India has 37 UNESCO World Heritage Sites as of 2018, the sixth most of any country. Some of the notable sites include the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Sun Temple at Konark, and Western Ghats mountain range. World Heritage sites in India showcase remarkable architecture, art, culture and natural beauty across many historical periods. They are popular tourist destinations that preserve important parts of India's diverse cultural heritage.

1. WORLD HERITAGE SITES
by- Shubham Anil Patil
IITTM, Gwalior

2.  As of June 2018 – country India is blessed with 37 Heritage Sites in
total [the Sixth most of any country]. The spot of importance, which
has just a little while back titled as a UNESCO World Heritage
Site is The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai.
 The uncommon presence; the otherworldly appearance; the
captivating past; the significant function; their role and contribution;
the source of knowledge and awareness – the World Heritage sites of
India are truly worth a visit.
 There is something quite distinct about the heritage sites; it
showers a varied vibe, not just the heritage monument but the region
encircling it also understands the importance of this title [the World
Heritage sites in India are truly amazing].

3.  This point of attraction is adorned with 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments, which
belongs to the interval starting from 2nd Century BCE to about 480 CE. The cave lands of
Gesture, pose and form is situated in the Aurangabad district of the state of Maharashtra.
THE AJANTA
CAVES

4.  The place of artistry is regarded as one of the largest rock-cut monastery temple cave
complexes residing in the arms of this striking world. It features the great artwork through
the presence of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain Monuments [situated in the Aurangabad district of
the state of Maharashtra].
THE ELLORA
CAVES

5.  The Crown of the Palace; Taj Mahal is a white-marbled Mughal Mausoleum situated in the
South bank of the River Yamuna in the city of Agra. It’s one of the Seven Wonders of the
World [made in memory by a Mughal emperor for his wife].
TAJ MAHAL, AGRA

6.  Precisely quoted as a walled City; it’s a historic Fort made up of Red Sandstone standing
tall in the city of Agra – back in days the Agra Fort served as the main residence of the
Emperors of Mughal Dynasty.
AGRA FORT

7. KHAJURAHO GROUP OF MONUMENTS
 A unique cluster of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples residing in the arms of Madhya
Pradesh (Khajuraho). These temples are well-known for their Nagara-style architectural
symbolism and their erotic sculptures.

8.  It’s truly a masterpiece [devoted to the Hindu God Surya]; the Konark Sun Temple is a
13th-Century Sun Temple situated at Konark on the Coastline of Odisha.
 This commendable temple is attributed to King Narasimhadeva first of the Eastern Ganga
Dynasty.
THE KONARK SUN TEMPLE

9. KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK
 Unique in its own way; the Kaziranga National Park hosts two-third of the World’s Great
One-Horned Rhinoceros. It’s situated in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the
northeastern state of Assam.

10. CHURCHES AND CONVENTS OF GOA
 The Churches and Convents of Goa are the striking monuments; regarded as a cultural
Property [inscribed by UNESCO under the World Heritage List of 1986] – Basilica of Bom
Jesus.

11. GROUP OF MONUMENTS AT HAMPI
 Wondrous formations; the Group of Monuments at Hampi is situated in the East Central
zone of Karnataka. It served as the centre of the Hindu Vijayanagara Empire capital during
the period of 14th Century.

12. KHAJURAHO GROUP OF MONUMENTS
 A unique cluster of Hindu, Jain and Buddhist temples residing in the arms of Madhya
Pradesh (Khajuraho). These temples are well-known for their Nagara-style architectural
symbolism and their erotic sculptures.

