World Heritage Sites of India
1. Agra Fort :
The Agra Fort, also known as the "Red Fort", is located in Agra, India. It was included as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.
2. Ajanta Caves
The Ajanta Caves, located in the Ajanta district of Maharashtra, are about 29 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments built between the 2nd and 3rd centuries BCE. It was built during the Gupta period (5th and 6th centuries AD. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
The mattings in Ajanta Cave depict Jataka tales.
3. Ellora Caves:
It is located in Aurangabad (Maharashtra) and was built by the Kalachuri, Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties during the 6th and 9th centuries. The Ellora Caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. The Ellora Caves are the largest rock-cut monuments in the world.
4. Taj Mahal:
The Taj Mahal is located on the right bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. The relief architecture technique is mainly used to decorate the Taj Mahal.
It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.
5. Mahabalipuram Temple:
It is a group of monuments established by the Pallava kings who built the Coromandel in the 7th and 8th centuries. It was carved out of rock along the coast. It is particularly known for its Rathas (temples in the form of chariots), Mandapas (cave sanctuaries), Giant Open Air Reliefs like the famous Descent of the Ganges River, Temple and Glory of Shiva, which has thousands of sculptures.
The Mahavalipuram temple has five Rathas: Dharmaraja (Yudhistira) Ratha, Bhima Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Nakula Sahadeva Ratha and Draupadi Ratha.
6. Konark Sun Temple :
An architectural marvel of India's heritage, the Konark Sun Temple, commonly known as Konark, is located in Odisha. The Konark temple is a massive temple dedicated to the Sun God. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
7. Kaziranga National Park (Nagaon district and Golaghat, Assam) :
Kaziranga is spread over an area of 430 km2. Kaziranga has the highest density of tigers among the protected areas of the world. It was declared a Tiger Reserve in 2006 and included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. It is famous for the one-horned rhinoceros (Indian rhinoceros).
8. Keoladeo National Park-
Formerly known as Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Rajasthan), it was declared a national park in 1982 and listed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. The park is home to over 375 species of birds and animals, such as the basking python, painted stork, deer, nilgai, etc. It is mainly known for the migratory Siberian crane.
9. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary-
The Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the state of Assam in northeastern India, which is a biodiversity hotspot. The Manas Wildlife Sanctuary was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1985. In 1989, Manas acquired the status of a biosphere reserve.
10. Churches and Monasteries of Goa –
The Churches and Monasteries of Goa is a convent located in the former capital of the Portuguese Indies, about 10 km east of Panjim, the capital of Goa, on the west coast of India. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
11. Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri was built by Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century. Fatehpur Sikri (City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only 10 years. It is a complex of monuments and temples, built in a similar architectural style, including India’s largest mosque, built in honour of the Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chishti. Akbar moved his residence and court from Agra to Fatehpur Sikri. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986
12. Group of Monuments at Hampi –
The sacred and magnificent sites of Hampi mainly consist of the remains of the last capital city of the Vijayanagara Empire (14th-16th century), the last great Hindu empire. Located in the Tungabhadra basin in the Bellary district of central Karnataka, the engineer who brought the ruins to light was Colonel Colin Mackenzie.
In 1986, Hampi was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
13. Khajuraho Group of Monuments (Madhya Pradesh) –
The group of temples at Khajuraho was built by the kings of the Chandela dynasty, which reached the peak of its art between 950 and 1050. It belongs mainly to two different religions, Hinduism and Jainism, it was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
14. Elephanta Caves -
The Elephanta Caves are a network of sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island or Gharapuri in Maharashtra. There are seven caves divided into two groups: the first five are a large group of Hindu caves, and the second two are a smaller group of Buddhist caves. The Hindu caves contain rock-cut stone sculptures representing the Shaivite Hindu sect, dedicated to Lord Shiva. There is a 7-meter high sculpture known as 'Sadashiva' representing the three aspects of Lord Shiva in this cave. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
15. Great Living Chola Temples -
The Great Living Chola Temples were built by the kings of the Chola Empire, which spread throughout South India.
The site includes three great temples of the 11th and 12th centuries: the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. The temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, built by Rajendra I, was completed in 1035. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
16. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal-
Pattadakal in Karnataka represents the high point of an eclectic art form, which achieved a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India, under the Chalukya dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries. An impressive array of nine Hindu temples as well as a Jain sanctuary are seen there. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
17. Sundarbans National Park-
Sundarbans, the world’s largest delta, comprises 10,200 sq km of mangrove forests spread across India and Bangladesh. The portion of the forest within Indian territory is called the Sundarbans National Park and is in the southern part of West Bengal. The forest has a large number of Sundari trees. Sundarbans is world famous for the Royal Bengal Tigers. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
18. Nanda Devi National Park (Uttarakhand) –
It was inscribed in the World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. The park was established in 1982 as Sanjay Gandhi National Park and was renamed as Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Park in 2005. Located high in the West Himalayas, India’s Valley of Flowers National Park is famous for endemic alpine flowers and meadows of outstanding natural beauty.
19. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh) -
The Great Stupa at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and was originally built in the 3rd century BCE by Emperor Ashoka the Great. Sanchi was included as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1989. This is a testament to successful improvement and conservation.
