This articles
lists World
Heritage Sites located in India, as designated by UNESCO. As of 2018, India
has 36 heritage sites, the sixth most of any country.
1. Kaziranga (Assam)
Kaziranga, located in the
Northeastern state of Assam in the flood
plains of the Brahmaputra River’s south bank, was
declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 for its unique natural
environment. It was first established as a reserved forest in 1908 to protect
the dwindling species of rhinoceros. It underwent several transformations over
the years, as The Kaziranga Game Sanctuary in 1916, renamed
Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950, and declared a national park in 1974. The
park, which covers an area of 42,996 hectares (106,250 acres), has the
distinction of being home to the largest population of the great Indian one-horned rhinoceros. There are many other
mammals and birds species in the sanctuary.
2. Manas Wildlife
Sanctuary Assam
Manas
Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the northeastern state of Assam covers an area of
50,000 hectares (120,000 acres) in the plains of the Manas River in the foot
hills of the Himalayas, on the border with Bhutan (contiguous with
the Manas Wildlife Sanctuary in Bhutan). It was inscribed as a World Heritage
Site by UNESCO in 1985 for its unique natural environment. The sanctuary is the
habitat of several species of plants, 21 most-threatened species of mammals
(out of 55 mammal species in the sanctuary), 36 reptile species, 3 amphibians
and 350 species of birds. Endangered species include tiger, pygmy hog, clouded leopard, sloth bear, Indian rhinoceros, wild buffaloes (the only pure
strain of buffalo in India), Indian elephants, golden langur and Bengal florican. In 1907, it was
declared a reserve forest, was declared a sanctuary in 1928, and became a tiger
reserve in 1973 as part of "Project Tiger" and a World Heritage Site
in December 1985. Plants listed under the broad category of Burma Monsoon Forests include 285 species of Dicotyledons and 98 species
of Monocotyledons. Since 1992, the
sanctuary was listed under "The World Heritage in Danger"|,[7][8][9]but removed in 2011
after significant conservation efforts.
3. Mahabodhi Temple
Complex, Bihar
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (Buddha Gaya),
spread over an area of 4.86 hectares (12.0 acres) was inscribed in the UNESCO
World Heritage List i as a unique property of cultural and archaeological
importance. The first temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd
century BC (260 BC) around the Bodhi Tree Ficus religiosa (to the west of
the temple). However, the temples seen now are dated between 5th and 6th
centuries AD. The structures have been built in bricks. Revered and sanctified
as the place where Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was enlightened
in 531 BC at age 35, and then propagated his divine knowledge of Buddhism to the world, it
has been the ultimate temple for reverential worship, over the last several
centuries, by Buddhists of all denominations, from all over the world who visit
on pilgrimage. The main temple is 50 m in height, built in Indian
architectural style, dated between 5th and 6th centuries, and it is the oldest temple
in the Indian sub-continent built during the "Golden Age" of Indian
culture credited to the Gupta period. Sculpted balustrades
of the Ashokantimes (3rd century BC)
are preserved in the Archaeological Museum located within the temple complex.[10][11]
4. Humayun’s Tomb,
Delhi
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi, the first tomb built
with several innovations, set at the centre of luxurious gardens with water
channels, was the precursor monument to the Taj Mahal (built a century later).
It was built in 1570 and was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Monument in
1993 for its cultural importance. It was built in 1569–1570 by the second
Mughal Emperor Humayun’s widow Biga Begum
(Hajji Begum). Its architecture is credited to Mirza Ghiyath and its Mughal
architectural style has been acclaimed as the "necropolis of the Mughal dynasty" for its double
domed elevation provided with Chhatris. Apart from the tomb
of Humayun, the funerary also has 150 tombs of various members of the royal
family. The tomb is built with a char-bagh (fourfold) layout
with two gates, one on the south and the other on the west. It has a number of
water channels, a pavilion and a bath. The tomb set on an irregular octagonal
plinth has a raised dome of 42.5 m height, covered by marble slabs and decorated
with chhatris.[12][13]
5. Qutb Minar and its Monuments,
Delhi,
located to the south of Delhi, is a complex with the Qutb Minar as the centre piece, which is a
red sandstone tower of 72.5 metres (238 ft) height with a base of 14.32
metres (47.0 ft) reducing to 2.75 metres (9.0 ft) diameter at the
top. Built in the beginning of the 13th century, the complex of structures
comprises itineraries, the Alai Darwaza Gate (1311), the
Alai Minar (an incomplete mound of the intended Minar or tower), the Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque (the earliest
existing mosque in India), the tomb of Iltumish, and an Iron Pillar.
