World Heritage in India

The world heritage in India (as of 2019) includes 38 UNESCO world heritage sites , including 30 world cultural heritage sites, seven world natural heritage sites and a mixed cultural and natural heritage site. India ratified the World Heritage Convention in 1977, and the first four World Heritage sites were added to the World Heritage List in 1983. The last World Heritage site to date was registered in 2019.

World heritage sites

The following table lists the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India in chronological order according to the year of their inclusion on the World Heritage List (K - cultural heritage, N - natural heritage, K / N - mixed, (R) - on the Red List of World Heritage in Danger ).

 Map with all coordinates of World Heritage Sites: OSM

image	designation	year	Type	Ref.	description
(more pictures)	Ajanta rock temple ( location )	1983	K	242	The Ajanta Caves are located near the city of Ajanta in the northeast of the Indian state of Maharashtra , about 100 km north of the city of Aurangabad . In a U-shaped valley cut steeply into the rock by the Waghora River , there are numerous large cave temples carved into the rock . Most of the caves were built during the Vakataka Dynasty in the 5th century.
(more pictures)	Ellora cave temple ( location )	1983	K	243	Complex of 34 cave temples in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The entire complex was carved out between the 5th and 11th centuries AD as part of the Deccan architecture from a basaltic rock wall over 2 km long from southeast to northwest. The buildings are divided into a Buddhist (approx. 400–800 AD), a Hindu (approx. 600–900 AD) and a Jain group (approx. 800–1100 AD).
(more pictures)	Agra, Red Fort ( location )	1983	K	251	The Red Fort in Agra is a fortress and palace complex from the era of the Mughal emperors and served, with interruptions, as the residence of the Mughals in the 16th and 17th centuries. The architectural style harmoniously combines elements of Islamic and Hindu architecture.
(more pictures)	Agra, Taj Mahal ( location )	1983	K	252	The Taj Mahal is a 58 meter high and 56 meter wide mausoleum , which was built in Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on a 100 × 100 meter marble platform. Mughal Mughal Shah Jahan had it built in memory of his main wife Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Bano Begum), who died in 1631 . Because of the harmony of its proportions, it is considered to be one of the most beautiful and important examples of the Mughal style.
(more pictures)	Konarak Sun Temple ( location )	1984	K	246	The temple complex was built in the middle of the 13th century under King Narasimha Deva (1238–1264) and was abandoned a short time later or even during the construction. On the high base of the temple there are 24 large wagon wheels carved out of the stone, remains of the draft horses and an enormous number of detailed smaller representations. Many of them depict people engaged in sexual acts.
(more pictures)	Mahabalipuram Temple District ( Location )	1985	K	249	The coastal temple is located directly on the beach of Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram); Built at the end of the 8th century under the Pallava king Rajasimha Narasimhavarman II, it is one of the oldest stone temples in South India. The Pancha Ratha (" five Rathas ") are a group of five monolithic temples located around one and a half kilometers south of the town center. The descent of the Ganga is a bas-relief created in the 7th century; At 12 meters high and 33 meters wide, it is one of the largest in the world.
(more pictures)	Kaziranga National Park ( location )	1985	N	337	National park in the state of Assam in the mountainous landscape of the Karbi Anglong district in northeast India. The national park is the most important protected area for the Indian rhinoceros and is home to over 70% of the world's total population. Kaziranga is also one of the most important protected areas for wild water buffalo , Asian elephants , Bengal tigers and barasingha deer .
(more pictures)	Manas Wildlife Sanctuary ( location )	1985	N	338	National Park in the Indian state of Assam at the foot of the Himalayas; borders the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan . The park is particularly known for its numerous endangered mammals, such as Asian elephants, king tigers, wild water buffalo, barasingha deer, golden langurs and pygmy boars .
(more pictures)	Keoladeo National Park ( location )	1985	N	340	National park in the Indian state of Rajasthan , also called Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary or Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary. Many waterfowl from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia overwinter in the swampy landscape. Over 364 species of birds including the rare barnacle crane have been observed.
(more pictures)	Churches and Monasteries of Goa ( location )	1986	K	234	A total of 60 churches in Velha Goa, built when Goa was the capital of the Portuguese colony Portuguese India .
