UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India
Jaipur, the pink city has been added to the list of UNESCO world heritage site on 43rd session of the World
Heritage Committee held on 6th June 2019 .It is one of the largest cities in India
and is surrounded by walls and gates decorated with drawings on the backdrop of
a beautiful pink hue. As of now there
are 38 (30 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed) World Heritage Sites in India that
are recognised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) as of August 2019. These are places of importance of
cultural or natural heritage as described in the UNESCO World Heritage Convention,
established in 1972. The Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural
and Natural Heritage was adopted on the 17 November 1972 following the General
Conference of the UNESCO held from 17 October 1972 to 21 November 1972. India’s
first two sites inscribed on the list at the Seventh Session of the World
Heritage held in 1983 were the Agra Fort and the Ajanta Caves. A tentative list
of further sites/properties submitted by India for recognition includes 44
sites. The cultural sites in India are marked by their brilliant artistry on
stone. Most of the temples of India, which are inscribed on this list, are
built in stone, without any mortar and with sculpture carved on it. Three new
sites – "Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University)"
at Nalanda, Bihar, “Capitol Building Complex – The Architectural Work of Le
Corbusier" in Chandigarh and "Khangchendzonga National Park,
Sikkim" have been added to the list in July, 2016. The Historic City of
Ahmadabad was added to the list, making it India's UNESCO World Heritage Site
city, In July 2017. These sites are:
Cultural Heritage Sites
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S.No.
|
Name of
the Site
|
State/UT
|
Year
|
1
|
Agra
Fort
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
1983
|
2
|
Ajanta
Caves
|
Maharashtra
|
1983
|
3
|
Ellora
Caves
|
Maharashtra
|
1983
|
4
|
Taj
Mahal
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
1983
|
5
|
Group
of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
|
Tamil
Nadu
|
1984
|
6
|
Sun
Temple, Konârak
|
Odisha
|
1984
|
7
|
Churches
and Convents of Goa
|
Goa
|
1986
|
8
|
Fatehpur
Sikri
|
Uttar
Pradesh
|
1986
|
9
|
Group
of Monuments at Hampi
|
Karnataka
|
1986
|
10
|
Khajuraho
Group of Monuments
|
Madhya
Pradesh
|
1986
|
11
|
Elephanta
Caves
|
Maharashtra
|
1987
|
12
|
Great
Living Chola Temples
|
Tamil
Nadu
|
1987
|
13
|
Group
of Monuments at Pattadakal
|
Karnataka
|
1987
|
14
|
Buddhist
Monuments at Sanchi
|
Madhya
Pradesh
|
1989
|
15
|
Humayun's
Tomb
|
Delhi
|
1993
|
16
|
QutbMinar
and its Monuments
|
Delhi
|
1993
|
17
|
Mountain
Railways of India
|
West
Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Himachal Pradesh
|
1999
|
18
|
Mahabodhi
Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya
|
Bihar
|
2002
|
19
|
Rock
Shelters of Bhimbetka
|
Madhya
Pradesh
|
2003
|
20
|
Champaner-Pavagadh
Archaeological Park
|
Gujarat
|
2004
|
21
|
Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus
|
Maharashtra
|
2004
|
22
|
Red
Fort Complex
|
Delhi
|
2007
|
23
|
The
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur
|
Rajathan
|
2010
|
24
|
Hill
Forts of Rajasthan
|
Rajathan
|
2013
|
25
|
Rani-ki-Vav
(the Queen’s Stepwell)
|
Gujarat
|
2014
|
26
|
Archaelogical
site of Nalanda University
|
Bihar
|
2016
|
27
|
The
Architectural Work of Le Corbusier
|
Chandigarh
|
2016
|
28
|
Historic
city of Ahmedabad
|
Gujarat
|
2017
|
29
|
The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai
|
Mumbai
|
2018
|
30
|
Jaipur
City (Pink City), Rajasthan
|
Jaipur
|
2019
|
1.
Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh
Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the
important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This
powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long
enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. The fort comprises
many fairy-tale palaces, a number of monuments like Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal,
Muhamman Burie (an octagonal Tower), Diwan-e-Khas, Diwan-e-Am, the Jahangir
Palace, audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful
mosques, Moti Masjid and Nagina Masjid.