The complex is a testimony to the Islamic depredations during the period as
seen from the materials used for building the complex which are those that were
removed after destroying Hindu and Jain temples; a
shining iron pillar of 7.02 metres (23.0 ft) height (without any trace of
rusting) erected at the centre of the complex, with inscriptions in Sanskrit, of the Chandra Gupta II period is a moot
witness. History records its construction, initially by Qutubuddin Aibak in 1192, its
completion by Iltumish (1211–36) and
again by Alauddin
Khalji (1296–1316).
It underwent several renovations by subsequent rulers, following damage to the
structures due to lightning. It was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage
List under category iv for its unique representation of the Islamic
architectural and artistic excellence.
6. Red Fort Complex, also known as Lal
Qila is a palace fort built in the 17th century by Shahjahan (1628–58), the
fifth Mughal
emperor as
part of his new capital city of Shahjahanabad. located to the north
of Delhi. It represents the
glory of the Mughal rule and is considered the Highpoint of Mughal architectural,
artistic aesthetic creativity. The architectural design of the structures built
within the fort represents a blend of Persian, Timuri and Indian architectural
styles; Isfahan, the Persian Capital
is said to have provided the inspiration to build the Red Fort Complex. The
planning and design of this complex, in a geometrical grid plan with pavilion
structures, was the precursor of several monuments which were built later in
Rajasthan, Delhi, Agra and other places. The palace complex has been fortified
by an enclosure wall built with red sand stone (hence the name Red Fort). It is
adjacent to the Salimgarh Fort on its north
built by Islam Shah
Suri in
1546 and is now part of the Red Fort Complex (area covered 120 acres) under the
revised inscription of the UNESCO World Heritage List under categories
(i),(ii), (iii) and (vi). Built between 1639 and 1648, enclosing an area of
size 656 metres (2,152 ft)x328 metres (1,076 ft) and raising to a
height of 23 metres (75 ft) on the right bank of the Yamuna River, it is linked to
the Salimgarh
Fort through
a bridge over an old river channel, now a city road. The palace within the fort
complex, located behind the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), comprises a
series of richly engraved marble palace pavilions, interconnected by water
channels called the ‘Nehr-i-Behishit’ meaning the "Stream of
Paradise", the Diwane-i-khas (Private audience hall), several other
essential private structures, and also the Moti
Masjid (Pearl
Mosque built by Emperor Aurangzeb).
7. Churches
and Convents of Goa are monuments inscribed by UNESCO under the World Heritage
List in 1986 as cultural property, under criteria (ii),(iv) and (vi), which
were built by the Portuguese colonial rulers
of Goa between 16th and
18th centuries. These monuments are mainly in the former capital of Velha Goa. Velha Goa is also known
Goem, Pornem Gõy, Adlem Gõi, Old Goa or Saibachem
Gõi, where Saib or Goencho Saib refers to Saint
Francis Xavier.
The most significant of these monuments is the Basilica
of Bom Jesus,
which enshrines the tomb containing the relics of St.
Francis Xavier.
These monuments of Goa, known as the "Rome of the Orient," were
established by different Catholic religious
orders, from 25 November 1510 onwards. There were originally 60 churches of
which some of the surviving monuments in the city of Velha Goa are the Saint
Catherine's Chapel (where one of the first, probably only besides the Angediva
Island, Latin rite mass in Asia,
was held on Saint Catherine's feast day- i.e. 25 November 1510), the Church and
Convent of Saint
Francis of Assisi, the Sé Catedral de Santa Catarina dedicated to Saint
Catherine of Alexandria, the Jesuit Borea Jezuchi
Bajilika or BasÃlica
do Bom Jesus,
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis (also known as Asisachea Sanv Fransiskachi
Igorz), the Theatine Igreja da Divina
Providência (São Caetano) (also known as San Kaitanachi Igorz or the church
of Saint Cajetan and its seminary (resembles Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), Igreja de Nossa
Senhora do Rosário (also known as Ruzai Saibinnichi Igorz (Church of Our
Lady of the Rosary)) and Igreja de Santo Agostinho (also known as Sanv Agustineachi
Igorz (Church of Saint Augustine) (only the belfry
stands today and some graves, including the Georgian Orthodox Church
Saint, Saint
Ketevan,
who was also a queen). These monuments were forerunners in establishing an
ensemble of the Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque art forms in
the Asian region. The monuments are
built in laterites and walls plastered with limestone mortar mixed with broken
shells. For this reason, the monuments need constant maintenance to prevent
deterioration due to monsoon climatic conditions, and thus keep them in good
shape.
8. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is situated
in Panchmahal
district in
Gujarat, India. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 as a
cultural site. There is a concentration of largely unexcavated archaeological,
historic and living cultural heritage properties cradled in an impressive
landscape which includes prehistoric (chalcolithic) sites, a hill
fortress of an early Hindu capital, and remains of the 16th-century capital of
the state of Gujarat. The site also
includes, among other vestiges, fortifications, palaces, religious buildings,
residential precincts, agricultural structures and water installations, from
the 8th to the 14th centuries. The Kalikamata
Temple & Jain Temple on top of
the Pavagadh Hill is
considered to be an important shrine, attracting large numbers of pilgrims
throughout the year. The site is the only complete and unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city.
9. The Group
of Monuments at Hampi comprise a sombre but ostentatious Hampi town, on the banks
of the river Tungabhadra in Karnataka.
Hampi subsumes the ruins of Vijayanagara, which was the former
capital of the powerful Vijayanagara
Empire. Dravidiantemples and palaces
abound in Hampi. These won the admiration of travellers between the 14th and
16th centuries. Hampi, as an important Hindu & Jain religious centre, has the Virupaksha
Temple (different
from Pattadakal's Virupaksha Temple)
and several other monuments, which are part of the cultural heritage site
inscribed under category (i), (iii) and (iv) in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
10. The Group of monuments in Pattadakal designated under
UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1987, cover a remarkable series of nine Hindu temples, as well as a Jain sanctuary in northern Karnataka. In this group of
temples, the Virupaksha Temple, built c. 740 by Queen Lokamahadevi to
commemorate her husband's (King Vikramaditya II) victory over the
Pallava kings from the south, is considered the most outstanding architectural
edifice (This is different from the Virupaksha
Temple at Hampi.) These are a remarkable combination of temples built by
the Chalukya
Dynasty in
the 6th to 8th century at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal, the latter city was
known as the "Crown Rubies". The temples represent a remarkable
fusion of the architectural features of northern (Nagara) and southern (dravida)
India. Pattadakal is considered a Hindu holy city and within the heritage
complex are eight temples dedicated to Shiva, a ninth shaivite sanctuary called
the Papanatha
Temple,
and a Jain Narayana
temple.
11. Buddhist
Monuments at Sanchi, located 45 kilometres (28 mi) from Bhopal in the Indian
state of Madhya
Pradesh are
a group of Buddhist monuments dated between 200 BC and 100 BC. The site,
however, has been conjectured to have been developed in the 3rd century BC,
when Emperor
Ashoka of
the Mauryan
Empire ruled.
The principal monument is Stupa 1 dated to the 2nd century and 1st century BC.
These Buddhist sanctuaries were active Buddhist religious monuments, which
flourished till the 12th century. The sanctuary has a plethora of monolithic
pillars, palaces, temples and monasteries in different status of preservation.
It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on January 24, 1989 for its
unique cultural importance. It was discovered only in 1818 in a deserted state
of preservation. Archaeological excavations undertaken thereafter revealed 50
unique monuments.
12. Rock
Shelters of Bhimbetka described in the UNESCO Inscription as "the site
complex … a magnificent repository of rock paintings within natural rock
shelters" is located in the foothills of the Vindhya range of hills in
the Central
Indian state
of Madhya
Pradesh.
