UNESCO Heritage Sites of India
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established in 1972 has made a list of some Indian monuments which we call UNESCO heritage sites of India. The list contains those monuments which represents a masterpiece of human creative genius and exhibit an important interchange of human values. Talking about India, there are 38 sites in total in which 30 are cultural sites, 7 natural and 1 mixed criteria site. India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world and on top of the list are the countries China and Italy with 55 sites. The list was made in the year 1983 with 4 sites i.e., Ajanta Caves, Agra Fort, Ellora Caves, Taj Mahal.
1. The Ajanta Caves
Located in Mumbai, The Buddhists caves are built in two phases. The first was from the reign of Emperor Ashoka and the other was made by the rulers from the Gupta dynasty. The caves depict fresco paintings like sigiriya paintings in Sri Lanka. There are a total of 31 rock-cut unique cave monuments which are universally regarded as masterpieces of Buddhist religious arts.
2. The Ellora Caves
Dated to 600 to 1000 AD, The Ellora Caves are located in Mumbai,Maharashtra. The caves are a cultural mix of religious arts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. It is one of the largest rock-cut monastery temple caves in the world. There are over 100 caves at the site all excavated from the basalt cliffs, 34 of which are open to public. They are also known as Ellora Complex.
3. Agra Fort
The Agra fort is also known as Red Fort of Agra which was made by the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty. The owners of the Fort are Lodhi Dynasty, Mughal Dynasty, Suri Dynasty, Maratha Empire, Britishers and currently, Government of India is maintaining the fort. The structure built within the precincts are Khas Mahal, Diwan-I-Am, Pearl Mosque, Nagina Masjid, Shish Mahal. It is near the Taj Mahal, with a buffer zone separating the two monuments.
4. Taj Mahal
The Taj is also entitled as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Located in Agra of the Indian state, Uttar Pradesh. It was built by Emperor Shah jahan in the loving memories of his third wife Mumtaj Mahal who had died in 1631. Made of ivory-white marble in typical Mughal architecture, it's elements are from Persia, Islam and many precious and semi-precious stones were used in the ornamentation.
5. Konark Sun Temple
Made in the 13th century, Temple is located on the coastline of Odisha, India. Dedicated to the Hindu lord Surya(sun) It is built in the form of chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels and is heavily decorated with symbolic stones carvings and led by a team of seven horses. The temple is a major pilgrimage site for Hindus who gather here every year for the Chandrabhaga Mela. It is depicted on the Indian currency note of 10 to signify it's importance to Indian culture.
6. Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
It is a collection of religious monuments from the 7th and 8th century. Located on coromandel coast of Bay of Bengal, about 60 kilometres south of Chennai. The site has 40 ancient monuments and Hindu temples including one of the largest open-air rock reliefs, Descent of the Ganges, Ratha temples, Cave temples. The monuments were built by the Emperors of Pallava Dynasty popularly known as Seven Pagodas.
7. Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga national park is located in Golaghat, Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. The park is a home to the highest density of Tigers and over two thousands of Rhinos. The park celebrated its centennial in 2005 after its establishment in 1905 as a reserve forest. It was declared as World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its unique natural environment.
8. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
Located in the northeastern state of Assam on the border with Bhutan. The sanctuary is a habitat of several species of plants, some of the rare wildlife such as Assam roofed turtle. Manas is famous for it's population of the wild water buffalo. since,1992 the sanctuary was listed among "The world heritage in danger" but was removed in 2011 after significant conservation efforts.
9. Keoladeo National Park
The park is located within Indus-ganges in Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Formerly known as the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is famous for its high density of birds. It is a man-made and man-managed wetland. these diverse habitat are home to 366 bird species, 379 floral species, 50 fish species and variety of other invertebrates.
10. Churches and Convents of Goa
These include seven religious monuments of Goa that are The Church of our lady of the Rosary, Se Cathedral, Basilica of Bom Jesus, Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, Chapel of Santa Catarina, Ruins of the Church of St. Augustine, Church of Divine Preference.
11. Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Dated 950 AD to 1050 AD, The Khajuraho group of monuments are an attribute to the Chandela Dynasty. It is a group of Hindu temples and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh about 175km southeast of Jhansi. It includes 22 temples out of which 18 temples are dedicated to hindu lords.
