Patna, Jan. 24: A nomination dossier on inclusion of the ancient Nalanda University among the World Heritage Sites has been finally sent to Unesco six years after the ruins were put on the tentative list.

The Union ministry of culture, through the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), sent the nomination dossier to Unesco's World Heritage Centre in Paris yesterday. The deadline was January 30. Sources claimed any decision on inclusion of the ruins in the coveted World Heritage list is unlikely within a year.

Hemsagar A. Naik, the superintending archaeologist of ASI's Patna circle, said: "The dossier was dispatched for Paris (World Heritage Centre) on Friday. Teams from the World Heritage Centre would make two site visits around April and September this year. The decision on including the Nalanda ruins in the World Heritage list might take around a year's time."

The Nalanda University ruins, around 90km from Patna, were discovered during excavations conducted by the ASI in 1915-37 and 1974-82. It is said that in course of his journeys, Buddha often halted here. According to Jain texts, Mahavira, too, spent as many as 14 rainy seasons at the site. According to documents submitted by ASI to Unesco, an inscribed seal with Sri-Nalandamahavihariy-Arya-Bhikshu-Sanghasya written on it identifies the site as Nalanda Mahavihara. There are references that the city was spread over an area of 16sqkm of which only around 1sqkm has been excavated. The extensive remains are of six brick temples and 11 monasteries arranged on a systematic layout.

The Unesco included the ruins on its tentative list of World Heritage Sites in 2009. The process of preparing the nomination dossier - a formal application for seeking a position on the coveted list - started in 2013. It is a voluminous document that deliberates on numerous aspects about a monument, including its origin, exceptional testimony to the civilisation and masterpiece of art and architecture.

Sources claimed though the dossier was sent to Unesco, several procedures are yet to be completed by the state government.