It is spread in sandstone formations extending over an area of 1893 ha with a
buffer zone 10,280 hectares (25,400 acres). The rock shelters, discovered only
in 1957, comprise a group of "five clusters of rock shelters" with
paintings that are inferred to date from the "Mesolithic period right
through to the Historical period", with the 21 villages surrounding them
reflecting the traditions displayed in the rock paintings. The unique rock art
has been discovered in 400 painted shelters spread over an area of 1,892 ha
amidst dense forest with high diversity of flora and fauna, with some of the
shelters dated from 100,000 BC (Late Acheulian) to 1000 AD. It was
inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2003 as a unique cultural
property representing a convergence displayed in the art form between the
people and the landscape with links to the hunting gathering economy of the
past.
13. Khajuraho
Group of Monuments attributed to the Chandela dynasty which, under
sovereignty of Gurjar Pratihars reached its glory. The ensemble of monuments
that have survived belong to the Hindu and Jain Religious
practices with striking fusion of sculpture and architecture; the best example
of this outstanding feature is seen in the Kandariya Temple. Of the 85 temples
built, only 22 temples have survived in an area of 6 km2, which
represents the Chandela period of the 10th century. Located in the Indian state
of Madhya Pradesh, it was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, a
cultural property on October 15, 1982 for its unique original artistic creation
and proof of the Chandela Culture that existed prior to the Muslim invasion of
India in the early 12th century.
14. Ajanta Caves listed under
UNESCO World Heritage as a cultural heritage site, are Buddhist caves that were
built in two phases, the first phase was from the 2nd century BC. In the second
phase, further additions were made during the 5th and 6th centuries AD of
the Gupta period. The caves depict
richly decorated paintings, frescoes, which are reminiscent of the Sigiriya
paintings in Sri Lankaand sculptures. As a
whole, there are 31 rock-cut cave monuments
which are unique representations of the religious art of Buddhism.
15. Ellora Caves also known as
Ellora Complex are a cultural mix of religious arts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. These are 34
monasteries and temples sculpted contiguously into rock walls of a high basalt cliff, which are
seen along a length of 2 kilometres (1.2 mi). Dated to 600 to 1000 AD,
they are a reflection of artistic creation of the ancient civilization of
India. This cultural property has been inscribed under the UNESCO World
Heritage List.
16. The Elephanta Caves are a network of
sculpted caves located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri (literally "the
city of caves") in Mumbai Harbour, 10 kilometres
(6.2 mi) to the east of the city of Mumbai. The island, located
on an arm of the Arabian Sea, consists of two
groups of caves — the first is a large group of five Hindu caves, the second, a
smaller group of two Buddhist caves. The Hindu caves contain rock cut stone
sculptures, representing the Shaiva Hindu sect, dedicated to the god Shiva. The rock-cut architecture of the caves is dated to between the
5th and 8th centuries, although the identity of the original builders is still
a subject of debate. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. Renovated in
the 1970s, the caves were designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 to
preserve the artwork.
17. Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus is a historic railway station in Mumbai, which serves as the
headquarters of the Central Railways. It is one of the
busiest railway stations in India, and serves Central Railway trains
terminating in Mumbai as well as the Mumbai
Suburban Railway. The station was designed by Frederick
William Stevens, a consulting architect in 1887–1888. It took ten years to
complete and was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the Queen and
Empress Victoria; it was opened on the date of her Golden Jubilee in 1887. This
famous architectural landmark in Gothic style was built as the
headquarters of the Great Indian Peninsular Railway. In 1996, in response to demands by the Shiv Sena and in keeping
with the policy of renaming
locations with Indian names, the station was renamed by the state government after Chatrapati
Shivaji,
the famed 17th-century Maratha king. On 2 July
2004, the station was nominated as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage
Committee of UNESCO.
18. Konark Sun Temple is a
13th-century Sun Temple (also known as the "Black Pagoda"), at Konark, in Odisha. Located on the east
coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Mahanadi Delta, it is
built in the form of the chariot of Surya (Arka), the sun god with 24 wheels, and is heavily decorated
with symbolic stone carvings and led by a team of six horses. It was
constructed from oxidizing weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern
Ganga Dynasty.
The temple is one of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage
Site inscribed in 1984 as cultural property under categories (i), (iii) and
(vi).
