The most popular Heritage Sites in India

It is located on the Southern Banks of the flood banks of Brahmaputra River. It was established to protect the species of Rhinoceros which was on the verge of extinction. It was earlier known as Kaziranga Game Sanctuary. It is the home of the largest number of Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros. 

Another sanctuary from the state of Assam lies in the Northeastern part of the state. It is located in the plains of the Manas River spread across the foothills of Himalayas. The sanctuary homes many endangered species of plants, 21 most threatened species of mammals, 36 high alert reptile species, 3 amphibians and 350 bird species. Some of the endangered species here are Tiger, Pygmy Hog, Clouded Leopard, Sloth Bear, Indian Rhinoceros, Wild Buffaloes, Indian Elephants, Golden Langur, Bengal Florican. 

Spread across the area of 4.86 hectares, the Mahabodhi Temple Complex is a one of its kind property celebrated for its cultural and archaeological importance. The first temple was built by Samrat Ashoka dates back to 3rd century. However, at present, the temples from 4th and 5th century only can be seen. The place is revered as Siddhartha Gautam Buddha got enlightened here in 531 BC. He later propagated Buddhism in the world. The temple here is accredited to be the oldest temple built in the golden age of Indian Culture.

It is the first tomb built with many articulated specialties like a luxurious garden, water fountain, etc and was the one which laid the foundation of the great Taj Mahal. It was built in the year 1570 by Mughal Emperor Humayun’s widow Biga Begum. Mirza Ghiyath was the great architect behind this exemplary tomb and is known as the “Necropolis of the Mughal Dynasty”. It was d a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1993.

It is located in South Delhi and is a whole complex with a red sandstone tower as the centerpiece, the Qutub Minar. The seminar is 72.5 meters in height and was built in the beginning of 13th century. The Complex comprises of the Alai-Darwaza Gate 1311, the Alai Minar an incomplete mound of the intended Minar or tower, the Qubbat-ul-Islam Mosque the earliest existing mosque in India, the tomb of Iltumish, and an Iron Pillar. The construction of this monument was incepted by Qutubudin Aibak and completed by Iltumish and again by Alauddin Khilji. It represents the unique architectural brilliance of Islam culture.

It is also known as Lal Quila and was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in the 17th century. It is basically a palace fort and was intended to be the capital for the emperor named as Shahjahanabad. An exemplary monument of Mughal artistry and creativity it is a unique architectural building. It has a unique blend of Timuri, Persian and Indian Architecture style and is said to be influenced by the Persian Capital. The entire palace fort is fortified by a red sandstone wall and this is where it gets its name.

This cultural property was built by Portuguese colonial rulers between 16th and 18th centuries. They are primarily located in Old Goa also known as Velha Goa. The most important site of all these monuments is the Basilica of Bom Jesus which is enshrined with the tomb of St. Francis Xavier. They were originally counted to be 60 but today you may find a lesser number. 

It comprises of the flamboyant town of Hampi, Hyderabad which is situated on the banks of river Tungabhadra. The place was the ancient capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and was known as Vijayanagara. It is a celebrated place of Hindu culture and also a religious center.

It is a group of Buddhist monuments located at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh and were built in 200 BC and 100 BC. However, they were speculated during the rule of Samrat Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire.It capacitates a plethora of palaces, temples, monolithic pillars, monasteries, etc. It is an active Buddhist religious center.

These monuments are attributed to the Chandela Dynasty and belong to the Hindu and Jain religions. They represent a splendid mix of architecture and sculpture of the era. The Kandariya Mandir is the most exemplary monument of the group. There were 85 temples initially out of which only 22 were preserved.

These caves belong to Buddhism and are enlisted as a cultural heritage by UNESCO. They were built in two phase first in the 2nd century BC and second in 5th & 6th centuries AD during the Gupta Period. There are many valuable painted pictures in the cave that represent the Sigiriya art of Sri Lanka.

The caves represent a perfect cultural mix of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. It is a high basalt cliff with 34 monasteries and temples sculpted into its rock walls. These spread over two-kilo meters. The art dates back to 600 to 1000 AD and represents the rich art of the golden period. 