12. Group of Monuments at Hampi
Located in East central Karnataka, it is a pilgrimage centre of hindu, Jain and Muslim region. It includes the famous Virupaksha temple and Krishna temple aka Balakrishnan temple. In general, there are total of 13 Hindu temples, 2 Jain and a mosque of the religion Muslim. It has been described by UNESCO as an "austere, grandiose, site" of more than 1600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu Kingdom in south India.
13. Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri (In English, The city of Victory) was built in the 16th century by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the now state Uttar Pradesh. Akbar decided to built this on the birth place of his son, the future Emperor, Jahangir also known as Salim. The khanqah of Sheikh Salim existed earlier at this place. Akbar's son Jahangir was born at the village of Sikri in 1569 and that year Akbar began construction of a religious compound to commemorate the Sheikh who had predicted the birth.
14. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal
It covers a remarkable series of nine Hindu temples, as well as a Jain Sanctuary in Northern Karnataka. It includes Kadasiddheshwara temple, Jambulingeshwara temple, Galaganatha temple, Chandrashekhara temple, Sangameshwara temple, Kashi Vishwanatha temple, Mallikarjuna temple, Virupaksha temple, Papanatha temple and Jain Narayana temple. In this group of temples, the Virupaksha temple (it is different from Virupaksha temple at hampi) is considered as the most outstanding architectural edifice. These are a remarkable combination of temples built by the Chalukya Dynasty in the 6th to the 8th century at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal.
15. The Elephanta Caves
This is a collection of cave temples mainly dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. They are located in elephant island or Gharapura which is in Mumbai Harbour, 10kms East of Mumbai. The site consists of two groups of caves, the first one is a large group of five Hindu caves while the second is a small group of two Buddhist caves. The rock-cut architecture of the caves is dated to between 5th and 8th centuries.
16. The Great Living Chola Temples
Became world Heritage site in 1987, the Great Living Chola Temples are built by Chola dynasty in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The site includes three great temples of the 11th and 12th centuries namely, Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur and Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. The monuments include one more temple i.e., Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
17. Sundarbans National Park
It is a national park, a tiger reserve and a biosphere reserve in West Bengal, India. The delta is densely covered by Mangrove forests and is home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile. It has been designated as a Ramsar site since 30 January 2019. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed 1987.
18. Nanda Devi and Valleys of Flowers National Parks
It possess of two core areas about 20km apart, made up by the Nanda Devi National Park, Valley of Flowers National Park, plus an encompassing combined Buffer Zone. It is located in the Garhwal Himalaya of Chamoli District of Uttarakhand. This richly diverse area is home to rare animals such as Asiatic Black Bear, Snow Leopard, Brown Bear and Blue Sheep.
19. Buddhist monuments at Sanchi
Located 45 kilometres north-east of Bhopal in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. These are a group of Buddhist monuments dated between 100 BC to 200 BC. The principal and oldest structure monument is Sanchi Stupa. The stupa was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE as Sanchi was the birthplace of Ashoka's wife as well as the venue of their wedding. To signify importance of Indian cultural Heritage, Sanchi Stupa is depicted on the reverse side of the Indian currency note of Rs 200.
20. Humayun's Tomb
The first tomb built with several innovations, set at the center of gardens with water channels, a pavilion and a bath. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife and chief associate in 1558, Located in Nizamuddin, East Delhi, close to the Purana Qila, that Humayun founded in 1533. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 for it's cultural importance.
21. Qutub Minar
Qutub Minar, located on the south of Delhi, is a red sandstone tower of 72.5 meters height with a base of 14.32 meters. The construction of the site was started by the first Sultan Of Delhi, Qutub-ud-din Aibak from Mamluk Dynasty and continued by his successor Iltutmish and finally completed by Firoz Shah Tughlak. Qutub Minar means "Victory Tower" and it is named after Sufi Saint Khwaja Qutub-ud-din Bakhtair Kaki.
22. Mountain Railways of India
It represents a collection of monuments namely The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, The Nilgiri Mountain Railway and The Kalka-Shimla Railway. There is one more railway but that is on the tentative list of UNESCO i.e., Matheran Hill Railway. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was built between 1878 and 1881 and recognized by UNESCO in 1999, The Nilgiri Mountain Fountain Railway was built by British in 1908 and recognized in 2005, The Kalka-Shimla Railway was built between 1898-1903 and added in the UNESCO Heritage Site list with the other two in the year 2008.