20. Humayun's Tomb, Delhi -
Built by Haji Begum in 1570, this tomb has special cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb in the Indian subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating in the construction of the Taj Mahal. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
21. Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi -
The Qutb Minar was built in the early 13th century a few kilometres south of Delhi. It is surrounded by the Alai-Darwaza gate.
Qutub Minar is a tower made of red sandstone which is 73 (72.5 m) meters high. The process of construction of Qutub Minar took a long time (about 75 years). Its construction was started by Qutub-ud-din Aibak in 1193 and finished by Iltutmish.
It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. .
22. Mountain Railways of India -
The Mountain Railways of India include three railways
1. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Northeast India) was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
2. Nilgiri Mountain Railway, located in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu (South India), was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
3. Kalka Shimla, Himachal Pradesh Railway (Northwest India), was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008.
23. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya-
The Mahabodhi Temple Complex was the first temple built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples, made entirely of brick, still standing from the late Gupta period. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002.
24. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh)-
Discovered by Dr Vishnu Shrishar Wakankar in 1957-1958, it was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
Some of the Stone Age rock paintings found in the Bhimbetka rock shelters are about 30,000 years old. These caves also provide early evidence of dance.
25. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park-
It is a part of an unexcavated archaeological, historical and living cultural heritage site located in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
26. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus, Mumbai)-
It is one of the finest functional railway station buildings in the world and is used by over three million passengers daily.
It is an excellent example of the merging of two cultures, as British architects collaborated with Indian craftsmen to incorporate Indian architectural tradition. Thus creating a new style for Mumbai. It was the first terminus station in the subcontinent. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
27. Red Fort Complex (Delhi)-
The Red Fort is surrounded by a rubble-stone wall with bastions, gates and wickets at intervals. The Red Fort has fourteen gates. The Lahori Gate is its main entrance. Its construction was supervised by Shah Jahan himself. It was given the status of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2007. The art exhibition held at the Red Fort showcased art from the 16th century to India's independence
28. Jantar Mantar, Jaipur -
Jantar Mantar, built in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is an astronomical observation site built by Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh in the early 18th century. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. 29. Western Ghats: The Western Ghats begin near the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra, south of the Tapti River, and run for about 1,600 km through the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and end at Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India. It has an average height of 1200 m. It is not an actual hill range. It covers the west coast states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2012. It also has an exceptionally high level of biological diversity and endemism and is recognized as one of the world's eight hottest hotspots of biological diversity. 30. Hill Forts of Rajasthan -
All the sites are located in the state of Rajasthan and mainly include the majestic forts of Chittaurgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jaipur and Jaisalmer. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013.
31. Rani-ki-Vav (Rani ki Bawdi)
Rani-ki-Vav is located in Patan, Gujarat, on the banks of the Saraswati River. It was initially built in the 11th century AD as a memorial to a king. Stepwells are a distinctive form of underground water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent and have been constructed since the 3rd millennium BC.
It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.
32. The Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP)
It is located in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh, India. It was formally declared a national park in 1999 with a scattered area of 754.4 sq km. The Great Himalayan National Park is home to many flora and fauna and more than 375 animal species. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.
33. Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara in Nalanda, Bihar
The Nalanda Mahavihara site is in the Bihar state of north-eastern India. It consists of archaeological remains of a monastery and educational institution dating from the 3rd century BC to the 13th century. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.
34. Kanchenjunga National Park, Sikkim
Located in the Himalayan range in part of the North and West Sikkim districts of the beautiful state of Sikkim in the north-east region of India, Kanchenjunga is the largest national park in the world. The national park was declared India's first mixed heritage World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2016, Kanchenjunga National Park also includes the Kanchenjunga peak, the third highest peak in the world. The national park is famous for its fauna and flora, snow leopards are sometimes seen.
35. Complex Capital Chandigarh -
Le Corbusier's architectural work in many countries, including the Capital Complex of Chandigarh, has been recognized as a World Heritage Site as part of the outstanding contribution to the modern movement. It was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.
36. Historic City of Ahmedabad -
The country's first city, Ahmedabad was declared a World Heritage City by UNESCO in 2017. Ahmedabad includes 28 monuments listed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Ahmedabad is a city located on the banks of the Sabarmati River. Ahmedabad was founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in the 15th century.
37. Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai-
Added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2018, the Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai is a collection of 94 buildings of great cultural significance, located in the Fort area of Mumbai, surrounding the Oval Maidan, formerly known as the Esplanade
38. Jaipur City, Rajasthan The Pink City
It is one of the largest cities in India and surrounded by walls and gates decorated with paintings on a beautiful pink background, the Pink City successfully manages to retain its old world charm. It was included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2019.
39. Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple - Included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021, the Ramappa Temple is located in the Mulugu district of Telangana. The structure of the Ramappa temple features carved granite and dolerite beams and pillars decorated with distinctive and pyramidal edifices made of lightweight granite and dolerite.
40. Dholavira: A Harappan city - The Dholavira site was discovered in 1968 by archaeologist Jagatpati Joshi in the Kutch district of Gujarat. It was a commercial and manufacturing center of ancient India, and was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.