Vishvanatha Temple (further pictures)	Khajuraho Temple District ( Location )	1986	K	240	A group of around 20 temples in the center and in the vicinity of the city of Khajuraho in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh , built by the rulers of the Chandella dynasty between 950 and 1120. The majority of the temples are dedicated to the main Hindu gods, some to the Jain- Tirthankaras .
(more pictures)	Temple district of Hampi ( location )	1986	K	241	The most elaborate and best preserved temples in the Vijayanagara style date from the 14th to 16th centuries. Century. The peak of this style is reached at the Vitthala Temple from the middle of the 15th century. It stands in the north near the river, three high gopurams (gate towers) delimit an area of ​​164 × 94 meters.
Audience hall (further pictures)	Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri ( location )	1986	K	255	Former capital of the Mughal Empire under Mughal Emperor Akbar I (1542–1605), built between 1569 and 1574. In 1571 Akbar moved here with his court, but in 1585 he moved the court to Lahore .
(more pictures)	Pattadakal Temple Complex ( location )	1987	K	239	Temple buildings of the Chalukya dynasty from the 7th and 8th centuries, which are among the most important of the early Indian stone temples. North and South Indian architectural styles can be found next to each other within the ten temples in this group.
(more pictures)	Elephanta Caves ( location )	1987	K	244	On the rocky and still densely forested island of Elephanta there are a total of six caves, which were mainly used to worship Shiva . Two of them are on the slope of the northwest of the two hills. In the middle of the island, on the eastern slope of the western hill, there are four other cave temples, including the main cave.
(more pictures)	Great Temple of the Chola Dynasty ( location )	1987	K	250	Three Hindu temples from the time of the Chola dynasty (9th to 13th centuries) in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu . In 1987 the Brihadisvara Temple in Thanjavur was added to the World Heritage List. In 2004 the world heritage site was expanded to include the Brihadishvara Temple in Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple in Darasuram
(more pictures)	Sundarbans National Park ( location )	1987	N	452	The largest mangrove forests on earth. The species-rich ecosystem is widely ramified and difficult to access, especially because the delta areas of the Ganges , Brahmaputra and Meghna merge here. The endangered Bengal tiger and the endemic Sundari tree are native here.
(more pictures)	Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers National Park ( location )	1988	N	335	The world heritage site originally only included the Nanda Devi National Park in Uttarakhand and was expanded in 2005 to include the adjacent Valley of Flowers National Park .
(more pictures)	Buddhist sanctuary near Sanchi ( Lage )	1989	K	524	The eight oldest stupas in and at Sanchi (the old name of the place is 'Kakanaya' or 'Kakanadabota') and one of his famous columns were during the reign of King Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty (r. Ca. 268-232 v. Chr .) built. Further stupas and other religious buildings (temples, monasteries) were added - mostly as part of foundations - up to the 12th century. Sanchi is mainly known because of the partly from the 3rd century BC. Buddhist stupas dating back to the 3rd century BC, which are among the oldest structures of this type still in existence.
(more pictures)	Tomb of Emperor Humajun in Delhi ( location )	1993	K	232	The Humayun mausoleum in Delhi is the burial place of Humayun (1508–1556), the second ruler of the Mughal Empire of India. Due to its size and elegant Persian-style architecture, it is one of the most magnificent historical buildings on the entire subcontinent. Its imposing architecture points to the Akbar mausoleum in Sikandra and the Taj Mahal in Agra .
(more pictures)	Kutub Minar with its mosques and tombs in Delhi ( location )	1993	K	233	The Qutb complex is an area in Mehrauli in the south of the Indian capital Delhi , on which the ruins of the first mosque in Delhi - built after the Muslim conquest of the city - stand (around 1200). The Qutub Minar is a victory and watchtower as well as a minaret within the complex of several buildings from the early days of the Sultanate of Delhi . It is considered an early masterpiece of Indo-Islamic architecture and is still one of the tallest towers in the Islamic world.
Darjeelingbahn (further pictures)	Mountain railways in India ( location )	1999	K	944	Three mountain railways in India. All three railways are narrow-gauge lines that were laid out towards the end of the 19th century during the British colonial period in order to open up the mountain towns that were previously difficult to reach. The world heritage site originally only included the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway , the Nilgiri Mountain Railway was added in 2005, and the Kalka-Shimla Railway in 2008
