field that represents the blood of martyrs which is considered sacred. Under the 1983 Turkish flag law, burning the flag is strictly forbidden, punishable by a prison sentence of three years. Displaying or pulling a torn or discolored flag to flagpole is also illegal. Taking down the flag is prohibited and punishable by a prison sentence of eighteen years.[citation needed]

text: Ukraine[edit]

text: In Ukraine, desecration of national symbols, including the national flag, is a crime punishable by up to three years in jail.

text: United Kingdom[edit]

text: The law of England and Wales and the law of Scotland has a concept of "flag desecration".

text: In May 1998, in a protest by 2000 former prisoners of war, a Burma Railway veteran torched the Rising Sun banner before both Emperor Akihito and Queen Elizabeth. Police were persuaded by the crowd not to arrest him.[102] A year later, two "committed socialists" threw a burning Union flag in the direction of the Queen's motor vehicle. They were arrested for breach of the peace, subsequently pleaded guilty and were fined a total of £450.[103] In 2001 at RAF Feltwell, home of United States Air Force's 5th Space Surveillance Squadron, a protester defaced the US Flag with the words "Stop Star Wars" before stepping in front of a vehicle and stamping on the flag. Her conviction under S5 Public Order Act 1986 was overturned as incompatible with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.[104]

text: In 2011, a republican group of approximately 20–30[citation needed] students at King's College, Cambridge influenced the burning of a large Union flag, the centrepiece of the Student Union's decorations to celebrate the royal wedding. King's College Student Union condemned the action as a "needlessly divisive and violent way to make a political point... [the] Union flag is a symbol and therefore can mean different things to different people in different contexts."[105]

text: In 2006, to allow greater police control over extremist protesters, 17 MPs signed a House of Commons motion calling for burning of the Union Flag to be made a criminal offence.[106]

text: Northern Ireland[edit]

text: Unlike the rest of the United Kingdom, the law in Northern Ireland has varied since its foundation in 1921. The Union Flag of the United Kingdom, the former Flag of Northern Ireland, and the tricolour of the Republic of Ireland are often defaced or burnt in Northern Ireland as a political provocation or as a protest.[1]

text: British military colours[edit]

text: The Queen's Colours and Regimental Colours are a very important symbol for a British Army regiment and for many regiments in the Commonwealth which have inherited the British Army's traditions. In a Line Regiment the Colour stand consists of these two flags, and damage to such a symbol would be a considered a great insult to the regiment by its members.

text: In the British armed forces, it is usual for flag-bearers to lower flags and standards, even Queen's and Regimental Colours, so that they are draped on the ground, as part of a Royal Salute or during the two-minute silence on Remembrance Sunday. This mark of respect, known as vailing, is not considered to be a desecration of the colours.

text: United States[edit]

text: The flag of the United States is sometimes burned in protest of the policies of the American government, both within the country and abroad. The United States Supreme Court in Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989), and reaffirmed in U.S. v. Eichman, 496 U.S. 310 (1990), has ruled that due to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, it is unconstitutional for a government (whether federal, state, or municipal) to prohibit the desecration of a flag, due to its status as "symbolic speech." However, content-neutral restrictions may still be imposed to regulate the time, place, and manner of such expression. If the flag that was burned was someone else's property (as it was in the Johnson case, since Johnson had stolen the flag from a Texas bank's flagpole), the offender could be charged with petty larceny (a flag usually sells at retail for less than USD 20), or with destruction of private property, or possibly both.

text: There have been several proposed Flag Desecration Amendments to the Constitution of the United States which would allow Congress to enact laws to prohibit flag desecration:[107]

text:
Douglas Applegate (Ohio) in 1991
Robert Dornan (California) in 1991
Bill Emerson (Missouri) in 1991, 1993, 1995
Randy Cunningham (California) in 1999, 2001, 2003,
Jo Ann Emerson (Missouri) in 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013
John P. Hammerschmidt (Arkansas), 1991
Orrin Hatch (Utah) in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2013
Joseph M. McDade (Pennsylvania) in 1989, 1995, 1996
Clarence E. Miller (Ohio) in 1991
John Murtha (Pennsylvania) in 2007
Ron Paul (Texas) in 1997
Gerald B. H. Solomon (New York) in 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997
Floyd Spence (South Carolina) in 1991
Andrew Jacobs Jr. (Indiana) in 1995
David Vitter (Louisiana) in 2009
Spencer Bachus (Alabama) in 2013

text: In 1862, during the Union army's occupation of New Orleans in the American Civil War, William B. Mumford was executed by hanging after the occupation of the city of New Orleans by the forces under the command of General Benjamin Franklin Butler for removing a United States flag.[108]

text: In 1864, John Greenleaf Whittier wrote the poem Barbara Frietchie, which told of a (probably fictional) incident in which Confederate soldiers were deterred from defacing an American flag. The poem contains the famous lines:

text:
"Shoot, if you must, this old gray head,
But spare your country's flag," she said.

