Realising that the new State of Chhattisgarh was "full of surprises'' - some three years after it was carved out of Madhya Pradesh - the State Government has started a move to declare it as a Heritage State. A proposal in this regard was recently submitted by the Chhattisgarh Government to UNESCO. Though there is still a long way to go because of the 'rigorous and cumbersome' process adopted by UNESCO, the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board Managing Director, A. Jayathilak, claimed that the 'unchartered' heartland of the country had all the features of becoming a Heritage State as it was endowed with rich cultural heritage and attractive natural biodiversity.