Located at Elephanta Island the caves are a beautiful network of caves with sculptures. They are comprised of two set of caves. The first has 5 Hindu caves whereas the later has 2 Buddhist caves. The Hindu caves are dedicated to Lord Shiva and have rock cut stone sculptures dated back to 5th and 8th centuries.

Designed by Frederick William Stevens, this railway station is the busiest railway station of India and serves as the headquarters of Central Railways. It was built over a period of 10 years and was named after queen Victoria. It is built in the Gothic Style it was opened in 1887 as the queen celebrated her Golden Jubilee.

Also celebrated as Black Pagoda , the temple dates back to 13th century. It is located on the east coast of Bay of Bengal in the Mahanadi delta. The temple has the representation like the Chariot of Surya with 24 wheels. It is embellished with stones and has 6 horses leading it. The King Narsimhadeva of Eastern Ganga Dynasty incepted the work which used oxidized weathered ferruginous sandstone for construction.

The Mughal Emperor Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri in the second half of 16th century.  Fatehpur Sikri means “The City of Victory” in English. It was the seat of the grand Mughal Court for a period of 14 years. The lack of water and unrest in northwest India cause the closure of this place. The monument is built in the Mughal architectural style and includes the largest mosque in India. The group includes the Jama Masjid, the Buland Darwaza, the Panch Mahal, and the Tomb of Salim Chishti.

The mesmerizing building of Taj Mahal is enlisted as one of the seven wonders of the world. It is a mausoleum; a funerary Mosque built by Shahjahan in memory of his third wife Mumtaz Mahal.  It is made of white marble and is an edifice of Mughal Architecture. It also represents the mixture of Mughal, Persian, and India art. Situated on the bank of Yamuna River the monument took 16 years to complete. 

They are nestled in the west region of the great Himalayas and the latter is known for its striking meadows that blossom with natural beauty and various flowers. The area is also the home of Asiatic black bear, snow leopard, brown bear and blue sheep. Both the beauties complement each other and form a picturesque view for the tourists.

Sundarbans National Park is the largest estuarine mangrove forest in the world.  It is a Tiger Reserve located in the Sundarbans Ganga river delta. It encompasses approximately 10000 square kilometers of the area out of which 5980 square Kilometer lies in India and rest in Bangladesh.  

They are basically a series of forts located on the mountains of Aravalli Mountain Range. It represents a defensive style used by the Rajputs using the terrain as a shield for defense. They capacitate large territories and at times a whole town inside their walls. Chittorgarh Fort, Kumbhalgarh Fort, Ranthambore Fort, Gagron Fort, Amber Fort, Jaisalmer Fort are the forts that make the Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

Located in Sikkim the national park is the heart of a Northern range of Himalayas. It represents a unique diversity of valleys, lakes, snow clad mountains, glaciers, plains, and forests. It also includes the world’s third highest peak the Mount Khangchendzonga.

This site is the part of the work of the great Le Corbusier which spread over seven countries. It is home to many great works of Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Matthew Nowicki and Albert Mayer and is a fine example of Urban and architectural work. 

Also known as Nalanda Mahavihar, the National park is located in Bihar. It comprises of archaeological ruins of a monastic and scholastic institution that dates back to 3rd century BCE to 13th Century CE. The park includes many stupas, viharas, shrines, etc. all embellishes with stone work. The history signifies this place to be an important part of the development of Buddhism as a religion. Nalanda was a reputed educational university for over 800 years. 

It means the Queen’s Stepwell in English at is located in Patan, Gujrat. It is renowned for its size and the striking sculpture. It is 64 m long, 20 m wide, and 27 m deep. It holds 500 sculptures of God as well which are devoted to lord Vishnu and include his avatars like  Kalki, Rama, Mahisasurmardini, Narsinh, Vaman, Varahi.

The Group of Monuments was built by the Pallava Kings during the 7th and 8th centuries. They lie along the Coromandel Coast and are carved out of rocks. The monuments include the largest open-air-bas-relief in the world and are counted to be 40 in number approximately. The bas- relief is also known as Arjuna Penance.

These were the most renowned 25 World Heritage Sites in India that boasts the rich culture and the diversity of art and sculpture in the country.