19. Keoladeo
National Park in
Bharatpur is located within the Indus-Ganges Monsoon Forest
Biogeographical Province. It extends over an area of 2,783 hectares (6,880
acres). It was declared a national park in 1982. Earlier to this, in 1900, it
was a duck-hunting reserve of the Maharajasof Bharatpur, then
became a bird sanctuary in 1956, with the Maharajas exercising shooting rights
till 1972, and was recorded as a Ramsar Wetland site, in 1981.
It was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985 under category (x),
as a natural property. The area of the wetland of the park shrinks to 1,000
hectares (2,500 acres) during most part of the year. It has a human-built
environment created partly by embankments dividing the area into 10 units, and
has sluice controlled arrangement to maintain the water level. It is famous for
364 species of wintering birds that flock in large numbers, arriving from distant
countries of Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. It is surrounded by
17 villages and the Bharatpur city.
20. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a collection
of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (King) Jai Singh II at his then new
capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It is modelled after the one that he
had built at the Mughal capital of Delhi. He had constructed a total of five such facilities at different
locations, including the ones at Delhi and Jaipur. The Jaipur observatory is
the largest and best preserved of these and has a set of some 20 main fixed
instruments built in masonry. It has been inscribed as cultural property on the
UNESCO World Heritage List as "an expression of the astronomical skills
and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the
Mughal period."
21. The Great
Living Chola Temples, built by kings of the Chola Empire stretched over
all of Tamil Nadu. This cultural heritage site includes three great temples of
11th and 12th centuries namely, the Brihadisvara
Temple at Thanjavur, the Brihadisvara
Temple at
Gangaikondacholisvaram and the Airavatesvara
Temple at Darasuram. The Temple of
Gangaikondacholisvaram, built by Rajendra I, was completed in 1035. Its 53
metres (174 ft) vimana (sanctum tower) has recessed corners and a graceful
upward curving movement, contrasting with the straight and severe tower at
Thanjavur. The Airavatesvara temple complex, built by Rajaraja II, at Darasuram
features a 24 metres (79 ft) vimana and a stone image of Shiva. The temples testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola
in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting. The site was inscribed
under UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987 as Cultural heritage under criteria
(ii) and (iii).
22. The Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, in Tamil Nadu, about 58 km
from Chennai, were built by
the Pallava kings in the 7th
and 8th centuries. The town is said to have gained prominence under the rule
of Mamalla. These monuments have
been carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast. The temple town has
approximately forty monuments, including the largest open-air bas-relief in the
world. It was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1984 as a
cultural heritage under categories (i)(ii)(iii)(vi). The monuments inscribed
are the Ratha Temples: Temples in the form
of chariots, Mandapas, 11 Cave sanctuaries
covered with bas-reliefs, rock relief of Descent of the Ganges, which is the largest open air Rock relief also known
as Arjuna's
Penance or Bhagiratha's
Penance.
23. Agra Fort, also known as the Red Fort of Agra,
which represented Mughal opulence and power as the centre piece of their empire was
inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1982, under Category iii as a
cultural monument. The fortress located on the right bank of the Yamuna
River, built in red sandstone, covering a length of 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) and surrounded by
a moat, encloses several palaces, towers and mosques. These were built from
the 16th century onwards till the early 18th century, starting with Emperor
Akbar's reign in the 16th century to that of Aurangzeb in the early part of the 18th century, including the
contributions made during the reign of Jahangir and Shahjahan of the Moghul Rule in India; the impressive structures built within the
precincts of the fort are the Khas Mahal, the Shish Mahal, Muhamman Burje (an
octagonal tower), Diwan-i-Khas (1637), Diwan-i-Am, white marble mosque or the
Pearl Mosque (built during 1646–1653) and the Nagina Masjid (1658–1707). These
monuments are remarkable for the fusion of Persian art of the Timurid and the Indian art form. It is very close to the famous Taj
Mahal with a buffer zone separating the two
monuments.
24. Fatehpur Sikri, "the City of Victory," was
built during the second half of the 16th century by the Mughal
Emperor Akbar (1556–1605). It was
the capital of the Empire and seat of the grand Mughal court, but only for 14 years.
