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List of 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India as of November 2023

India, a land steeped in history, culture, and natural wonders, boasts a total of 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as of November 2023.

Pratidin Bureau

28 Nov 2023 23:14 IST

New Update

List of 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India as of November 2023 — UNESCO World Heritage Sites

UNESCO World Heritage Sites: India, a land steeped in history, culture, and natural wonders, boasts a total of 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as of November 2023. This significant milestone includes recent additions, such as Santiniketan and the revered Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid, and Somananthpura in Karnataka. These sites represent the rich tapestry of India's cultural and natural heritage, earning global recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India Till November 2023

The latest additions to India's illustrious list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites underscore the nation's commitment to preserving its diverse heritage. Santiniketan, the cultural and educational center founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, received this prestigious recognition during the 45th session of the World Heritage Committee in Saudi Arabia. Notably, the inclusion of the Hoysala temples marks the 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site in India, reaffirming the country's cultural and historical significance on the global stage.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972, aims to recognize and protect sites of exceptional cultural and natural importance worldwide. India's latest additions bring the nation's total to 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, making it the sixth country globally with the most recognized sites. Among these, 34 sites are cultural, 7 are natural, and 1 is a combination of both cultural and natural marvels.

In essence, UNESCO acknowledges 42 places in India as possessing outstanding universal value, meriting preservation for future generations. These sites encompass ancient temples, forts, palaces, caves, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries, collectively showcasing India's diverse and vibrant cultural tapestry and ecological wonders. Visitors to the country are invited to explore and appreciate these sites, each a testament to India's rich historical and natural legacy.

What is UNESCO World Heritage Site?

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a location recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its exceptional cultural, natural, or mixed (both cultural and natural) significance. The designation is granted based on specific criteria outlined in the Convention regarding the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, accepted by UNESCO in 1972.

Criteria for UNESCO World Heritage Sites:

Human Creative Genius: Sites reflecting human creativity and innovation.
Interchange of Values: Locations showcasing the interchange of human values.
Testimony to Cultural Tradition: Sites serving as testimony to cultural traditions.
Significance in Human History: Locations with historical significance.
Traditional Human Settlement: Sites representing traditional human settlement patterns.
Heritage Associated with Events of Universal Significance: Locations linked to events of global significance.
Natural Phenomena or Beauty: Sites featuring extraordinary natural phenomena or beauty.
Major Stages of Earth’s History: Locations illustrating key stages in Earth's history.
Significant Ecological and Biological Processes: Sites integral to ecological and biological processes.
Significant Natural Habitat for Biodiversity: Locations crucial for biodiversity conservation.

