La dimensión geológica del patrimonio cultural: el caso de las cuevas de Ajanta (Maharashtra, India)
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El desarrollo internacional tanto para la geoconservación como para el geoturismo requiere que se preste atención a todo tipo de patrimonio geológico (potencial). Las cuevas de Ajanta (Maharashtra occidental, India) son un famoso bien cultural que consiste en 30 cuevas talladas en las Traps de Decán e inscritas en la lista de la UNESCO de los sitios del Patrimonio Mundial. Su examen permite indicar cuatro características geológicas, que son las cuevas artificiales propiamente dichas (que marcan la actividad geológica del hombre en el pasado histórico), los basaltos de flujo del final del Cretácico (que demuestran el emplazamiento de la Gran Provincia Ígnea y la pertinente catástrofe paleoambiental), el desfiladero del río Waghora (se trata de una peculiar forma del terreno resultante de la erosión fluvial de las rocas duras), y el peligro de desprendimiento de rocas (se trata de un interesante fenómeno geológico de ingeniería vinculado a la construcción/mantenimiento de las cuevas). Se argumenta el valor de patrimonio geológico de estas características. Lamentablemente, no hay ninguna actividad de geoturismo en las Cuevas de Ajanta en la actualidad. El análisis del contenido de los principales recursos en línea (páginas web) dedicados a este sitio cultural revela la ausencia de suficiente información geológica que facilite el geoturismo. En general, los juicios sobre las Cuevas de Ajanta y los demás sitios similares en la dimensión geológica permiten considerar el amplio espectro del patrimonio geológico. También ponen de relieve algunas oportunidades adicionales para el geoturismo, que puede beneficiarse de su desarrollo en sitios culturales con miles de visitantes.
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