list of UNESCO world heritage sites in India

The UNESCO World Heritage Convention was established in 1972. It recognized the various sites that were of natural or cultural importance in the world. India is known for its cultural heritage and is a beautiful and diverse country. It has some of the most attractive architectural gems and there are also some very beautiful landscapes here. It is for this reason that it boasts of having so many UNESCO world heritage sites spread across the country. 

If you are interested to know about some of the UNESCO world heritage sites in India, you can go through the discussion below:

Taj Mahal, Agra

This is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The Taj Mahal is a white marble Mughal architecture and was built by Emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of his loving wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is located on the bank of river Yamuna in Agra. It was completed in the year 1653 and the estimated cost at that time was 32 million which would be 58 billion Indian rupees as of today. It is considered to be the best example of Mughal architecture worldwide. It is called the “Jewel of Muslim art in India”. This is the monument that has received maximum recognition in the world because it is one of India’s heritage sites.

Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho is located in Madhya Pradesh and this is also one of the world’s heritage sites. This is a unique heritage site and is famous because of a group of Jain and Hindu temples that is located 175 km on the South-Eastern side of Jhansi. They are well-known for their Nagara-style symbolism and erotic sculptures and figures. This has sensuous stone carvings of both human and animal forms in erotic poses. These are portrayed in a very aesthetic manner and stand as a testimony to the rich cultural heritage of India. Most of the monuments here were built between 950 to 1050CE under the rule of the Chandela dynasty. There are as many as 85 temples here that are spread across an area of 20 square kilometres. The most prominent among all these temples is the Kandariya temple.

Hampi, Karnataka

This is a UNESCO heritage site that is located in the Northern part of Karnataka. This lies amidst the ruins of the Vijayanagar kingdom. The Hampi ruins are a bunch of heritage sites that depict the excellent Dravidian style of architecture. The monument that is most significant on this site is the Virupaksha temple. This temple continues to be a place of religious significance for the Hindus. Several other monuments are also a part of the heritage site. These are collectively called the “Group of monuments in Hampi.” Some of the other monuments include the Krishna temple complex, Ganesa Hemakuta group of temples, Narsimha, Vitthala temple complex, Achyutaraya temple complex, etc.

Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra

These are famous as Buddhist rock-cut cave monuments. There are some very richly decorated paintings inside these monuments and there are also Frescoes that are similar to the Sigiriya paintings. This is one of the first heritage sites in India and dates way back, in the 2nd century BCE to 650 CE. It also has 31 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments, sculptures and paintings.