13.  The City of Victory is situated in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh; widely referred as the
dream city of Akbar [the third Mughal Emperor]. Some major attractions are-
 Buland Darwaza
 Jama Masjid
 Tomb of Salim Chishti
 Panch Mahal
 Mariam-Uz-Zamani’s Palace etc.
FATEHPUR SIKRI

14.  Addressed as the city of caves; it showcases a remarkable collection of cave temples
primarily devoted to the Hindu God Shiva. They are situated on the Elephanta Island in the
state of Maharashtra.
THE ELEPHANTA CAVES

15.  Also addressed as Pattadakallu or Raktapura; it’s a notable complex of 7th and 8th century
CE Jain and Hindu Temples situated in the Northern zone of Karnataka [ located on the
West bank of River Malaprabha in the Bagalakote district].
 UNESCO has illustrated Pattadakal as “a harmonious blend of architectural forms from
Northern and Southern India” and a sketch of “Eclectic Art” at its height.
GROUP OF MONUMENTS AT
PATTADAKAL

16.  [The largest estuarine mangrove forest across the World]; the National Park of Sundarban
also functions as a Tiger Reserve and a Biosphere Reserve. It’s situated in the state of West
Bengal [one of the largest reserves of the Bengal Tiger].
 The Sundarbans National Park serves as home to a wide variety of reptile, bird and
invertebrate species including the Salt-water Crocodile.
SUNDARBANS NATIONAL PARK

17. THE GREAT LIVING CHOLA TEMPLES
 Constructed by the Kings of the Chola Empire; it’s stretched over all of Tamil Nadu [the
Southern State] –the three significant temples are Brihadeeswara Temple of Gangaikonda
Cholapuram; the Airavateshwarar temple of Darasuram and the Brihadeeswarar temple
of Thanjavur.

18. BUDDHIST MONUMENTS AT SANCHI
 A praiseworthy Buddhist Complex, well-known for its Great Stupa situated on a hilltop at
Sanchi Town in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. The Great Stupa is one of the oldest
Stone Structures in India, showcases the fine Indian Architecture.

19. NANDA DEVI AND VALLEY OF FLOWERS NATIONAL PARK
 Residing in the wide-spread arms of Uttarakhand. In the year of 1988, the destination was
outlined as Nanda Devi National park and further in 2005 it was stretched to encompass the
Valley of Flowers National Park and an extensive buffer zone.

20. QUTB MINAR AND ITS EXEMPLARY MONUMENTS
 A noteworthy collection of buildings and monuments from the Delhi Sultanate situated at
Mehrauli in Delhi [it was built on the ruins of Lal Kot]. The impressive Qutub Minar
residing in the complex was named after Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki.

21.  Includes three mountain railways;
 Darjeeling Himalayan Railway [1999 – West Bengal]
 Nilgiri Mountain Railway [2005 –Tamil Nadu]
 Kalka-Shimla Railway [2008 – Himachal Pradesh].
MOUNTAIN RAILWAYS OF
INDIA

22.  Unique property of cultural and archaeological importance; an ancient Buddhist temple
situated in the religious site of Bodh Gaya in the state of Bihar [this is where the Buddha is
said to have attained enlightenment]. This exemplary temple complex includes two large
straight-sided Shikhara Towers.
MAHABODHI TEMPLE COMPLEX

23.  The imposing repository of Rock paintings within natural Rock Shelters; the Rock Shelters
of Bhimbetka is situated in the Foothills of the Vindhya Range of the hills in the state of
Madhya Pradesh.
 It displays the earliest traces of human life on the Indian Subcontinent [seven hills and
over 750 rock shelters distributed in an expanse of more than 10 kms].
ROCK SHELTERS OF BHIMBETKA

24.  A notable archaeological park situated in the Panchmahal district of the state of Gujarat.
It’s situated around the historical city of Champaner [a city that was constructed by Sultan
Mahmud Begada of Gujarat.
 This park includes archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage monuments like the
remains of the 16th capital, chalcolithic sites etc.
CHAMPANER-PAVAGADH
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

25. CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS [EARLIER ADDRESSED AS
VICTORIA TERMINUS – 2004
 One of the busiest railway stations in India [packed by travellers]; it was outlined by
Frederick William Stevens.
 This historic railway station was constructed in the year 1887 in the Bori Bunder region
of Mumbai to honour the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria.