(more pictures)	Mahabodhi Temple of Bodh Gaya ( location )	2002	K	1056	Buddhist temple in Bodhgaya in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar , which was originally built in the 2nd century. On the west side of the temple is the poplar fig , under which Siddhartha Gautama , the historical Buddha, according to tradition , attained the awakening ( Bodhi ).
(more pictures)	Bhimbetka rock caves ( location )	2003	K	925	Archaeological site in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. There you can find Stone Age paintings in rock shelters that are up to 9000 years old. Bhimbetka is one of the oldest petroglyphs in India.
(more pictures)	Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park ( location )	2004	K	1101	Mostly not yet excavated early Hindu city. In addition to remnants of the former capital of Gujarat from the 16th century, it includes a hill fortress of an early Hindu capital as well as fortifications, religious buildings, palaces and residential buildings from the 8th to 14th centuries.
(more pictures)	Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai ( location )	2004	K	945	Station of the Indian Railways in the south of Mumbai . It is one of the largest and busiest train stations in the world. The station building is a symbiosis of British architecture and building art as well as Indian structural elements and craftsmanship and is architecturally unique of its kind. Completed in 1888, it was considered the largest and most important building in British India .
(more pictures)	Red Fort ( location )	2007	K	231	Fortress and palace complex in Delhi from the era of the Mughal Empire. It was built between 1639 and 1648 for Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
(more pictures)	The "Jantar Mantar" in Jaipur ( location )	2010	K	1338	The largest of the five historical astronomical observatories that Maharaja Jai Singh II had built; was built on the model of the observatory in Delhi in the new capital Jaipur from 1727 to 1733. It houses 14 buildings designed according to astronomical criteria. These are used, among other things, to measure time, predict eclipses, observe the orbits of the planets, determine astronomical altitude and declination, and create ephemeris .
(more pictures)	Western Ghats Mountains ( location )	2012	N	1342	39 protected areas in the Western Ghats, a mountain range that runs along the edge of the Dekkan Plateau and separates it from the narrow strip of the coastal plain and the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats are one of the world's most important biodiversity hotspots.
Kumbhalgarh (further pictures)	Mountain fortresses of Rajasthan ( location )	2013	K	247	The forts of Chittorgarh , Kumbhalgarh , Sawai Madhopur , Jhalawar , Jaipur , Jaisalmer .
(more pictures)	Great Himalayan National Park ( location )	2014	N	1406	The protected area includes tropical to alpine climates and also includes Tibetan steppe regions. A total of 31 species of mammals and 181 species of birds have been identified in the park so far.
(more pictures)	Rani Ki Vav (Queen's Stepwell) in Patan, Gujarat ( location )	2014	K	922	The Rani Ki vav in Patan is the most magnificent of all the stepwells in Gujarat. It is decorated with figures and abstract vegetable reliefs and was built to catch the abundant rainwater during the monsoon season, but also to get to the groundwater.
(more pictures)	Nalanda Mahavihara archaeological site ( location )	2016	K	1502	Ruined city with a Buddhist university founded in the 5th century
(more pictures)	Kangchenjunga National Park ( location )	2016	K / N	1513	1,784 km² protected area on the border with Nepal.
Capitol Complex in Chandigarh (more images)	The architectural work of Le Corbusier ( location )	2016	K	1321	The world heritage site comprises 17 buildings by the architect Le Corbusier . The buildings show the solutions that modernity offered in the 20th century for the challenges of inventing new architectural techniques in order to meet the needs of society. In India, the capitol complex in Chandigarh is a World Heritage Site , the other buildings are in France , Argentina , Belgium , Germany , Japan and Switzerland .
(more pictures)	Ahmedabad old town ( location )	2017	K	1551
(more pictures)	Victorian Gothic and Art Deco ensembles in Mumbai ( location )	2018	K	1480	Comprises a neo-Gothic Victorian-style ensemble of buildings in the Fort District of Mumbai and Art Deco- style buildings to the west on Back Bay . The buildings illustrate these architectural styles as well as Bombay's transformation from a British trading post and fort to the first city in India.
(more pictures)	Jaipur, Rajasthan ( location )	2019	K	1605	Jaipur was planned from 1727 under Jai Singh II . The plan, after Jaipur was laid out as a grid, shows influences of ancient Hindu and Mughal cultures as well as western impulses. The facades on the main squares and streets are designed uniformly, many markets and shops are harmoniously present behind colonnades . The handicrafts of Jaipur, which are still alive today, are also remarkable.