The Agra Fort is one of the most important
monumental structures built by the Mughal empire. Though built in Mughal Era, during
the time of Akbar, the Agra fort is a fusion of Persian art of the Timurid and the
Indian forms of architecture. This is so because the fort was originally a
brick monument known as Badalgarh, held by Raja Badal Singh, a Hindu Shikarwar
Rajput King. After invasion, Sikander Lodi was the first Sultan of Delhi to
shift to Agra and live in the fort.
2. Ajanta
Caves, Maharashtra (Buddhist
Rock-cut Cave Monuments, Richly Decorated Paintings, and Frescoes similar to
Sigiriya Paintings.)
The first Buddhist cave monuments at Ajanta
date from the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.E during the Gupta period (5th and 6th
centuries C.E.), many more richly decorated caves were added to the original
group. The paintings and sculptures of Ajanta, considered masterpieces of
Buddhist religious art, have had a considerable artistic influence. The Ajanta
caves consist of the finest masterpieces of 31 rock cut Buddhist cave
monuments, paintings and sculpture. The caves very built in two different
phases. First of Satavahana Period under the patronage of Satvahana Dynasty
(230 BCE-220 CE). Second, the caves of Vakataka Period under the reign of
Emperor Harishena of Vakataka Dynasty. The style of Ajanta art and architecture
has had a revolutionary impact on the way in Indian art and architecture has
progressed all throughout history. Having mainly carvings and sculptures
related to the life of Buddha, one can say that this marks the beginning of
Indian Classical Art.
3.
Ellora Caves, Maharashtra (Famous for/as: Buddhist, Jain and Hindu
Temples and Monasteries, Caves Excavated out of Hills, Rock-cut Architecture.)
The Ellora Caves are an important UNESCO World
Heritage site and an archaeological site, ranging 29 kilometres North-west of
the city of Aurangabad. The Ellora Caves are well known for their Indian-rock
cut architecture. These 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2
km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff, not far from
Aurangabad, in Maharashtra. Ellora, with its uninterrupted sequence of
monuments dating from A.D. 600 to 1000, brings the civilization of ancient
India to life. Not only is the Ellora complex a unique artistic creation and a
technological exploit but, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism
and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of
ancient India. These are important in terms of understanding the lives of the
people living in these times. Excavated site consists of Charanandri Hills,
Buddhist Hindu and Jain rock-cut temples, Viharas and Maths of 5th and 10th
century.
4. Taj
Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in
Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory
of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and
one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage. It is located
at the bank of river Yamuna in Agra. It was completed with then estimated cost
of 32 million Indian rupees, which would today stand up to 58 billion Indian
rupees.
5. Group
of Monuments at Mahabalipuram, Chingleput, Tamil Nadu
This group of sanctuaries, founded by the
Pallava kings, was carved out of rock along the Coromandel coast in the 7th and
8th centuries. It is known especially for its rathas (temples in the form of
chariots), mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air reliefs such as the
famous 'Descent of the Ganges', and the temple of Rivage, with thousands of
sculptures to the glory of Shiva.
6. Sun
Temple, Konark, Odisha ( Famous
for/as: Black Pagoda, Chariot of the Sun, Kalinga Architecture, Included in
Seven Wonders of India.)
On the shores of the Bay of Bengal, bathed in
the rays of the rising sun, the temple at Konarak is a monumental
representation of the sun god Surya's chariot; its 24 wheels are decorated with
symbolic designs and a team of six horses leads it. Built in the 13th century,
it is one of India's most famous Brahman sanctuaries. King Narasimhadeva I of
the Eastern Ganga Dynasty in around AD 1250 built it. The temple is originally
said to be built at the mouth of river Chandrabhaga but the waterline receded
since then. This World Heritage Site in India reflects the grandeur of the
traditional style of Kalinga Architecture, which was prevalent then.
7. Churches
and Convents of Goa
The churches and convents of Goa, the former
capital of the Portuguese Indies – particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, which
contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier – illustrate the evangelization of Asia.
These monuments were influential in spreading forms of Manueline, Mannerist and
Baroque art in all the countries of Asia where missions were established.