Despite bearing exceptional testimony to the Mughal civilization at the end of
the 16th century, it had to be abandoned due to the twin reasons of lack of
water and unrest in north-west India, leading the emperor to shift the capital
to Lahore. Akbar decided to construct it in 1571, on the same site where the
birth of his son, the future Emperor Jahangir, was predicted by the wise saint Shaikh Salim
Chisti (1480–1572). The work, supervised by the
great Mughal himself, was completed in 1573. The complex of monuments and
temples, all uniformly in Mughal architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid, the Buland
Darwaza, the Panch Mahal, and the Tomb of Salim Chishti. The English traveller Ralph
Fitch considered the city in 1585 as 'considerably
larger than London and more populous.' Its form and layout strongly influenced
the evolution of Indian town planning, notably at Shahjahanabad (Old Delhi). The city has numerous other palaces, public
buildings and mosques, as well as living areas for the court, the army,
servants of the king and for an entire population whose history has not been
recorded.
25. Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World is a mausoleum – a funerary mosque. It was built by Emperor Shahjahan in memory of his third wife Begum Mumtaz
Mahal who had died in 1631. It is a large edifice
made in white marble in typical Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles. This much acclaimed masterpiece was built over a 16-year
period between 1631 and 1648 under the Chief Architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri supported by several thousand artisans under the guidance of an
Imperial Committee. It was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983, under Category i, as a cultural property/monument. It is
set amidst vast Mughal
Gardens, which cover 17 hectares (42 acres) of land on the
right bank of the Yamuna
River. It has an octagonal layout marked by four
exclusive minarets at four corners with a pristine elevation of a central
bulbous dome below which the tombs are laid in an underground chamber.
Calligraphic inscriptions in-crusted in polychromatic pierra dura, decorative
bands and floralarabesques glorify the monument's graphic
beauty and provide a picture perfect impression to the viewers.
26. The Mountain Railways of India represents a collective listing of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway and the Kalka-Shimla Railway under the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Two railways, the
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1881) and the Kalka-Shimla Railway (1898) are
located in the rugged hill regions of the Himalayas of Northern
India and the other two, the Nilgiri Mountain
Railway (1908) and the Matheran Hill Railway (1907) are located in the rugged hill regions of the Western
Ghats of Southern
India. The World Heritage UNESCO recognition to these
mountain railways of India has been stated as for being "outstanding
examples of bold, ingenious engineering solutions for the problem of
establishing an effective rail link through a rugged, mountainous terrain. The
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was recognized first in 1999, the Nilgiri Mountain
Railway followed suite as an extension to the site in 2005, and in 2008 the
Kalka–Shimla Railway was further added as an extension; and the three together
have been titled as Mountain Railways of India under Criteria: ii, iv under the
region in the Asia-Pacific. The claim of the Matheran Hill Railway, the fourth mountain railway,
is pending acceptance by the international body.
27. Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers
National Parks are nestled high in West Himalaya. Valley of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers and
outstanding natural beauty. It is located in the Garhwal
Himalaya of Chamoli
District of Uttarakhand. This richly diverse area is also home to rare and endangered animals,
including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown
bear and blue
sheep. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers
National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park. Together, they encompass a unique transition zone between the
mountain ranges of the Zanskar and Great
Himalaya. The park stretches over an expanse of
87.5 km2 (33.8 sq mi). It was established as a
national park on 6 November 1982. However, it was initially established as a game
sanctuary on 7 January 1939. It was inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage
List in 1988 with extension in 2005 under category (vii) and (x).[60][61] Together, they comprise the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, which is on the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves since 2004.
28. The Sundarbans National Park, the largest estuarine mangrove forest in the world is a national
park, tiger
reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site and a biosphere
reserve located in the SundarbansGanges
river delta bordering the Bay of
Bengal, in West
Bengal. It is also on the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The Sundarbans as a whole encompasses
10,000 km2 (3,900 sq mi) of land and water,
about 5,980 km2 (2,310 sq mi) in Bangladesh and the balance is in India. It is integral to the
world's largest delta of 80,000 km2 formed from sediments
deposited by the three great rivers, the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Meghna, which confluence in the Bengal Basin. The entire basin is traversed
by a complex network of interconnecting waterways. Though, the history of protection
in the area of Indian part of the Sundarbans dates back to 1878, it was
declared as the core area of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife
sanctuary in 1977 of 133,000-hectare core area within the 258,500 hectares
(639,000 acres) Sundarbans Tiger Reserve. On May 4, 1984 it was declared a
National Park. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World
Heritage list in 1987 as a natural property under
category (ix) and (x). This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and is one of the largest reserves
for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile.
