UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Heritage Sites is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity. UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of United Nations. UNESCO was created for the conservation and protection of the world’s inheritance of books, works of art and monuments of history and science. As of now there are 38 world Heritage Sites in India that include 30 cultural sites and 7 Natural Sites and 1 Mixed Site. The world Heritage Sites remain the most important topic in general knowledge for all competitive exam. Aspirants should know all the UNESCO Heritage Sites to crack the upcoming competitive exams like SSC, RRB, Bank, UPSC, etc. The below table consists of names of the Sites, location and the year of inscription.
List of 30 Cultural Heritage Sites.
| Name of the Site | Location | Year of Inscription |
|---|---|---|
| Agra Fort | Uttar Pradesh | 1983 |
| Ajanta Caves | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | 1989 |
| Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park | Gujarat | 2004 |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) | Maharashtra | 2004 |
| Churches and Convents of Goa | Goa | 1986 |
| Elephanta Caves | Maharashtra | 1987 |
| Ellora Cave | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Uttar Pradesh | 1986 |
| Great Living Chola Temples | Tamil Nadu | 1987 |
| Group of Monuments at Hampi | Karnataka | 1986 |
| Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram | Tamil Nadu | 1984 |
| Group of Monuments at Pattadakal | Karnataka | 1987 |
| Hill Forts of Rajasthan | Rajasthan | 2013 |
| Historic City of Ahmedabad | Gujarat | 2017 |
| Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi | Delhi | 1993 |
| Jaipur City, Rajasthan | Rajasthan | 2019 |
| Khajuraho Group of Monuments | Madhya Pradesh | 1986 |
| Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya | Bihar | 2002 |
| Mountain Railways of India | Darjeeling, West Bengal Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu Kalka-Shimla, Himachal Pradesh |
1999 |
| Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi | Delhi | 1993 |
| Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) | Gujarat | 2014 |
| Red Fort Complex | Delhi | 2007 |
| Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka | Madhya Pradesh | 2003 |
| Sun Temple, Konârak | Orissa | 1984 |
| Taj Mahal | Uttar Pradesh | 1983 |
| The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur | Rajasthan | 2010 |
| The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier | Chandigarh | 2016 |
| Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) | Bihar | 2016 |
| Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai | Maharashtra | 2018 |
List of 7 Natural Heritage Sites
| Name Of the Site | Location | Year of Inscription |
|---|---|---|
| Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area | Himachal Pradesh | 2014 |
| Kaziranga National Park | Assam | 1985 |
| Keoladeo National Park | Rajasthan | 1985 |
| Manas Wildlife Sanctuary | Assam | 1985 |
| Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks | Uttarakhand | 1988 |
| Sundarbans National Park | West Bengal | 1987 |
| Western Ghats | Covers Four states (Kerala ,Karnataka,Tamilnadu and Maharashtra) |
2012 |
One Mixed Heritage Sites
| Name Of the Site | Location | Year of Inscription |
|---|---|---|
| Khangchendzonga National Park | Sikkim | 2016 |
Note: In the case of western ghats 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 Nadu and four in Maharashtra
Also there is a tentative list of world heritage sites in India, which is already mentioned in the given below link.
Three new sites added in 2016: Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) in Bihar ,The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier in Chandigarh and Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim.
In 2017, the Walled City of Ahmedabad, founded by Sultan Ahmed Shah in the 15th century, has been declared India’s first World Heritage City.
Indian Monuments and Sites Nominated for UNESCO Heritage sites