8. Fatehpur
Sikri, Agra, Uttar Pradesh
Built during the second half of the 16th
century by the Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the
capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments
and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest
mosques in India, the Jama Masjid and Diwan-i-Khas, Hall of private audience of
the Emperor Akbar.
9. Group
of Monuments at Hampi, Bellary, Karnataka
The austere, grandiose site of Hampi was the
last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Its fabulously
rich princes built Dravidian temples and palaces which won the admiration of
travellers between the 14th and 16th centuries. Conquered by the Deccan Muslim
confederacy in 1565, the city was pillaged over a period of six months before
being abandoned.
10. Khajuraho
Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh
The temples at Khajuraho were built during the
Chandella dynasty, which reached its apogee between 950 and 1050. Only about 20
temples remain; they fall into three distinct groups and belong to two
different religions – Hinduism and Jainism. They strike a perfect balance
between architecture and sculpture. The Temple of Kandariya is decorated with a
profusion of sculptures that are among the greatest masterpieces of Indian art.
11. Elephanta
Caves, Kolaba (Island of Elephanta), Maharashtra
The 'City of Caves', on an island in the Sea
of Oman close to Bombay, contains a collection of rock art linked to the cult
of Shiva. Here, Indian art has found one of its most perfect expressions,
particularly the huge high reliefs in the main cave.
12. Great
Living Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu
The Great Living Chola Temples were built by
kings of the Chola Empire, which stretched over all of south India and the
neighbouring islands. The site includes three great 11th- and 12th-century
Temples: the Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, the Brihadisvara Temple at
Gangaikondacholisvaram and the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram. The Temple of
Gangaikondacholisvaram, built by Rajendra I, was completed in 1035. Its 53-m
vimana (sanctum tower) has recessed corners and a graceful upward curving
movement, contrasting with the straight and severe tower at Thanjavur. The
Airavatesvara temple complex, built by Rajaraja II, at Darasuram features a
24-m vimana and a stone image of Shiva. The temples testify to the brilliant
achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze
casting.
13. Group
of Monuments at Pattadakal, Badami Taluk, Bijapur District, Karnataka
Pattadakal, in Karnataka, represents the high
point of an eclectic art which, in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya
dynasty, achieved a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and
southern India. An impressive series of nine Hindu temples, as well as a Jain
sanctuary, can be seen there. One masterpiece from the group stands out – the
Temple of Virupaksha, built c. 740 by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her
husband's victory over the kings from the South.
14. Buddhist
Monuments at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
On a hill overlooking the plain and about 40
km from Bhopal, the site of Sanchi comprises a group of Buddhist monuments
(monolithic pillars, palaces, temples and monasteries) all in different states
of conservation most of which date back to the 2nd and 1st centuries B.C.E. It
is the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in existence and was a major Buddhist centre
in India until the 12th century C.E.
15. Humayun's
Tomb, Delhi
This tomb, built in 1570, is of particular
cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian
subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating
in the construction of the Taj Mahal.
16. Qutb
Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
Built in the early 13th century a few
kilometres south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m
high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base, and
alternating angular and rounded flutings. The surrounding archaeological area
contains funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the
masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques, including the
Quwwatu'l-Islam, the oldest in northern India, built of materials reused from
some 20 Brahman temples.
17. Mountain
Railways of India
This site includes three railways. The
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway was the first, and is still the most outstanding,
example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1881, its design applies bold
and ingenious engineering solutions to the problem of establishing an effective
rail link across a mountainous terrain of great beauty. The construction of the
Nilgiri Mountain Railway, a 46-km long metre-gauge single-track railway in
Tamil Nadu State was first proposed in 1854, but due to the difficulty of the
mountainous location the work only started in 1891 and was completed in 1908. This
railway, scaling an elevation of 326 m to 2,203 m, represented the latest
technology of the time. The Kalka Shimla Railway, a 96-km long, single track
working rail link built in the mid-19th century to provide a service to the
highland town of Shimla is emblematic of the technical and material efforts to
disenclave mountain populations through the railway. All three railways are
still operational.
18. Mahabodhi
Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya
The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is one of the
four holy sites related to the life of the Lord Buddha, and particularly to the
attainment of Enlightenment. The first temple was built by Emperor Asoka in the
3rd century B.C., and the present temple dates from the 5th or 6th centuries.