Tentative list

The sites that are intended for nomination for inclusion in the World Heritage List are entered in the tentative list .

Current World Heritage candidates

As of 2019, there are 43 sites in the tentative list of India, the last entry was in 2019. The following table lists the sites in chronological order according to the year they were included in the tentative list.

 Map with all coordinates of current World Heritage candidates: OSM

image	designation	year	Type	Ref.	description
Radha Madhab Temple (further pictures)	Bishnupur Temple	1998	K	1087	In the city of Bishnupur in West Bengal there are several Bengali temples from the 17th century.
(more pictures)	Mattancherry Palace ( location )	1998	K	1092
	Group of monuments in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh	1998	K	1095	comprises 61 structures in the city of Mandu in Madhya Pradesh
	Sarnath and Varanasi ancient Buddhist sites	1998	K	1096	Gautama Buddha taught the Dharma in Sarnath and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh .
(more pictures)	Sri Harimandir Sahib ( location )	2004	K	1858	The "Golden Temple" in Amritsar in Punjab is the holiest temple in Sikhism
(more pictures)	Majuli River Island ( location )	2004	N	1870	Majuli is a river island in the Brahmaputra River in Assam
(more pictures)	Namdapha National Park ( location )	2006	N	2104	The largest protected landscape in the Eastern Himalayas in Arunachal Pradesh
	Dhrangadhra Game Reserve	2006	N	2105	The Dhrangadhra game reserve in the small Rann of Kachchh is also known as the Wild Ass Sanctuary (" Wild Ass Sanctuary ") and is known for its Indian gazelles
	Neora Valley National Park	2009	N	5447
	Desert National Park	2009	N	5448	Example of the Thar Desert ecosystem in Rajasthan
	Silk Road sites in India	2010	K	5492	comprises 12 sites on the sections of the Silk Road that run through India.
	Shantiniketan	2010	K	5495
Charminar	Qutb Shahi monuments in Hyderabad	2010	K	5573	includes buildings from the time of the Qutb Shahi dynasty in the city of Hyderabad and its surroundings: the Charminar Gate , the Golkonda Fortress and the Qutb Shahi tombs .
	Mughal Gardens in Kashmir	2010	K	5580	6 Gardens in Kashmir : Shalimar-Bagh , Chashma Shahi , Pari Mahal , Verinag , Achabal Gardens and Nishat Bagh
	Delhi - a city of cultural heritage	2012	K	5743
Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur	Monuments and fortresses of the Deccan sultanates	2014	K	5887	Buildings and ensembles of buildings from the time of the Deccan Sultanates in Gulbarga (capital of the Bahmani Sultanate 1347–1428), Bidar (capital of the Bahmani Sultanate 1428–1492 and the Sultanate of Bidar 1492–1619), Bijapur (capital of the Sultanate of Bijapur 1490– 1686) and Hyderabad (capital of the Qutb Shāhī Sultanate 1590–1685). The Qutb Shahi monuments in Hyderabad had already been put on the tentative list as a separate proposal (Ref. # 5573 ) in 2010 .
(more pictures)	Cellular Jail, Andaman Islands	2014	K	5888	from 1893 built prison on the Andamans
Torana in Fort Warangal	Temples and gates of the glorious Kakatiya	2014	K	5889	includes three temples and the associated free-standing gate structures ( Toranas ) from the time of the 1163-1323 ruling Kakatiya dynasty: the remains of the Swayambhu temple and the Keerthi Thoranas in Fort Warangal near Warangal , which was the capital of the Kakatiya dynasty, the Rudreswara temple (temple of a thousand columns) in Hanumakonda and Rudreswara temple (Ramappa temple) in Palampet .
	Iconic sari weaving cluster of India	2014	K	5890	Cluster traditional Sari -Webereien in Chanderi , Varanasi , Mubarakpur , Paithan , Yeola , Koyalagudem , Pochampalli and Sualkuchi
	Dholavira: A Harappa city	2014	K	5892	archaeological site of the Harappa culture in western Gujarat .
