List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India – updated

List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India – updated. How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India. Total number of UNESCO World Heritage Site in India is 35 (1 mixed, 7 Natural and 27 Cultural). Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria.

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as of special cultural or physical significance. World Heritage is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.

Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria. The criteria are regularly revised by the Committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself. Name of UNESCO World Heritage Site, location, year of notification, and total area is given below………

UNESCO World Heritage Site

A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as of special cultural or physical significance.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity. This is embodied in an international treaty called the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 1972.

World Heritage is the designation for places on Earth that are of outstanding universal value to humanity and as such, have been inscribed on the World Heritage List to be protected for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. Places as diverse and unique as the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, Galápagos Islands in Ecuador, the Taj Mahal in India, the Grand Canyon in the USA, or the Acropolis in Greece are examples of the 1007 natural and cultural places inscribed on the World Heritage List to date.

Other Protected areas in India (Click for the details)

List of Biosphere reserves in India

List of Tiger Reserves in India

List of Elephant Reserves in India

List of Ramsar Wetland Sites in India

List of Marine Protected areas in India

List of Important Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Areas (ICMBAs) in India

State wise list of Community Reserves of Indian – updated

State wise list of Conservation Reserves of India – updated

State wise list of Wildlife Sanctuaries of India – updated

State wise list of Indian National Parks – updated

Selection Criteria

These criteria are explained in the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention which, besides the text of the Convention, is the main working tool on World Heritage. The criteria are regularly revised by the Committee to reflect the evolution of the World Heritage concept itself.

Until the end of 2004, World Heritage sites were selected on the basis of six cultural and four natural criteria. With the adoption of the revised Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, only one set of ten criteria exists.

1. To represent a masterpiece of human creative genius.
2. To exhibit an important interchange of human values, over a span of time or within a cultural area of the world, on developments in architecture or technology, monumental arts, town-planning or landscape design.
3. To bear a unique or at least exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization which is living or which has disappeared.
4. To be an outstanding example of a type of building, architectural or technological ensemble or landscape which illustrates (a) significant stage(s) in human history.
5. To be an outstanding example of a traditional human settlement, land-use, or sea-use which is representative of a culture (or cultures), or human interaction with the environment especially when it has become vulnerable under the impact of irreversible change.
6. To be directly or tangibly associated with events or living traditions, with ideas, or with beliefs, with artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance (The Committee considers that this criterion should preferably be used in conjunction with other criteria).
7. To contain superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.
8. To be outstanding examples representing major stages of earth’s history, including the record of life, significant on-going geological processes in the development of landforms, or significant geomorphic or physiographic features.
9. To be outstanding examples representing significant on-going ecological and biological processes in the evolution and development of terrestrial, fresh water, coastal and marine ecosystems and communities of plants and animals.
10. To contain the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of biological diversity, including those containing threatened species of outstanding universal value from the point of view of science or conservation.

Mission

1. Encourage countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage.
2. Encourage States Parties to the Convention to nominate sites within their national territory for inclusion on the World Heritage List.
3. Encourage States Parties to establish management plans and set up reporting systems on the state of conservation of their World Heritage sites.
4. Help States Parties safeguard World Heritage properties by providing technical assistance and professional training.
5. Provide emergency assistance for World Heritage sites in immediate danger.
6. Support States Parties’ public awareness-building activities for World Heritage conservation.
7. Encourage participation of the local population in the preservation of their cultural and natural heritage.
8. Encourage international cooperation in the conservation of our world’s cultural and natural heritage.

List of Natural World Heritage Sites. Name of UNESCO World Heritage Site, location, year of notification, and total area is as follows…

Sl. No.	Name of Natural World Heritage Site	State	Year of Notification	Area (In Km2)
1	Kaziranga National Park	Assam	1985	429.96
2	Keoladeo Ghana National Park	Rajasthan	1985	28.73
3	Manas Wildlife Sanctuary	Assam	1985	391.00
4	Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers	Uttarakhand	1982 2005	630.00 87.50
5	Sunderbans National Park	West Bengal	1984	1,330.10
6	Western Ghats	Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala	2012	1,60,000.00
7	Great Himalayan National Park	Himachal Pradesh	2014	905.4

List of Cultural World Heritage Sites. Name of UNESCO World Heritage Site, location, and year of notification is as follows…

Sl. No.	Name of Cultural World Heritage Site	State	Year of Notification
1	Agra Fort	Uttar Pradesh	1983
2	Ajanta Caves	Maharashtra	1983
3	Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi	Madhya Pradesh	1989
4	Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park	Gujarat	2004
5	Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Formerly Victoria Terminus)	Maharashtra	2004
6	Churches and Convents of Goa	Goa	1986
7	Elephanta Caves	Maharashtra	1987
8	Ellora Caves	Maharashtra	1983
9	Fatehpur Sikri	Uttar Pradesh	1986
10	Great Living Chola Temples	Tamil Nadu	1987
11	Group of Monuments at Hampi	Karnataka	1986
12	Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram	Tamil Nadu	1984
13	Group of Monuments at Pattadakal	Karnataka	1987
14	Hill Forts of Rajasthan	Rajasthan (Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambhore, Amber Sub-Cluster, Jaisalmer, Gagron)	2013
15	Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi	Delhi	1993
16	Khajuraho Group of Monuments	Madhya Pradesh	1986
17	Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya	Bihar	2002
18	Mountain Railways of India	Tamil Nadu	1999
19	Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi	Delhi	1993
20	Rani-Ki-Van (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat	Gujarat	2014
21	Red Fort Complex	Delhi	2007
22	Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka	Madhya Pradesh	2003
23	Sun Temple, Konarak	Orissa	1984
24	Taj Mahal	Uttar Pradesh	1983
25	The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur	Rajasthan	2010

26	Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda	Bihar	2016
27	The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement	Chandigarh	2016

List of Mixed World Heritage Sites in India

Sl. No.	Name of Mixed World Heritage Site	State	Year of Notification
1	Khangchendzonga National Park	Sikkim	2016

Source – UNESCO World Heritage Convention