Written by Shefali NarulaSarnath, revered as the site where Gautama Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment, has been inscribed as India’s 45th Unesco World Heritage Site. India now has 45 World Heritage Sites — 37 cultural, seven natural, and one mixed — the sixth-highest number of any country. How does a site become a Unesco World Heritage Site? Many World Heritage Sites continue to grapple with overcrowding, over-commercialisation, pollution, climate change and urban encroachment. From the rock-cut caves of Ajanta and Ellora to the sacred landscape of Sarnath, India’s World Heritage journey reflects an evolving understanding of heritage itself.