	Cultural landscape of the Apatani	2014	K	5893	Settlement area of ​​the Apatani tribe in the Eastern Himalayas in the vicinity of the city of Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh , where wet rice is grown .
(more pictures)	Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam ( location )	2014	K	5894
(more pictures)	Monuments of the island city of Shrirangapattana ( location )	2014	K	5895
(more pictures)	Chilika Lake ( location )	2014	N	5896
(more pictures)	Padmanabhapuram Palace ( location )	2014	K	5897	Wooden royal palace in Padmanabhapuram
Hoysaleshwara Temple	Sacred ensembles of the Hoysala	2014	K	5898	Ensembles of holy sites of the Hoysala Dynasty in Belur , the first capital of the Hoysala, and Halebid , which was the capital of the Hoysala Empire from the 12th to the 14th centuries under the name Dorasamudra .
	Sites of the Satyagraha, India's nonviolent freedom movement	2014	K	5899	Satyagraha is the basic attitude of non-violence propagated by Mahatma Gandhi in the struggle for independence in India. The proposal includes 22 sites in Gujarat , Maharashtra , West Bengal , Tamil Nadu , Bihar , Kerala , Uttar Pradesh , New Delhi and Madhya Pradesh .
	Thembang fortified village ( location )	2014	K	5913
(more pictures)	Narcondam Island ( location )	2014	N	5914
	Maidams - the burial mound system of the Ahom dynasty	2014	K	5915	Maidams are tumuli of the Ahom dynasty which from 1228 to 1826 in Assam ruled.
Lingaraja temple	Ekamra Kshetra - The Temple City ( location )	2014	K	5916	Ekamra Kshetra is a historical name for the city of Bhubaneswar , in which there are about 35 important temples for the history of Hindu temple architecture in East India.
Pottery from Burzahom	Neolithic settlement Burzahom ( location )	2014	K	5917
(more pictures)	Archaeological remains of the Harappa port city of Lothal ( location )	2014	K	5918	Lothal was a port city of the ancient Harappa culture
Kangra Valley Railway	Mountain railways in India	2014	K	5919	Planned expansion of the existing World Heritage Site (Ref. # 944 ) to include Kangra Valley Railway and Matheran Hill Railway
	Chettinad, village cluster of Tamil merchants	2014	K	5920	comprises three clusters with a total of eleven villages in the region Chettinad in Tamil Nadu . Kanadukathan , Pallathur , Kothamangalam , Kottaiyur Athangudi , Chokalingampudur , Karaikkudi , Kandanur Rayavaram , Arimalam , Kadiapatti-Ramachandrapuram
	Bahai Temple in New Delhi ( location )	2014	K	5921
	Development of temple architecture - Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal	2015	K	5972	Planned expansion of the existing world heritage site of Pattadakal (Ref. # 239 ) to include temples in Aihole and Badami
	Cultural landscape of the cold desert of India ( location )	2015	K	6055	Mountainous cultural landscape with a cold and dry climate between the mountain ranges of the Himalayas and the Karakoram from Ladakh in the north to Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh in the south The proposal also includes the monasteries Alchi and Hemis , which were previously proposed separately .
	Sites along Grand Trunk Road	2015	K	6056	The serial world heritage site comprises 93 individual sites along the Grand Trunk Road , one of the oldest and most important transport links in Asia, which was also known as Uttarapatha , Sadak-e-Azam or Badshahi Sadak in different historical periods .
(more pictures)	Keibul Lamjao National Park ( location )	2016	K / N	6086	Protection reserve in Manipur for the conservation of the threatened Manipur lyre deer from the genus of the lyre deer .
	Garo Hills Conservation Area (GHCA)	2018	K / N	6356
	Orchha historical ensemble	2019	K	6404
	Sacred mountain landscape and historical routes	2019	K / N	6405	In India, an area of ​​6,836 km² is nominated in the district of Pithoragarh in the northeast of the Uttarakhand state.

