Which one of the following famous Indian temples received the UNESCO Asia–Pacific Award of Merit in 2017 for its cultural heritage conservation efforts?

Introduction / Context:
The question tests awareness of important international recognition received by Indian monuments, in particular a UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit given in 2017 for outstanding cultural heritage conservation. Such awards highlight best practice in restoration and protection of historic structures, and they are regularly asked in competitive examinations as part of current affairs and general knowledge on Indian heritage.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The award in focus is the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
• The year mentioned is 2017.
• All four options are prominent Hindu temples located in different parts of India.
• Only one of these temples actually received this specific UNESCO award in 2017.

Concept / Approach:
To answer this question, you need to recall which Indian temple was recognised by UNESCO in 2017 for exemplary conservation and restoration work. The Asia Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation honour projects that successfully restore, conserve, and manage heritage structures while respecting their historical character. A simple elimination approach based on known news and static general knowledge about major temple restorations is sufficient here.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam in Tamil Nadu underwent a massive restoration and renovation programme in recent years. Step 2: This large scale conservation project was widely reported in the news because it was carried out without damaging the centuries old temple architecture and art. Step 3: In 2017 UNESCO conferred the Asia Pacific Award of Merit for Cultural Heritage Conservation upon this temple project. Step 4: None of the other options, such as Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati, Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, or Kedarnath Temple in Uttarakhand, received this specific UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit in 2017. Step 5: Therefore, among the given alternatives, Sri Ranganathaswami Temple, Srirangam is the correct choice.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this fact by checking standard current affairs compilations for 2017 or official notes on UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards. They clearly list Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple at Srirangam as the Award of Merit winner for that year, mainly for the outstanding conservation effort undertaken through a public private partnership model and for maintaining the integrity of the original Dravidian temple complex.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Kamakhya Temple, Guwahati is an important Shakti shrine in Assam, but it was not the recipient of the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit in 2017. Meenakshi Temple, Madurai is a famous temple with rich architecture, yet it did not receive this particular UNESCO conservation award in the specified year. Kedarnath Temple, Kedarnath is a major pilgrimage site in Uttarakhand, and although it has seen reconstruction after floods, it was not honoured with this UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit in 2017.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to select a very famous or visually grand temple like Meenakshi or Kedarnath based purely on popularity rather than on actual award related facts. Another error is to confuse the UNESCO World Heritage List, which includes sites like temples, forts, and natural areas, with the separate UNESCO Asia Pacific Awards for Conservation that recognise specific restoration projects. Reading questions quickly and assuming that any well known temple must be the answer often leads to incorrect choices.

Final Answer:
The temple that received the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit in 2017 for cultural heritage conservation is Sri Ranganathaswami Temple, Srirangam.