UNESCO World Heritage Sites - Selection Criteria and List

S.No

UNESCO World Heritage Sites In India

Place

Recognition Year

Special Features

CULTURAL

1

Agra Fort 

Uttar Pradesh

1983

• A Mughal monument made in 16^th century comprising Jahangir Palace, Khas Mahal (constructed by Shah Jahan) and Diwan-i-Khas.

2

Ajanta Caves 

Aurangabad, Maharashtra

1983

• Rock-cut caves having paintings and sculptures that are masterpieces of Buddhist art.
• Although they existed since 2^nd and 1^st Centuries B.C, many of them were added during the Gupta period (5^th and 6^th centuries A.D).

3

Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara

Nalanda, Bihar

2016

• The Nalanda Mahavihara site has archaeological remains (stupas, shrines, and viharas) of the most ancient university that have existed from the 3^rd century BCE to the 13^th century CE.

4

Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi

Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh

1989

• Sanchi remained an important Buddhist centre in India up to 12^th century.
• It is the oldest Buddhist sanctuary existing now.
• Most of the Buddhist Monuments (monolithic pillars, temples, palaces and monasteries) at Sanchi have existed since 2^nd and 1^st centuries B.C.

5

Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park 

Gujarat

2004

• Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park includes prehistoric (chalcolithic) sites, remains belonging to the 16^th century capital of Gujarat and Kalikamata Temple (Pavagadh Hill).
• It is the only Islamic pre-Mughal city that remains unchanged.

6

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) 

Maharashtra

2004

• British architect F. W. Stevens designed it.
• It is an example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India.
• It also represents the meeting of British and Indian architectural tradition.

7

Churches and Convents

Goa

1986

• The churches and convents of Goa, especially the Church of Bom Jesus, are an example of evangelization (spreading Christian religious beliefs) in Asia.
• They have greatly influenced the spreading of Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque art forms.

8

Elephanta Caves 

Maharashtra

1987

• Elephanta caves contain a group of rock art connected with the Shiva cult of Hindus and a few Buddhist stupa mounds.
• They have images of Ardhanarisvara, Kalyana-sundara Shiva, Ravana lifting Kailasa and Nataraja Shiva.

9

Ellora Caves

Maharashtra

1983

• Ellora Caves contain 34 monasteries and temples belonging to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism.
• They also contain monuments that have existed since A.D. 600 to 1000.
• It also contains the Kailasha temple, which is the world's largest single monolithic rock excavation.

10

Fatehpur Sikri 

Agra, Uttar Pradesh

1986

• Fatehpur Sikri was founded by Akbar as the capital of the Mughal Empire in 1571.
• Buland Darwaza,Tomb of Salim Chishti, Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Ibadat Khana and Panch Mahal are some important buildings in Fatehpur Sikri.

11

Great Living Chola Temples 

Tamil Nadu

1987, 2004

• The Great Living Chola Temples include Brihadisvara Temple of Thanjavur (recognized in1987), Brihadisvara Temple of Gangaikondacholisvaram (added in 2004) and Airavatesvara Temple of Darasuram (added in 2004).
• They were built by Rajaraja I, Rajendra I and Rajaraja II, respectively.

12

Group of Monuments at Hampi

Karnataka

1986

• Hampi was the last capital of the last Hindu Vijayanagar Kingdom.
• It is located near the Tungabhadra river.

13

Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

Tamil Nadu

1984

• These 7^th and 8^th centuries CE monuments were founded by Pallava kings and are famous for rathas, mandapas and large open-air reliefs like Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance.

14

Group of Monuments at Pattadakal 

Karnataka

1987

• Group of Monuments at Pattadakal includes nine Hindu temples and a Jain sanctuary.
• They have existed since the Chalukya dynasty (c. 543-757).
• The Temple of Virupaksha (c. 740) built by Queen Lokamahadevi attracts attention among other Monuments at Pattadakal.

15

Hill Forts  

Rajasthan

2013

• Hill Forts include six forts in Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jaipur and Jaisalmer.
• These forts have water harvesting structures that are still in use.

16

Historic City of Ahmadabad 

Gujarat

2017

• Sultan Ahmad Shah founded the city of Ahmadabad in 15^th century on the eastern side of the Sabarmati river.
• It has traditional houses that are densely-packed (pols) and traditional streets that are gated (puras).

17

Humayun's Tomb

Delhi

1993

• In the 1560s and under the patronage of Emperor Akbar, Persian and Indian craftsmen jointly built Humayun's Tomb.
• It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent.
• It is also called dormitory of the Mughals

18

Jaipur City 

Rajasthan 

2019

• Jaipur city was founded in 1727 by Sawai Jai Singh II.
• Its urban design uses ideas from ancient Hindu (Vedic architecture) as well as from modern Mughal and modern Western cultures.

19

Khajuraho Group of Monuments 

Madhya Pradesh

1986

• Khajuraho Group of Monuments was made during the rule of the Chandella dynasty.
• Presently, only two temples belonging to Hinduism and Jainism are left.
• The sculptures at the temple of Kandariya are among greatest masterpieces of Indian art.

20

Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya 

Bihar

2002

• Mahabodhi Temple Complex is a holy site related to the attainment of enlightenment by Lord Buddha.
• In the 3^rd century B.C., emperor Asoka built first temple of Mahabodhi Temple Complex.