Former World Heritage candidates

These sites were previously on the tentative list, but were withdrawn or rejected by UNESCO. Sites that are included in other entries on the tentative list or that are part of world heritage sites are not taken into account here.

 Map with all coordinates of former World Heritage candidates: OSM

image	designation	year	Type	Ref.	description
(more pictures)	Itimad-ud-Daula mausoleum ( location )	1981-1998	K		The mausoleum in Agra was built between 1622 and 1628 by Nur Jahan , the chief wife of the Mughal ruler Jahangir , for her father.
	Kalibangan ( location )	1981-1998	K
	Karla caves	1981-1998	K
	Temple of the Sun of Martand ( location )	1981-1998	K
	Akbar Mausoleum in Sikandra	1985-1994	K
	Kanha National Park	1986-1994	N
	Ranthambhore National Park	1986-1994	N
(more pictures)	Hazarduari Palace ( location )	1987-1988	K		Palace in Murshidabad
	Group of monuments in Malda	1987-1988	K
(more pictures)	Gir National Park	1992-1992	N	615
	Gwalior Fortress	1994-1998	K		Hill fortress near the town of Gwalior , contains u. a. the Man Mandir palace and the Teli ka Mandir Hindu temple
	Mount Abu	1994-1998	K
	Udayagiri and Khandagiri caves	1994-1998	K
(more pictures)	Hemis Gompa ( location )	1998-2015	K	1097	Tibetan Buddhism monastery in the village of Hemis in the Union Territory of Ladakh
	Le Corbusier's urban and architectural work in Chandigarh	2006-2016	K	5082	Of the urban and architectural work of the French architect Le Corbusier in Chandigarh , only the Capitol Complex was included in the World Heritage List (Ref.) Originally, however, the entire city was nominated, including The Monuments , The Lake Precinct , The Leisure Valley and Cultural Center and The City Center .
	Churchgate	2009-2015	K	5402	planned expansion to the world heritage site "Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai"
	Maharaja Railways in India	2009-2014	K	5403
	Oak Groove School	2009-2014	K	5404
	Bhitarkanika Protected Area	2009-2017	N	5446	Mangrove wetland in Odisha . Registration was rejected by UNESCO in 2017.

Web links

Commons : World Heritage Sites in India  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

• India on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ India. In: whc.unesco.org. UNESCO World Heritage Center, accessed June 30, 2016 . 
2. ↑ German names according to the World Heritage List. In: www.unesco.de. German UNESCO Commission, accessed on January 31, 2018 . 
3. ^ Tentative list of India. In: whc.unesco.org. UNESCO World Heritage Center, accessed May 1, 2019 . 
4. ^ Former Tentative Sites of India. In: World Heritage Site. Accessed June 30, 2016 . 

 Map with all coordinates: OSM | WikiMap