HIGHLIGHTS:
- There are currently 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country
- list of the top 7 UNESCO heritage sites in India that you should visit
There are various UNESCO World Heritage sites in India that will pique your curiosity, whether you’re an adventurer, a cultural nerd, or a nature lover. UNESCO has designated a number of places in India as World Heritage Sites, ranging from architectural marvels to natural wonders. These places are culturally significant and feature engravings, sculptures, domes, and paintings that depict India’s illustrious history.
These sites can be found all throughout India while travelling.
There are currently 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the country.You must have often read in articles about the Ajanta Caves & Ellora Caves of Maharashtra,the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort of Agra Sun Temple of Puri, Konark. This time with so many possibilities, we’ve produced a list of the top7 UNESCO heritage sites in India that you should visit.
1. Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh(UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Buddhist Monuments in Sanchi, MP, are the oldest stone constructions in India and a symbol of Indian heritage. The Sanchi Stupa is 46 kilometres north-east of Bhopal and was built by Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. Its heart was a hemispherical brick building built atop Buddha’s relics, which was capped by the Chatra, a symbol of dignity. The stupa was vandalised in the 2nd century BCE, and the entrances and railing were erected and coloured during the Satavahana Period. Apart from the Sanchi stupa, there are monolithic pillars, temples, palaces, and monasteries to be found here. It was a major
Buddhist pilgrimage place until the 12th century AD, when the faith began to fade in prominence.
Monolithic Pillars, Palaces, Temples, and Monasteries, Mauryan Architecture, and Ye Dharma Hetu Inscriptions are among the city’s most famous features.
2. Assam’s Kaziranga Wild Life Sanctuary(UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Famous for World’s 2/3rd Great One-Horned Rhinoceroses, World’s Highest Tiger Density, Elephants, Wild Water Buffalo, Swamp Deer, and Recognized Important Bird Area. Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary, in Assam, is known for its one-horned rhinoceroses and is one of India’s untouched natural places.
Lord Curzon is claimed to have started this World Heritage Site in India after his wife failed to sight a single rhinoceros in the area and asked her husband to take precautions to safeguard this endangered species. This park is located on the Brahmaputra River’s floodplains and comprises primarily of lush grasslands, woodlands, and various streams and lakes. Kaziranga is home to roughly 15 endangered Indian faunal species, the most endangered of which is the rhinoceros.Capped langur, hoolock gibbon, tiger, leopard, sloth bear, Ganges dolphin, otter, wild boar, river buffalo, gaur, sambar, swamp deer, hog deer, and Indian muntjac are among the other creatures found in the area.
3. Rani Ki Vav, Patan, Gujarat(UNESCO World Heritage Site)
It is an explicit example of beautiful Ancient Indian architecture, built in the 3rd millennium BC in the memory of the kings. Legend says that it was built in the honours and remembrance of Bhimdev 1, the son of the family’s founder, by his widowed queen Udayamati during the Solanki dynasty. Due to its architectural magnificence and splendour, it was officially designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014.
The Well at Rani-ki-vav is famous for its Stepped Corridors, Sculptures, and Stone Carvings.
The majority of the sculptures in the well are of Lord Vishnu in the 10 avatars that represent his return to the world.This vav, in addition to being a site for water storage, is said to have a spiritual significance. It is created as an inverted temple with seven tiers of wells, each with its unique significance according to the religious and mythical works described in canonical literature.
4. Bihar’s Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University)(UNESCO World Heritage Site)
From the 3rd century BCE until the 13th century CE, the Nalanda Archaeological Site in Bihar was a centre of study and a Buddhist monastery. Walking around the campus, which is a symbol of a beautiful time, you may see the ruins of stupas, shrines, and viharas. For 800 years, Nalanda stood as a testament to the evolution of Buddhism as a religion and as a repository of knowledge.
Scholars from Tibet, China, Korea, and Central Asia formerly attended the world’s first residential university, which was known for its formalised Vedic learning. This is the second UNESCO-designated world historic site in Bihar, putting it even higher on the Indian tourism map.
5. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
The Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Gujarat, India. It is located in the Panchmahal district. It is historically and culturally significant since it is centred around the city of Champaner or Muhammadabad, which was founded by Sultan Mahmud Begada of Gujarat.
This is the only pre-Mughal Islamic city that has remained completely untouched. A larger portion of Champaner-Pavagarh, which is also considered mythologically significant, has yet to be excavated. Mosques, Temples, Tombs, Gateways, Fortresses and Walls, Palaces and Pavilions, Helical Wells, and Custom House are among the 11 types of cultural sites dating from the 16th century. A transition can be seen from past Hindu architectural styles to Muslim culture and architectural styles. Some of the park’s attractions includes ancient Chalcolithic Indian Sites, from the Stone Age era.
6. Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh
The Great Himalayan National Park, which has an area of 754.4 square kilometres and is located in the Kullu region of Northern Himachal Pradesh, is one of India’s national parks. The upper mountain snowmelt and glacier water melt origins of various rivers, mostly tributaries of the Indus, are included in the park. It is home to over 375 fauna species and many floral species, including some endangered plants and animals like blue sheep, snow leopards, Himalayan brown bears, Himalayan Tahrs, musk deer spruces, horse chestnuts, and immense alpine meadows.
It is a part of the Himalayan Biodiversity Hotspots and is one of the newest additions to India’s list of World Heritage Sites. Pristine Glaciers, Coniferous Forests, and Snowy Peaks (height range of 4,100m) give majestic colours to its grandeur. It’s a preserve for wildlife. As a result, hunting any of these creatures is severely forbidden.
7. Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple, Telangana
RecharlaRudra, a commander of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva, built the Rudreswara temple in 1213 AD during the rule of the Kakatiya Empire. RamalingeswaraSwamy is the presiding deity here. It’s also known as the Ramappa temple, named for the sculptor who worked on it for 40 years.
The Kakatiyas’ temple complexes feature a distinct design, technology, and decoration that shows the impact of the Kakatiyan sculptor. The Ramappa Temple is an example of this, and it is frequently used as a testament to the Kakatiyan creative prowess. The temple is built on a 6 foot high star-shaped platform, with elaborate carvings on the walls, pillars, and ceilings attesting to the Kakatiyan sculptors’ expertise.
The sculptural art and decorating of the time and the Kakatiyan Empire are of exceptional universal worth. The specific style of Kakatiyas for temple complex gateways, which is unique to this region, confirms the highly advanced proportions of aesthetics in South Indian temple and town gateways. The temple’s grandeur enthralled European traders and tourists, with one remarking that it was the “brightest star in the galaxy of mediaeval Deccan temples.”