26.  The historic fort served as the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for
quite some time [closely 200 years]. The Red Fort is situated in the heart of Delhi and it even
houses a number of Museums. It was constructed in the year of 1639 by the Mughal Shah
Jahan [made up of Red Sandstone].
RED FORT COMPLEX

27.  One of the five Jantar Mantars residing in the arms of nation India; it’s an equinoctial
Sundial, gifted with a giant triangular gnomon with the hypotenuse parallel to the Earth’s
axis.
 The Jantar Mantar of Jaipur is regarded as the largest amongst all, which effectively
features many instruments; it’s also considered as the World’s largest stone Sundial.
JANTAR MANTAR [JAIPUR]

28.  One of the World’s Ten “Hottest Biodiversity Hotspots”; the Western Ghats are also
popularly addressed as the Sahyadri Mountains – an impressive mountain range along the
western side of India.
 A count of 39 properties [including the wildlife sanctuaries, reserve forests and national
parks] were labelled as World Heritage Sites. Twenty in the state of Kerala [God’s Own
Country]; five in the state of Tamil Nadu; ten in the state of Karnataka and four in the
western state of Maharashtra.
 Agasthyamalai Sun-Cluster, Anamalai Sub-Cluster, Periyar Sub-Cluster, Kudremukh Sub-
Cluster, Nilgiri Sub- Cluster, Talakaveri Sub-Cluster and Sahyadri Sun-Cluster.
WESTERN GHATS

29.  It’s a series of sites situated on rocky outcrops of the Aravalli Mountain Range in the state
of Rajasthan; built and transformed between the period of 5th and 18 CE by numerous
Rajput Kings of varied Kingdoms.
 There are Six hill-forts in total;
 Chittor Fort of Chittorgarh
 Gagron Fort of Jhalawar
 Kumbhalgarh Fort of Kumbhalgarh
 Ranthambore Fort of Sawai Madhopur
 Jaisalmer Fort of Jaisalmer
 Amer Fort of Jaipur
HILL FORTS OF RAJASTHAN

30.  An intricately built stepwell located in the town of Patan in the state of Gujarat. It’s
perfectly situated on the banks of River Saraswati. It was built as a memorial to an 11th
Century King Bhima First.
 Stepwells are a varied form of subterranean water resource and storage systems existing
on the Indian Subcontinent. It has earned the title of the Cleanest Iconic Place in India.
 The Rani Ki Vav was built during the governance of the Chaulukya Dynasty.
RANI KI VAV

31.  Adorned with high alpine peaks, striking riverine forests and flourishing alpine meadows;
the Great Himalayan National Park is situated in the Kullu region of the happening state of
Himachal Pradesh.
 It’s one of India’s national Parks serving as a habitat to various flora and more than 375
fauna species. This park was established in the year 1984 – spread over an area of 1,171
Kilometers square.
GREAT HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK

32.  The Old Ahmedabad or say the historic city of Ahmadabad or the walled city of Ahmedabad;
it was founded by Ahmad Shah first of Gujarat Sultanate in the year 1411.
 It also served as the capital of the Gujarat Sultanate and yet in time, it serves as the
symbolic heart of Metropolitan Ahmedabad.
 The earliest settlements were located in the Southern zone of the current old city on the
bank of River Sabarmati.
THE HISTORIC CITY OF
AHMEDABAD

33. THE VICTORIAN AND ART DECO ENSEMBLE OF MUMBAI
 Comprises of – Rajabai Clock Tower, Bombay High Court, University of Mumbai and Eros
Cinema; it’s a cluster of 19th-century Victorian Neo-Gothic Public buildings and 20th
Century Art Deco Buildings located in the Fort area of Mumbai in the exemplary state of
Maharashtra.
 This imposing collection sets around the Oval Maidan [an extensive recreational ground,
which was once referred as the Esplanade].

34. THANK YOU