It is one of the earliest Buddhist temples built entirely in brick, still
standing in India, from the late Gupta period.
19. Rock
Shelters of Bhimbetka, Obedullaganj, Raisen, Madhya Pradesh
The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the
foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian
plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above comparatively dense forest,
are five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to
date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period. The
cultural traditions of the inhabitants of the twenty-one villages adjacent to
the site bear a strong resemblance to those represented in the rock paintings.
20. Champaner-Pavagadh
Archaeological Park, Panchmahal, Gujarat
A concentration of largely unexcavated
archaeological, historic and living cultural heritage properties cradled in an
impressive landscape which includes prehistoric (chalcolithic) sites, a hill
fortress of an early Hindu capital, and remains of the 16th-century capital of
the state of Gujarat. The site also includes, among other vestiges,
fortifications, palaces, religious buildings, residential precincts,
agricultural structures and water installations, from the 8th to 14th
centuries. The Kalikamata Temple on top of Pavagadh Hill is considered to be an
important shrine, attracting large numbers of pilgrims throughout the year. The
site is the only complete and unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city.
21. Chhatrapati
Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), Mumbai, Maharastra
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly
known as Victoria Terminus Station, in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of
Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving
from Indian traditional architecture. The building, designed by the British
architect F. W. Stevens, became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’ and
the major international mercantile port of India. The terminal was built over
10 years, starting in 1878, according to a High Victorian Gothic design based
on late medieval Italian models. Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed
arches and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace
architecture. It is an outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures, as
British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural
tradition and idioms thus forging a new style unique to Bombay.
22. Red
Fort Complex, Central, Delhi
The Red Fort Complex was built as the palace
fort of Shahjahanabad – the new capital of the fifth Mughal Emperor of India,
Shah Jahan. Named for its massive enclosing walls of red sandstone, it is
adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, built by Islam Shah Suri in 1546,
with which it forms the Red Fort Complex. The private apartments consist of a
row of pavilions connected by a continuous water channel, known as the
Nahr-i-Behisht (Stream of Paradise). The Red Fort is considered to represent
the zenith of Mughal creativity which, under the Shah Jahan, was brought to a
new level of refinement. The planning of the palace is based on Islamic
prototypes, but each pavilion reveals architectural elements typical of Mughal
building, reflecting a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions The Red
Fort’s innovative planning and architectural style, including the garden
design, strongly influenced later buildings and gardens in Rajasthan, Delhi,
Agra and further afield.
23. Jantar
Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan
The Jantar Mantar, in Jaipur, is an
astronomical observation site built in the early 18th century. It includes a
set of some 20 main fixed instruments. They are monumental examples in masonry
of known instruments but which in many cases have specific characteristics of
their own. Designed for the observation of astronomical positions with the
naked eye, they embody several architectural and instrumental innovations. This
is the most significant, most comprehensive, and the best preserved of India's
historic observatories. It is an expression of the astronomical skills and
cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the
Mughal period.
24. Hill
Forts of Rajasthan
The serial site, situated in the state of
Rajastahan, includes six majestic forts in Chittorgarh;
Kumbhalgarh; Sawai Madhopur; Jhalawar; Jaipur, and Jaisalmer. The ecclectic
architecture of the forts, some up to 20 kilometres in circumference, bears
testimony to the power of the Rajput princely states that flourished in the
region from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Enclosed
within defensive walls are major urban centres, palaces, trading centres, and
other buildings including temples that often predate the fortifications within
which developed an elaborate courtly culture that supported learning, music and
the arts. Some of the urban centres enclosed in the fortifications have survived,
as have many of the site's temples and other sacred buildings. The forts use
the natural defences offered by the landscape: hills, deserts, rivers, and
dense forests. They also feature extensive water harvesting structures, largely
still in use today.
25. Rani-ki-Vav
(the Queen’s Stepwell), Patan, Gujarat
Rani-ki-Vav, on the banks of the Saraswati
River, was initially built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century AD.
Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage
systems on the Indian subcontinent, and have been constructed since the 3rd
millennium BC. They evolved over time from what was basically a pit in sandy
soil towards elaborate multi-storey works of art and architecture. Rani-ki-Vav
was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the
Maru-Gurjara architectural style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique
and great beauty of detail and proportions. Designed as an inverted temple
highlighting the sanctity of water, it is divided into seven levels of stairs
with sculptural panels of high artistic quality; more than 500 principle
sculptures and over a thousand minor ones combine religious, mythological and
secular imagery, often referencing literary works. The fourth level is the
deepest and leads into a rectangular tank 9.5 m by 9.4 m, at a depth of 23 m.
The well is located at the westernmost end of the property and consists of a
shaft 10 m in diameter and 30 m deep.
26. Nalanda
Mahavihara (Nalanda University), Nalanda, Bihar
Nalanda Archaeological Site in Bihar was a
center of learning and a Buddhist monastery from 3rd century BCE to the 13th
century CE. You can witness the remains of stupas, shrines, and viharas if you
stroll around in the campus which is a
manifestation of a glorious epoch. Nalanda vouched for evolution of
Buddhism as a religion and remained an abode of knowledge for 800 years. Known
for its formalised Vedic learning, scholars from as far as Tibet, China, Korea,
and Central Asia once attended this first residential university of the World.
This is the second world heritage site recognised by UNESCO in Bihar itself,
making it even more prominent on Indian Tourism Map.
Nalanda Archaeological Site in Bihar was a
center of learning and a buddhist monastery from 3rd century BCE to the 13th
century CE. You can witness the remains of stupas, shrines and viharas if you
stroll around in the campus of this manifestation of a glorious epoch. Nalanda
vouched for evolution of buddhism as a religion and remained an abode of
knowledge for 800 years. Known for its formalised Vedic learning, scholars from as far as Tibet,
China, Korea, and Central Asia once attended this first residential university
of the World.
27. The
Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern
Movement, Chandigarh
Chosen from the work of Le Corbusier, the 17
sites comprising this transnational serial property are spread over seven
countries and are a testimonial to the invention of a new architectural
language that made a break with the past. They were built over a period of a
half-century, in the course of what Le Corbusier described as “patient
research”. The Complexe du Capitole in Chandigarh (India), the National Museum
of Western Art, Tokyo (Japan), the House of Dr Curutchet in La Plata
(Argentina) and the Unité d’habitation in Marseille (France) reflect the
solutions that the Modern Movement sought to apply during the 20th century
to the challenges of inventing new architectural techniques to respond to the
needs of society. These masterpieces of creative genius also attest to the
internationalization of architectural practice across the planet.
28. Historic
city of Ahmedabad, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
The walled city of Ahmadabad, founded by
Sultan Ahmad Shah in the 15th century, on the eastern bank of the Sabarmati
river, presents a rich architectural heritage from the sultanate period,
notably the Bhadra citadel, the walls and gates of the Fort city and numerous
mosques and tombs as well as important Hindu and Jain temples of later periods.
The urban fabric is made up of densely-packed traditional houses (pols) in
gated traditional streets (puras) with characteristic features such as bird
feeders, public wells and religious institutions. The city continued to
flourish as the capital of the State of Gujarat for six centuries, up to the
present.
The first city of India to enter the list,
Ahmedabad was declared as the World Heritage City on July 8, 2017. According to
a statement from UNESCO “The urban fabric is made up of densely-packed
traditional houses (pols) in gated traditional streets (puras) with
characteristic features such as bird feeders, public wells and religious
institutions. The city continued to flourish as the capital of the State of
Gujarat for six centuries, up to the present.” Ahmedabad is a walled city on
the banks of Sabarmati where communities following Hinduism, Islam and Jainism
have co-existed since centuries.
Natural Heritage Sites (7 sites)
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29
|
Kaziranga
National Park
|
Assam
|
1985
|
30
|
Keoladeo
National Park
|
Rajasthan
|
1985
|
31
|
Manas
Wildlife Sanctuary
|
Assam
|
1985
|
32
|
Sundarbans
National Park
|
West
Bengal
|
1987
|
33
|
Nanda Devi
and Valley of Flowers National Park
|
Uttarakhand
|
1988
|
34
|
Western
Ghats
|
Kerala,
Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & Maharashtra
|
2012
|
35
|
Great
Himalayan National Park Conservation Area
|
Himachal
Pradesh
|
2014
|
29. Kaziranga
National Park, Kanchanjuri, Assam
In the heart of Assam, this park is one of the
last areas in eastern India undisturbed by a human presence. It is inhabited by
the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as many
mammals, including tigers, elephants, panthers and bears, and thousands of
birds.