29. Western Ghats, also known as the Sahyadri Mountains, a mountain range along the western side of India and one of the
world’s ten "Hottest biodiversity hotspots" (sub cluster nomination)[64][65][66] A total of thirty nine properties (including national parks,
wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests) were designated as world heritage
sites – twenty in the state of Kerala, ten in Karnataka, five in Tamil
Naduand four in Maharashtra.[67][68]
30. Hill Forts of Rajasthan, are a series of sites located on rocky outcrops of the Aravallis
mountain range in Rajasthan. They represent a typology of Rajput
military hill architecture, a style characterized by its mountain peak
settings, utilizing the defensive properties of the terrain. These hill forts
in Rajasthan represent Rajput military strongholds across a vast range of geographical and
cultural zones.It represents number of hill forts and is said to express the
development of Rajput defensive architecture. examples of Rajput military
architecture. Rajput forts are well known for their defensive architecture.
They enclose large territories and even complete villages in walled compounds.
The property consists of Chittor
Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Ranthambore Fort, Gagron
Fort, Amer
Fort, Jaisalmer
Fort. These fort complex includes palaces, Hindu and
Jain temples, urban centers and trading centers.[70] Due to the variety of built structures in each hill fort, only
the most significant elements of each complex are described.[71][72]
31. Rani ki vav (The Queen's Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat, is a famous stepwell It is famous for its size and sculpture. The length of Rani ki
Vav is more than 64m long, 20m wide & 27m deep and there are more than 500
sculptures of god. Most of the sculptures are in devotion to Vishnu, in the
forms of Dus-Avatars Kalki, Rama, Mahisasurmardini, Narsinh, Vaman, Varahi and
others representing their return to the world. Nagkanya, Yogini beautiful women
– Apsara showcasing 16 different styles of make-up to look more attractive
called Solah-shringar.
Great Himalayan National Park at Kullu, Himachal
Pradesh, is characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine
meadows and riverine forests. The 90,540 ha property includes the upper mountain
glacial and snow melt water source origins of several rivers, and the
catchments of water supplies that are vital to millions of downstream users.
The GHNPCA protects the monsoon-affected forests and alpine meadows of the
Himalayan front ranges. It is part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and
includes 25 forest types along with a rich assemblage of fauna species, several
of which are threatened. This gives the site outstanding significance for
biodiversity conservation.
33. Nalanda (2016)
The Nalanda Mahavihara site is in the State of Bihar, in north-eastern
India. It comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic
institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE. It includes
stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important
art works in stucco, stone and metal. Nalanda stands out as the most ancient
university of the Indian Subcontinent. It engaged in the organized transmission
of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years. The historical
development of the site testifies to the development of Buddhism into a
religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions.
34. Khangchendzonga National Park (2016)
Located at the heart of the Himalayan range in northern India (State of
Sikkim), the Khangchendzonga National Park includes a unique diversity of
plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular, snow-capped mountains covered
with ancient forests, including the world’s third highest peak, Mount
Khangchendzonga.[79]
35. The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier (Chandigarh, 2016)
Chosen from the work of Le Corbusier, the 17 sites comprising this
transnational serial property are spread over seven countries. Urban and
Architectural Work of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh, is home to numerous
architectural projects of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki and
Albert Mayer.
36. Historic City of Ahmadabad (2017)
The walled city of Ahmadabad, founded by Sultan Ahmad Shah in the 15th
century, on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati river, presents a rich
architectural heritage from the sultanate period, notably the Bhadra citadel,
the walls and gates of the Fort city and numerous mosques and tombs as well as
important Hindu and Jain temples of later periods. The urban fabric is made up
of densely-packed traditional houses (pols) in gated traditional streets
(puras) with characteristic features such as bird feeders, public wells and
religious institutions. The city continued to flourish as the capital of the
State of Gujarat for six centuries, up to the present.
CREDIT: WIKIPEDIA
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