text: During the United States' involvement in the Vietnam War, American flags were sometimes burned during war protest demonstrations.[109]

text: After the Johnson decision, the Flag Protection Act was passed, protecting flags from anyone who "mutilates, defaces, physically defiles, burns, maintains on the floor or ground, or tramples upon any flag".[110] This decision was later struck down in the Eichman decision. After that case, several flag burning amendments to the Constitution were proposed. On 22 June 2005, a Flag Desecration Amendment was passed by the House with the needed two-thirds majority. On 27 June 2006, another attempt to pass a ban on flag burning was rejected by the Senate in a close vote of 66 in favor, 34 opposed, one vote short of the two-thirds majority needed to send the amendment to be voted on by the states.[111]

text: Flag burning[edit]

text: In common usage, the phrase 'flag burning' refers only to burning a flag as an act of protest. However the United States Flag Code states that "the flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display (for example, the flag being faded or torn), should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning".[112]

text: Flying an American flag upside down[edit]

text: Flying an American flag upside down is not necessarily meant as political protest. The practice has its origin in a distress signal; displaying a flag in this manner is "a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property";[113] It can also be viewed as an act of desecration.[114] It has been used by extension to make a statement about distress in civic, political, or other areas. On the 13 April 1996 episode of Saturday Night Live, musical guests Rage Against the Machine made a statement about the host, billionaire Steve Forbes, by hanging two upside-down American flags from their amplifiers.

text: Confederate flag[edit]

text: The Battle Flag of the North Virginian Army, commonly referred to as the Confederate flag, has sometimes been burned in protest as well. In 2000, protesters from the Jewish Defense League burned Confederate and Nazi flags to protest an arson attempt against a Reno, Nevada synagogue. This was criticized by a representative of the Anti-Defamation League, who said that it was more effective to work with the police and other authorities rather than to engage in "tactics which inflame and exacerbate situations."[115]

text: The Virginian battle flag is given the same protection from burning and desecration as the U.S. flag in five U.S. states: Florida,[116] Georgia,[117] Louisiana,[118] Mississippi,[119] and South Carolina.[120]

text: Uruguay[edit]

text: Desecration of the national flag is forbidden, and desecration of the national flag by an Uruguayan citizen is regarded as mischief of loyalty;[clarification needed] improper manipulation or adulteration of national symbols is prohibited.

text:
Article 28 law No. 9.943 of July 20, 1940 and reglementary[clarification needed] decrees of December 19 of that year and May 26, June 10 and 1 July 1943 say
″Every citizen, legal or natural, is obligated to swear a loyal oath at the National Flag, by means of public and solemn act.″

text:
Every natural or legal citizen is obligated to manifest public and solemn loyalty at the national flag.
Desecration of foreign flags is not forbidden, it is prohibited for buildings to raise any flag other than national ones, implying that Departments' flags cannot be raised on municipality buildings.

text: The Oath to the flag has to be taken by citizens at least once in life, the formal act is given on special celebration at a 19 June at every educational institute, defection contrives plenty granting of citizenship rights.[clarification needed]

text: Damaged national flags are burnt by the Uruguayan army every 24 September.

text: Venezuela[edit]

text: Since the demonstrations against the refusal by the government to renew the broadcasting license of RCTV (a major TV network), the upside-down flag of Venezuela has been adopted as a symbol of protest for this and other alleged threats to civil liberties. Demonstrators claim that it is a sign of distress and a call for help. However, government and ruling-party officials insist that these demonstrators are desecrating the flag, manipulated by the enemies of the people. An official video sharply criticizing this practice as disrespectful and traitorous was produced.[121] Globovisión prepended to the video a statement denouncing the message as violative of the Law on Social Responsibility on Radio and Television, "for constituting anonymous official propaganda".[122]

text: United Nations[edit]

text: In 2006 a United Nations flag was burned during a political campaign in Austin, Texas, USA in protest against United Nations policy. The other candidate[clarification needed] later claimed that it was an American flag that was burned.[123] In 2009 a UN flag was dragged on the ground to show disrespect in a Tea Party protest in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.[124]

text: Notes[edit]

text:
^ "Richard the Lionheart", by J. Gillingham, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 1978, p. 176.
^ "The RUC: A Force Under Fire", by Chris Ryder, London: Mandarin, 1992, p. 82
^ BBC: A motion calling for the Union Flag to be flown on Parliament Buildings every day the Northern Ireland Assembly meets has been defeated 6 June 2000
Flagging concern: the controversy over flags and emblems by Robin Wilson, Democratic Dialogue July 2000
".DOC" format: Flags Regulations