World Heritage Sites in India

India’s World Heritage Sites (Total 43):

  • Cultural Sites: 35
  • Natural Sites: 7
  • Mixed Site: 1

Cultural World Heritage Sites (35)

Site (Included in UNESCO’s list)Location Significance
Agra Fort (1983)Uttar Pradesh– Palace fort with a crucial history of the
Ajanta Caves (1983)Maharashtra– Finest surviving examples of ancient Buddhist cave paintings and rock-cut architecture
Ellora Caves (1983)Maharashtra– Outstanding crystallization of ancient Indian rock-cut architecture representing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain faiths
Taj Mahal (1983)Uttar Pradesh– Architectural masterpiece of the Mughal era
Sun Temple, Konark (1984)Odisha– 13th-century temple extolling the Sun God Surya in unique architectural style and elaborate stone carvings
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)Tamil Nadu– 7th-8th century architectural and sculptural evolution in the port city of the Pallava dynasty
Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)Goa– Remnants of Portuguese colonial architecture and Christianity’s expansion in Asia
Fatehpur Sikri (1986)Uttar Pradesh– Imperial capital city built by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 16th century, blending Indo-Islamic architecture styles
Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)Karnataka– Capital city of Vijayanagara empire in 14th-16th century with brilliant temple architecture
Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)Madhya Pradesh– Clusters of Hindu and Jain temples built in 10th-11th century CE renowned for erotic sculptures of dancers and couples
Elephanta Caves (1987)Maharashtra– Rock-cut cave shrines of Shiva sect from 6th century CE with monumental sculpture
Great Living Chola Temples (1987, 2004)Tamil Nadu– 11th and 12th century Chola dynasty temple complexes demonstrating evolution of form and architecture
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)Karnataka– 8th century CE Chalukya dynasty temple exemplifying blend of Northern and Southern styles
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)Madhya Pradesh– Oldest stone structures extant from 3rd century BCE preserving core of Buddhist art and architecture
Humayun’s Tomb (1993)Delhi– Mughal tomb which is earliest Garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent, precursor to Taj Mahal
Qutb Minar and its Monuments (1993)Delhi– 13th-century minaret and monuments complex built by Qutubuddin Aibak heralding Indo-Islamic architecture
Mountain Railways of Darjeeling, Kalka Shimla & Nilgiri (1999)– Opened between 1881 and 1908, these hill railways exemplify bold engineering solutions for connecting mountainous terrains.
– Fully operational, they showcase the ingenuity of late 19th and early 20th-century engineering
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)Madhya Pradesh – Site demonstrating early human life through traces of prehistoric rock paintings dating 30,000 years ago
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)Gujarat– Pre-Mughal Islamic city and fort from the 8th to 14th centuries CE
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (2004)Maharashtra– It was designed by Frederick William Stevens in the Victorian Gothic style, drawing influences from Italian Gothic architecture and combining them with influences from Indian traditional buildings built in the late 19th century.
– It symbolised the wealth of Mumbai as a major commercial port within the British Commonwealth.
Red Fort Complex (2007)Delhi– Monumental 17th-century Mughal palace fort built when the empire was at its artistic zenith
The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010)Rajasthan– 18th-century astronomical observation site demonstrating empire’s scientific advancement
Hill Forts of Rajasthan (2014)Rajasthan– Massive hill forts in Rajasthan demonstrating the power of Rajput kingdoms
Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell), Patan (2014)Gujarat– Elaborately sculpted 11th century AD stepwell demonstrating mastery of engineering
Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (2016)Bihar– Archeological remnants of the ancient seat of Mahayana Buddhism and monastic learning in India
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, (2016)Chandigarh– An Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement is a World Heritage Site consisting of a selection of 17 building projects in several countries by the Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier.
– These sites demonstrate how Modern Movement architecture was applied to respond to the needs of society and show the global range of a style and an architect
Historic City of Ahmedabad (2017)Gujarat – World Heritage City founded in 15th-century exhibiting unique architectural styles
Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (2018)Maharashtra– 19th and 20th-century Gothic revival and Art Deco architectural creations in the growing port city
Jaipur City, Rajasthan
(2019)
Rajasthan– 18th century planned city founded as the capital of Amber kingdom exemplifying city planning and architecture
Dholavira: A Harappan City (2020)Gujarat– One of the largest and most prominent cities of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation dating 4000-1500 BCE
Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple (2021)Telangana– 13th-century engineering masterpiece of Kakatiya dynasty with splendid or
Santiniketan (2023)West Bengal– It is the cultural and educational centre established by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore
The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala (2023)KarnatakaThe famed Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somananthpura in Karnataka were constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries.
– Hoysala temples maintain a fundamental Dravidian morphology,
they exhibit substantial influences from the Bhumija style prevalent in Central India,
 the Nagara traditions of northern and western India, and
the Karnataka Dravida modes favoured by the Kalyani Chalukyas
Modiams (2024)AssamA 700-year-old burial mounds of the Ahom dynasty in Assam, marking first cultural site from northeastern state

Natural World Heritage Sites (7)

Site Location Significance
Kaziranga National Park (1985)Assam– Home of the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinocero
Keoladeo National Park (1985)Rajasthan– Important man-made wetland providing refuge to migratory waterbirds
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)Assam– Critical tiger habitat representing biodiversity of Eastern Himalayas
Sundarbans National Park (1987)West Bengal– Largest estuarine mangrove forest globally endangered by rising sea levels
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005)Uttarakhand– Contrasting alpine wildflower meadow and rugged glacial wilderness protecting diverse flora and fauna
Western Ghats (2012)Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra– Mountain range running parallel to western coast recognized for high endemism and biodiversity
Great Himalayan National Park (2014)Himachal Pradesh– Diverse ecosystems and biodiversity of the Great Himalayas, including glaciers, alpine meadows and forest wildlife

Mixed World Heritage Sites (1)

Site Location Cultural SignificanceNatural Signficane
Khangchendzonga National Park- (2016)Sikkim– Associated with indigenous Sikkimese culture and the sacred meaning of the mountain peak– Protects a huge range of eastern Himalayan biodiversity across different vegetation zones from subtropical to alpine meadows
Exit mobile version