Priyaranjan Mohapatra

India \ Member since January 2022

#282 201 48 5

Hello all passionate travelers & seekers !

Namaste! Hola! Hej! 안녕하세요! Juley! Jambo! привет! こんにちは ! 你好!

As a school kid my 1st trips were with my parents. They took us out to northernmost and southern most regions of India.

Later years, when I became "UNESCO WHS aware", I realized I'm way behind on sightings :) These days, I'm an avid WHS visitor and organize my trips around them, share the experiences.

I like going places... see the mix of - old edifices, Forts, Temples, Monasteries, Medinas, Monuments, Ruins, Gardens, objects of unspeakable beauty crafted by nature and anomalies of same, Mountains, Fjords, Volcanoes, Geysers, Glaciers, deserts, Karst, dramatic landscapes, some unbelievable structures that encapsulate human ingenuity & determination, soaking in Cultures, unique animals & bird species, and meeting new minds! … towards personal enrichment. during travels, I sometimes find oases of serenity which makes me pause & introspect !

declared World Heritage Sites & the Tentative ones (WHS & TWHS) provide a draft to visit a new geography, and make you travel off the beaten path. In the process I do get glimpses of human evolution around globe -- maybe Fossils of the early human ancestor found near Sterkfontein Caves in the "Cradle of Humankind" about 3.5 million years old , Or the 12,000 year old Thamudic petroglyphs in Wadi-Rum desert, or the exquisite craftmanship of medieval times in Hampi or Konark, or the spectacular urban creation on top of a 8000 ft. mountain in middle of tropical forest, without aid of modern building techniques - Machu Pichhu!

Of late, I collect differently....adding touristy to-dos, local cultural and culinary immersions, add a hike for the ground feel. Wish I had longer vacation days;)

I noticed many impressive sites not listed by UNESCO , yet some sites of lesser value been inscribed :( . Wish UNESCO did a better and balanced job.

There are times I feel like I've lived a 100 lives, walked on distant worlds !

...And gratitude forever 🙏to my family, extended family, schoolmates, collegemates, Odia /Bharatiya samaaj - Thank you for the love and wishes ❤

My most impressive site: The grandeur of Angkor.

My proposal for a new site:

  • Ekamra Khsetra , India (is TWHS, but worthy of WHS)
  • Torres Del Paine Natl Park, Chile (is TWHS, but worthy of WHS)
  • Atacama Desert , Chile (is TWHS, but worthy of WHS)
  • Postojna Cave Park, Slovenia (for WHS)

“Adventure should be part of everyone’s life. It is the whole difference between being fully alive and just existing.” – Holly Morris

“A comfort zone is a beautiful place… but nothing ever grows there.” – Anonymous

“If we wait until we are ready, we will be waiting for the rest of our life!” – Lemony Snicket

See you on a detour 😀

Recent Visits
  • 2
    0
    Nov. 28, 2025
    India/Guj: Champaner-Pavagadh, Maratha Military Landscapes
  • 3
    0
    Nov. 22, 2025
    North Ethiopia Nov 2025: Fasil Ghebbi, Lalibela, Simien National Park
  • 1
    1
    Oct. 17, 2025
    El Savador: Chalchuapa, Joya de Ceren
Top 10 Missing
  1. Rapa Nui 4.62
  2. Galapagos Islands 4.60
  3. Pyramids (Memphis) 4.51
  4. Ancient Thebes 4.51
  5. Yellowstone 4.49
  6. Tikal National Park 4.46
  7. Bagan 4.45
  8. Uluru 4.39
  9. Persepolis 4.37
  10. Old City of Jerusalem 4.36
Completed Countries

About Priyaranjan Mohapatra

Member since
January 2022
Country of Origin
India
Visits
Rank
#282
WHS
201
Tentative Sites
48
Website Participation
Reviews
1
Ratings

Ratings

World Heritage Sites
Tentative Sites
196 51
Locations
0
Zones
0
Reserved for members.

Reviews by Priyaranjan Mohapatra

Ekamra Kshetra by Stanislaw Warwas

Ekamra Kshetra (On tentative list)

Ekamra Kshetra

This wonderful temple city complex. esp. after the recent cleanup by the provincial Government of Odisha ; unfolds in an array of majestic structures that one can go back 1200 …

Keep reading Priyaranj… 09/02/22