21

Mountain Railways of India 

West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh

1999, 2005, 2008

• Mountain Railways of India include 88.48 -km long Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), 46-km long Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005) and 96-km long Kalka Shimla Railway (2008).

22

Qutb Minar and its Monuments

Delhi

1993

• Qutb Minar and its Monuments were built in the early 13^th century.
• They include 72.5 m high Qutb Minar, Alai-Darwaza Gate and   Quwwatul-Islam mosque.

23

Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell)

Patan, Gujarat

2014

• Rani-ki-Vav was built in the 11^th century AD, on the banks of river Saraswati.
• It is divided into seven levels of stairs and designed as an inverted temple.

24

Red Fort Complex 

Delhi

2007

• The Red Fort Complex includes Red Fort and an older adjacent fort, the Salimgarh. Fifth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan built Red Fort in 1639.
• Islam Shah Suri built Salimgarh in 1546.
• The Red Fort represents a fusion of Islamic, Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions.

25

Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka 

Madhya Pradesh

2003

• The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are located in the Vindhyan Mountains.
• They are five clusters of natural rock shelters, having paintings from the prehistoric Mesolithic period.
• These provide evidence of the stone age.

26

Sun Temple, Konarak

Odisha

1984

• Sun Temple, Konarak is a 13^th-century monument representing sun god Surya's chariot, which has 24 decorated wheels and is led by six horses.

27

Taj Mahal 

Agra, Uttar Pradesh

1983

• In the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal between 1631 and 1648.
• It is on the right side of the Yamuna river.
• The main architect of the Taj Mahal was Ustad-Ahmad Lahori.

28

The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier

Chandigarh

2016

• 17 sites (spread over seven countries) selected from the architectural work of Le Corbusier provide exceptionally good response to some fundamental architectural and social challenges of the 20^th century.
• Complexe du Capitole in Chandigarh (India) is one of these 17 sites.

29

The Jantar Mantar

Jaipur, Rajasthan

2010

• Built in the early 18^th century by the prince Jai Singh II, Jantar Mantar has 20 main instruments for making an astronomical observation with naked eye.

30

Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai 

Maharashtra

2018

• Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai are assemblages of 19^th and 20^th century buildings in Victorian Gothic style and Art Deco (Indo-Deco) style.

31

Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple (Ramappa Temple) 

Telangana

2021

• It is a 13^th century engineering marvel named after its architect, Ramappa.
• Constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.
• The presiding deity in the temple is Ramalingeswara Swamy.
• The temple stands on a 6 feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings.
• A European traveler had remarked that the temple was the "brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan".

32

Dholavira- A Harappan City

Gujarat

2021

• Dholavira was discovered by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1968.
• It is famous for its water management system, multi-layered defensive mechanisms, and special burial structures.
• It is one of the two largest Harappan sites in India and the fifth-largest in the subcontinent.
• Dholavira was a planned city. It comprises two parts: a walled city and a cemetery to the west of the city.
• This city flourished between the 3^rd to mid-2^nd millennium BCE. 

• It was established in rural West Bengal in 1901 by the renowned poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore.
• A ‘world university’ was established at Santiniketan in 1921, recognizing the unity of humanity or “Visva Bharati”.

• 12th century Hoysala era temples of Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura in Hassan and Mysuru districts have been included in the list.
• The Sacred Ensembles of Hoysals are often described as Poetry carved in stone at the global level. 

NATURAL

35

Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area 

Himachal Pradesh

2014

• High alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests are characteristics of Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area (GHNPCA).
• The tributaries to the river Beas like Jiwa Nal, Sainj and Tirthan rivers and Parvati river have origins from GHNPCA.

36

Kaziranga National Park 

 Assam

1985

• World's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses is found in Kaziranga National Park.
• It is also a Tiger Reserve since 2007 and an important area for threatened migratory birds.

37

Keoladeo National Park 

Rajasthan

1985

• It is a wetland of international importance for migratory waterfowl and a wintering ground for critically endangered Siberian Crane as well as for globally threatened Greater Spotted Eagle and Imperial Eagle.

38

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary 

 Assam

1985

• It is a tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve.
• It is famous for Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, pygmy hog and wild water buffalo.

39

Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks 

Uttarakhand

1988, 2005

• It is known for endemic alpine flowers as well as for rare and endangered animals such as Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. 
• Nanda Devi National Park got inscribed in 1988 while the Valley of Flowers National Park was added in 2005.

40

Sundarbans National Park

West Bengal

1987

• It has the largest area of mangrove forests in the world.
• It is famous for tigers, aquatic mammals, birds and reptiles.
• It is a national park, tiger reserve and biosphere reserve.

41

Western Ghats 

Maharashtra,
Goa,
Karnataka,
Tamil Nadu and
Kerala

2012

• It is one of the eight "hottest hotspots" of biodiversity in world.
• It is characterized by a large number of endemic species that are not found anywhere else.

MIXED

42

Khangchendzonga National Park 

 Sikkim

2016

• It includes Mount Khangchendzonga, which is the world’s third-highest peak.
• Zemu Glacier, largest glacier in the Eastern Himalaya is also part of this park.