23. Mahabodhi Temple Complex
An area of 4.86 hectares, built by the Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century around the bodhi tree in the Indian State of Bihar. It is the oldest temple in the Indian sub-continent built during the Golden-Age of Indian Culture.
24. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka
It is located in the Raisen district of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh around 45 kilometers south-east of Bhopal. It was inscribed in 2003 that consists of seven hills and over 750 rock shelters distributed over 10km. Some of these feature prehistoric cave paintings and the earliest are 10,000 years old.
25. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
It is a historic railway station in Mumbai serves as the headquarters of the central railways. It was named after Queen Victoria as she celebrated her golden jubilee in 1887, the name was "Victoria Terminus" .
26. Champaner-Pavagadh archaeological Park
It is situated in the Panchmahal district of Gujarat and was built by the Chavda Dynasty, dated from the 8th to the 14th century. It was inscribed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2004. It is located at 1 mile to the south of Pavagadh Hill and is considered to be one of the oldest rock formations in India.
27. Red Fort Complex
It is a place popularly known as Lal Qila built by the Mughal Emperor ShahJahan in the 17th century. The architectural structure represents a blend of Persian, Timuri and Indian, Isfahan is said to be the inspiration to built the Red Fort Complex. Built between 1639 to 1648, enclosing an area of size 656 metres x 328 metres.
28. The Jantar Mantar
The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a collection of architectural instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh between 1727 to 1734. It is modelled after the one he built in Delhi. It is said to be better and larger than the one in Delhi.
29. Western Ghats
The western Ghats are also known as Sahyadri Mountains. It consists of Agasthyamalai Sub-Cluster (Kerala), Periyar Sub-Cluster (Kerala), Anamalai Sub-Cluster (Kerala), Nilgiri Sub-Cluster (Tamil Nadu), Talakaveri Sub-Cluster (Karnataka), Kudremukh Sub-Cluster (Karnataka), Sahyadri Sub-Cluster (Maharashtra).
30. Hill Forts of Rajasthan
The Hill Forts of Rajasthan, are a series of sites located on rocky outcrops of the Aravallis mountain range in Rajasthan. It consists of Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambhore, Amber sub-cluster, Jaisalmer, Gagron. The series are dated from 7th to 16th centuries.
31. Rani Ki vav
Rani Ki Vav (The Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat. It is famous for it's size and sculpture, built in the 11th century. Located on the banks of Saraswati river, the site is attributed to Udayamati, daughter of the queen of 11th century Solanki Dynasty. It is listed by UNESCO in 2014.
32. Great Himalayan National Park
Located at Kullu in the Indian state of Himanchal Pradesh, includes 25 forest types along with a rich assemblage of fauna species, several of which are threatened. The park was established in 1984 and is protected under the strict guidelines of the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
33. Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara
The site is located on the northeastern part of India, Bihar, dated 5th century. It includes stupas, shrines, viharas and important art works in stucco, stone and metal. It was inscribed as World Heritage Site in 2016.
34. Kangchenjunga National Park
Khangchendzonga National Park also Kanchenjunga Biosphere Reserve, located at the heart of Himalayan Mountains, Sikkim. The site includes various unique plains, lakes, glaciers, valleys, including the world's third highest peak "Mount Khangchendzonga".
35. The Architectural work of Le Corbusier
The site consists of 17 building projects in several different countries by the Franco-Swiss architect Le Corbusier. This architectural work is a heritage site in 7 countries (Argentina, Belgium etc.) including India.
36. Historic City of Ahmedabad
The walled city of Ahmedabad, despite having become crowded and dilapidated, it serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan. Founded by Ahmad Shah, it was established in 1411 and recognized by UNESCO in 2017 as a Heritage Site. The city continued to flourish as the capital of the state Gujarat for six centuries, up to the present.
37. The Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai
This is a collection of 19th century Victorian Neo Gothic public buildings i.e., Bombay High Court, Rajabai Clock Tower, Eros Cinema, The University of Mumbai (Fort Campus), City Civil, Wellington Fountain, Regal Cinema, Buildings around the Oval Maiden and Marine Drive, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus etc.
38. Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan, founded in 1727 by the Rajput Ruler Jai Singh. It is the tenth most populous city in the country and is also known as Pink City due to the dominant color scheme of it's monuments.
There's is a tentative list of monuments which has been submitted to UNESCO for Evaluation. If you want to know about them, Do mention in the comments section.