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India

S.No	Name of Sites	Year	Location	Additional Information
1	Ajanta Caves	1983	Maharashtra	Famous for Buddhist Rock-cut Cave Monuments. It is richly decorated with Paintings and Frescoes like Sigiriya Paintings.
2	Ellora Caves	1983	Maharashtra	"Jain and Hindu Temples and Monasteries. These caves were excavated out of Hills	and it is a rock-cut Architecture."
3	Agra Fort	1983	Agra	One of the most prominent monumental structures by the Mughal empire.
4	Taj Mahal	1983	Agra	One of the Seven Wonders of the World. King Shahjahan had built this structure in the memory of his third wife Begum Mumtaz Mahal.
5	Sun Temple	1984	Orissa	Famous for the traditional style of Kalinga Architecture.
6	Mahabalipuram Monuments	1984	Tamil Nadu	"Famous for the Mahabalipuram Largest Open Air Rock Relief	Mandapas	Chariot Temples. It is a Pallava Dynasty Architecture."
7	Kaziranga National Park	1985	Assam	"Famous for World's 2/3rd population of Great One-Horned Rhinoceroses. It has the highest density of Tigers in the World	Wild Water Buffalo	Elephants	Swamp Deer	and the park is also recognized as the Important Bird Area."
8	Keoladeo National Park	1985	Rajasthan	"Popular for Man-Made Wetland Bird Sanctuary	Hotspot for Ornithologists	and Siberian Cranes."
9	Manas Wildlife Sanctuary	1985	Assam	"Famous for Project Tiger Reserve	Biosphere Reserve	and Elephant Reserve."
10	Churches and Convents of Goa	1986	Goa	"Famous for Rome of the Orient	First Manueline	Mannerist and Baroque Art Forms in Asia	First Latin Rite Mass in Asia."
11	Monuments of Khajuraho	1986	Madhya Pradesh	Popular for a group of Jain and Hindu Temples. It is situated 175 km southeast of Jhansi. Well known for their Nagara style symbolism and erotic Figures and sculptures.
12	Monuments of Hampi	1986	Karnataka	Prosperous kingdom of Vijayanagar. The ruins at Hampi depict the fine Dravidian style of art and architecture. The most important heritage monument in this site is the Virupaksha Temple.
13	Fatehpur Sikri	1986	Agra	"Structure constitutes four main Monuments - The Jama Masjid	The Buland Darwaza	Panch Mahal or Jada Baai ka Mahal	Diwane-Khas	and Diwan-eaam."
14	Elephanta Caves	1987	Maharashtra	Popular for Buddhist and Hindu caves. Situated on Island in the Arabian Sea. Has Basal Rock Caves and Shiva Temples.
15	Great Living Chola Temples	1987	Tamil Nadu	"Famous for Chola Architecture	Sculpture	Painting	and Bronze Casting."
16	Pattadakal Monuments	1987	Karnataka	Popular for its Chalukya style of architecture that originated in Aihole and blended with the Nagara and Dravidian styles of architecture.
17	Sundarbans National Park	1987	West Bengal	"Popular as Biosphere Reserve	Largest Estuarine Mangrove Forest	Bengal Tiger	and Salt-Water Crocodile."
18	Nanda Devi & Valley of Flowers National Park	1988	Uttarakhand	"Famous for Snow Leopard	Asiatic Black Bear	Brown Bear	Blue Sheep	and Himalayan Monal	World Network of Biosphere."
19	Monuments of Buddha	1989	"Sanchi	Madhya Pradesh"	"Popular for Monolithic Pillars	Palaces	Monasteries	Temples	Mauryan Architecture	Ye Dharma Hetu Inscriptions."
20	Humayun’s Tomb	1993	Delhi	"Popular for the Precursors to the Taj Mahal and Mughal Architecture. Constitutes a Tomb	a Pavilion	Water Channels	and A Bath."
21	Qutub Minar and its Monuments	1993	Delhi	"Includes 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 of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway	the Nilgiri Mountain Railway	and the Kalka-Shimla Railway."
23	Mahabodhi Temple	2002	Bihar	Important religious center for the Buddhists. The place where Mahatma Buddha attained enlightenment. Bodh Gaya is considered as the holiest pilgrimage spot for the Buddhists.
24	Bhimbetka Rock Shelters	2003	Madhya Pradesh	"Famous for Rock Paintings within Natural Rock Shelters	Stone Age Inscriptions	Sitting Place of Bhima (Mahabharata)."
25	Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus	2004	Maharashtra	"Popular for central Railways Headquarters	Terror Attacks on Mumbai in 2008	Gothic Style Architecture."
26	Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park	2004	Gujarat	"The only complete and unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city. The park also houses some of the ancient Chalcolithic Indian Sites	from the Stone Age era."
27	Red Fort	2007	Delhi	"Popular for Shahjahanabad	Persian	Timuri	and Indian Architectural Styles	Red Sandstone Architecture	Moti Masjid."
28	Jantar Mantar	2010	Delhi	"Famous for Architectural Astronomical Instruments	Maharaja Jai Singh II	Largest of its kind Observatory."
29	Western Ghats	2012	"Karnataka	Kerala	Tamil Nadu	Maharashtra"	Famous for being among the World's Ten “Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots”
30	Hill Forts	2013	Rajasthan	"Famous for its unique Rajput Military Defense Architecture. It includes six majestic forts in Chittorgarh	Kumbhalgarh	Ranthambore Fort	Gagron Fort	Amber Fort	and Jaisalmer Fort."
31	Rani Ki Vav	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 floral species	including some very rare species of plants and animals such as blue sheep	snow leopard	Himalayan brown bear	Himalayan Tahr	musk deer spruces	horse chestnuts	and huge alpine meadows. It is 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	with the snow leopard being occasionally sighted."
35	Architectural Work of Le Corbusier (Capitol Complex)	2016	Chandigarh	Recognized as a World Heritage Site as part of an outstanding contribution to the Modern Movement.
36	The Historic City	2017	Ahmedabad	"A walled city on the banks of Sabarmati where communities following Hinduism	Islam	and Jainism have co-existed for centuries."
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 many magnificent forts	palaces	temples	and museums and also filled to the brim with local handicrafts and trinkets."
39	Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple	2021	Telangana	"The Ramappa Temple is situated in Palampet Village	Telangana. The temple is estimated to be at least 800 to 900 years old. The temple is especially known for lightweight porous bricks	known as floating bricks."
40	Dholavira	2021	Gujarat	An architectural site situated in the Kutch district of Gujarat. One of the most prominent Indus Valley Civilisation sites.
41	Santiniketan	2023	West Bengal	"Santiniketan	the cultural and educational hub founded by Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore	has earned a coveted spot on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. This recognition marks a significant milestone for India and celebrates the enduring legacy of this unique institution located in Bengal’s Birbhum district."
42	"Hoysala Temples of Belur	Halebid	and Somananthpura"	2023	Karnataka	"The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala	the famed Hoysala temples of Belur	Halebid	and Somananthpura in Karnataka have been added to the United Nations Educational	Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage list. This inclusion marks the 42nd UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and comes just a day after Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan also received this distinguished recognition."

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UNESCO World Heritage Sites