List of World Heritage Sites in India – UNESCO 40 India
The World Heritage Sites of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) are significant cultural or natural sites as defined by the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, which was established in 1972. On November 14, 1977, India ratified the convention, making its sites eligible for inclusion on the list. The first sites to be inscribed were the Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Agra Fort, and Taj Mahal, which were all inscribed during the World Heritage Committee’s 1983 session. Dholavira, Gujarat, was the most recent site to be inscribed in 2021.
As of July 2021, World Heritage Sites may be found in 19 of India’s 36 states and union territories, with Maharashtra holding the most. In India, there are currently 40 World Heritage Sites. According to the organization’s selection criteria, 32 are cultural, 7 are natural, and 1 is mixed (matching both cultural and natural characteristics). India has the world’s sixth-largest number of sites. The 44th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is currently underway in Fuzhou, China.
List of World Heritage Sites in India
UNESCO has designated the Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple in Palampet, Telangana’s Warangal, and Dholavira, a Harappan-era city in Gujarat, as World Heritage Sites. With this, India now has a total of 40 World Heritage Sites.
- Ajanta Caves
- Ellora Caves
- Agra Fort
- Taj Mahal
- Sun Temple, Konark
- Group of monuments Mahabalipuram
- Kaziranga National Park
- Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
- Keoladeo National Park
- Churches and Convents of Goa
- Khajuraho
- Hampi
- Fatehpur Sikri
- Monuments of Pattadakal
- Elephanta Caves
- Chola Temple
- Sunderban
- Nandadevi
- Sanchi
- Humayun’s Tomb
- Kutub Minar
- Mountain Railways
- Bodhgaya
- Bhimbetka
- CSMT Station
- Champaner
- Red Fort
- Jantar Mantar
- Western Ghats
- Rajasthan Forts
- Rani ki Vav
- Himalayan Park
- Nalanda
- Khangchendzonga
- Chandigarh
- Ahmedabad
- Mumbai
- Jaipur
- Ramappa Temple
- Dholavira

List of World Heritage Sites in India
The General Knowledge component is an important aspect of many Bank and Government examinations. Questions about India’s geography, history, polity, and other achievements are always included in the GK sections of competitive exams. UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India is one of the most prevalent and repeating subjects in the GK part of the Banking and SSC exams.
You might expect queries about recent developments like Telangana’s Ramappa Temple and Gujarat’s Dholavira, both of which will be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2021. This decision was made at the UNESCO headquarters.
The 44th session of the World Heritage Committee was conducted in China. UNESCO added two more World Heritage Sites in 2021, bringing the overall number of World Heritage Sites to 40. You need to be aware of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India in order to pass the upcoming SSC CGL, IBPS PO, RBI Grade B, and IBPS Clerk exams. Criteria for UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2021
Before we go into the list of 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, let’s take a quick look at the criteria used by UNESCO to choose which sites to include in India’s World Heritage Sites. There are 10 criteria in total, one of which must be met in order to be listed in the World Heritage Sites. The following are some of them:
- Human creative genius.
- Interchange of values
- Testimony to cultural tradition.
- Significance in human history
- Traditional human settlement.
- Heritage is associated with events of universal significance.
- Natural phenomena or beauty.
- Major stages of Earth’s history.
- Significant ecological and biological processes.
- The significant natural habitat for biodiversity.
These UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India are cultural or natural treasures. In 1983, India’s first two sites, the Ajanta Caves and the Agra Fort, were added to the list. More than 38 locations in India have been inscribed over the years. The most recent are Telangana’s “Ramappa Temple” and Gujarat’s “Dholavira.” There are 32 cultural sites, 7 natural sites, and 1 mixed site among India’s 40 UNESCO Heritage sites.
List of World Heritage Sites in India
ORCHHA
GWALIOR
Rajasthan Forts
Keoladeo National Park
VICTORIA AND ART DECO ENSEMBLE
Ahmedabad
Nalanda
Rani ki Vav
Western Ghats
Hampi
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
Fatehpur Sikri
Monuments of Pattadakal
Khangchendzonga
Chola Temple
Elephanta Caves
Himalayan Park
Sanchi
Humayun’s Tomb
Kutub Minar
Mountain Railways of India
Nandadevi
Bodhgaya
Bhimbetka
CSMT Station
Champaner
Red Fort

Jantar Mantar

Kaziranga National Park

Group of monuments Mahabalipuram

Sun Temple, Konark

Taj Mahal

Agra Fort

Ellora Caves

Sunderban
Khajuraho
Ajanta Caves