30. Keoladeo
National Park, Bharatpur, Rajsthan
This former duck-hunting reserve of the
Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic
birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of
birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park.
31. Manas
Wildlife Sanctuary, Assam
On a gentle slope in the foothills of the
Himalayas, where wooded hills give way to alluvial grasslands and tropical
forests, the Manas sanctuary is home to a great variety of wildlife, including
many endangered species, such as the tiger, pygmy hog, Indian rhinoceros, and
Indian elephant.
32.
Sundarbans
National Park, West Bengal
The Sundarbans
covers 10,000 km2 of land and water (more than half of it in India,
the rest in Bangladesh) in the Ganges delta. It contains the world's largest
area of mangrove forests. A number of rare or endangered species live in the
park, including tigers, aquatic mammals, birds and reptiles.
33.
Nanda
Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
Nestled high in West Himalaya, India’s Valley
of Flowers National Park is renowned for its meadows of endemic alpine flowers
and outstanding natural beauty. This richly diverse area is also home to rare
and endangered animals, including the Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown
bear and blue sheep. The gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National
Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park.
Together they encompass a unique transition zone between the mountain ranges of
the Zanskar and Great Himalaya, praised by mountaineers and botanists for over
a century and in Hindu mythology for much longer.
34. Western
Ghats
Older than the Himalaya mountains, the
mountain chain of the Western Ghats represents geomorphic features of immense
importance with unique biophysical and ecological processes. The site’s high
montane forest ecosystems influence the Indian monsoon weather pattern.
Moderating the tropical climate of the region, the site presents one of the
best examples of the monsoon system on the planet. It also has an exceptionally
high level of biological diversity and endemism and is recognized as one of the
world’s eight ‘hottest hotspots’ of biological diversity. The forests of the
site include some of the best representatives of non-equatorial tropical
evergreen forests anywhere and are home to at least 325 globally threatened
flora, fauna, bird, amphibian, reptile and fish species.
35. Great
Himalayan National Park Conservation Area
This National Park in the western part of the
Himalayan Mountains in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is
characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. The
90,540 ha property includes the upper mountain glacial and snow meltwater
sources of several rivers, and the catchments of water supplies that are vital
to millions of downstream users. The GHNPCA protects the monsoon-affected
forests and alpine meadows of the Himalayan front ranges. It is part of the
Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and includes twenty-five forest types along with
a rich assemblage of fauna species, several of which are threatened. This gives
the site outstanding significance for biodiversity conservation.
Mixed
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36
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Khangchendzonga
National Park
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Sikkim
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2016
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36. Khangchendzonga
National Park, Sikkim
Located at the heart of the Himalayan range in
northern India (State of Sikkim), the Khangchendzonga National Park includes a
unique diversity of plains, valleys, lakes, glaciers and spectacular,
snow-capped mountains covered with ancient forests, including the world’s third
highest peak, Mount Khangchendzonga. Mythological stories are associated with this
mountain and with a great number of natural elements (caves, rivers, lakes,
etc.) that are the object of worship by the indigenous people of Sikkim. The
sacred meanings of these stories and practices have been integrated with
Buddhist beliefs and constitute the basis for Sikkimese identity.
Notes:
Great
Living Chola Temples includes one Brihadeeswarar temple in Ariyalur district of
Tamil Nadu, one Airavateshwarar Temple in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu and
another one Brihadeeswarar temple in Thajavur district of Tamil Nadu.
Mountain
Railways of India includes Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in Darjeeling, West
Bengal, Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Ooty, Tamil Nadu and Kalka-Shimla Railway
in Himachal Pradesh.
Hill
Fort of Rajasthan includes fort in Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambhore,
Amber Sub-Cluster, Jaisalmer and Gagron
Western
Ghats include 20 sites in the state of Kerala, 10 in Karnataka, 5 in Tamil Nadu
and 4 in Maharashtra.
Ref.
