List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India : 2023

Discover the rich cultural and natural heritage of India through List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. India has many special places recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. Some of these are Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Taj Mahal, and Khajuraho Group of Monuments, which represent our rich culture. Additionally, there are natural sites like Kaziranga National Park, Keoladeo National Park, and Manas Wildlife Sanctuary. In total, India has 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India includes sites of outstanding universal value that are considered important for humanity, whether they are cultural, natural, or mixed.

The list includes various locations around the world, and it is maintained by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. These sites are recognized for their cultural, historical, or scientific significance.

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India

S.No	Name of Sites	Year	Location	Key Points
1	Ajanta Caves	1983	Maharashtra	Renowned for its Buddhist rock-cut cave monuments, adorned with intricate paintings and frescoes reminiscent of the artistic style found in Sigiriya paintings..
2	Ellora Caves	1983	Maharashtra	Notable for its Rock-cut Architecture excavated out of Hills.
3	Agra Fort	1983	Agra	It is the 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Agra Red Fort.
4	Taj Mahal	1983	Agra	One of the Seven Wonders of the World.
5	Sun Temple	1984	Orissa	Renowned for its traditional Kalinga Architecture style
6	Group of Monuments Mahabalipuram	1984	Tamil Nadu	Recognized for its Rathas, Mandapas, and massive open-air reliefs.
7	Kaziranga National Park	1985	Assam	Home to Great One-Horned Rhinoceroses.
8	Keoladeo National Park	1985	Rajasthan	Popular for being a Man-Made Wetland Bird Sanctuary and a Hotspot for Ornithologists. Home to Siberian Cranes.
9	Manas Wildlife Sanctuary	1985	Assam	Renowned for its distinctive biodiversity and landscape, Manas is the first reserve to be incorporated into the network of tiger reserves under Project Tiger in 1973.
10	Churches and Convents of Goa	1986	Goa	Known as the Rome of the Orient. Features the First Manueline, Mannerist, and Baroque Art Forms in Asia.
11	Monuments of Khajuraho	1986	Madhya Pradesh	Renowned for a group of Jain and Hindu Temples. Notable for Nagara style symbolism and erotic Figures.
12	Monuments of Hampi	1986	Karnataka	Represents the prosperous kingdom of Vijayanagar, showcasing Dravidian style of art.
13	Fatehpur Sikri	1986	Agra	Constitutes four main monuments – Jama Masjid, Buland Darwaza, Panch Mahal, and Diwan-e-Khas.
14	Elephanta Caves	1987	Maharashtra	Popular for Buddhist and Hindu caves on an Island in the Arabian Sea.
15	Great Living Chola Temples	1987	Tamil Nadu	Known for Chola Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, and Bronze Casting.
16	Pattadakal Monuments	1987	Karnataka	Famous for Chalukya style of architecture blending Nagara and Dravidian styles.
17	Sundarbans National Park	1987	West Bengal	Renowned as a Biosphere Reserve and the Largest Estuarine Mangrove Forest. Home to Bengal Tiger and Salt-Water Crocodile.
18	Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers National Park	1988	Uttarakhand	Known for housing Snow Leopard, Asiatic Black Bear, Blue Sheep, and Himalayan Monal. Part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
19	Monuments of Buddha	1989	Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh	Famous for Monolithic Pillars, Palaces, Monasteries, Temples, and Mauryan Architecture. Contains the Ye Dharma Hetu Inscriptions.
20	Humayun’s Tomb	1993	Delhi	Popular for being the Precursors to the Taj Mahal and Mughal Architecture. Features a Tomb, a Pavilion, Water Channels, and a Bath.
21	Qutub Minar and its Monuments	1993	Delhi	Encompasses Qutub Minar, Alai Darwaza, Alai Minar, Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque, Tomb of Iltumish, and Iron Pillar.
22	Mountain Railways of Darjeeling, Kalka Shimla & Nilgiri	1999	Darjeeling	Comprises the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and the Kalka-Shimla Railway.
23	Mahabodhi Temple	2002	Bihar	An important religious center where Mahatma Buddha attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is considered the holiest pilgrimage spot for Buddhists.
24	Bhimbetka Rock Shelters	2003	Madhya Pradesh	Famous for Rock Paintings within Natural Rock Shelters, Stone Age Inscriptions, and being the Sitting Place of Bhima from Mahabharata.
25	Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus	2004	Maharashtra	Known for being the central Railways Headquarters, the site of Terror Attacks on Mumbai in 2008, and its Gothic Style Architecture.
26	Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park	2004	Gujarat	The only complete and unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city. The park also houses some ancient Chalcolithic Indian Sites from the Stone Age era.
27	Red Fort	2007	Delhi	Notable for its Shahjahanabad, Persian, Timuri, and Indian Architectural Styles. Features the Moti Masjid.
28	Jantar Mantar	2010	Delhi	Famous for its Architectural Astronomical Instruments, commissioned by Maharaja Jai Singh II. The largest of its kind Observatory.
29	Western Ghats	2012	Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra	Renowned as one of the World’s Ten “Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots”. Includes many National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Reserve Forests.
30	Hill Forts	2013	Rajasthan	Known for its unique Rajput Military Defense Architecture. Includes six majestic forts in Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore Fort, Gagron Fort, Amber Fort, and Jaisalmer Fort.
31	Rani Ki Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell)	2014	Gujarat	An explicit example of fine Ancient Indian architecture constructed during the time of the Solanki dynasty.
32	Great Himalayan National Park	2014	Himachal Pradesh	Home to about 375 fauna species and several rare floral species. A part of the Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspots.
33	Nalanda	2016	Bihar	A center of learning and a Buddhist monastery from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE.
34	Khangchendzonga National Park	2016	Sikkim	Famous for its fauna and flora
35	Architectural Work of Le Corbusier	2016	Chandigarh	Outstanding contribution to the Modern Movement.
36	The Historic City of Ahmedabad	2017	Ahmedabad	On the banks of Sabarmati where communities
37	Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles	2018	Mumbai	A collection of 94 buildings of great cultural importance, located in the Fort Area of Mumbai.
38	The Pink City	2019	Jaipur	Home to magnificent forts, palaces, temples, and museums.
39	Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple	2021	Telangana	The structure is built from lightweight porous bricks – called ‘floating bricks’ – and decorated with carved granite and dolerite beams and pillars.
40	Dholavira	2021	Gujarat	In 1968, archaeologist Jagat Pati Joshi discovered Dholavira in the Kutch district of Gujarat.
41	Santiniketan	2023	West Bengal	Located in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.Cultural and educational hub founded by Rabindranath Tagore..
42	Hoysala Temples of Belur, Halebid and Somananthpura	2023	Karnataka	The 42nd site in India. The temples are located in Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura in the Hassan and Mysuru districts of Karnataka

Also See- List of Important International Boundary Lines of the World

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