UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India
India has 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites — 35 cultural, 7 natural, and 1 mixed — making it the country with the sixth-highest number of sites in the world. This interactive map plots each site with its category, year of inscription, the state it lies in, its significance, quick revision facts, and practice questions drawn from actual UPSC, SSC, and state exam papers.
Key facts for exams
India has 43 UNESCO World Heritage Sites (as of 2024) — 35 cultural, 7 natural, and 1 mixed.
India's first sites (1983): Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, and the Taj Mahal.
India's only Mixed (cultural + natural) site is Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim (2016).
The most recent site is the Moidams of the Ahom dynasty in Assam, inscribed in 2024.
Cultural, natural and mixed sites
UNESCO classifies World Heritage Sites into three categories. Cultural sites (35 in India) include monuments, building groups and archaeological sites such as the Taj Mahal, Hampi, Khajuraho, the Sun Temple at Konark and the historic cities of Ahmadabad and Jaipur. Natural sites (7 in India) protect outstanding ecosystems and biodiversity, including Kaziranga, Keoladeo, Manas, the Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and the Valley of Flowers, the Western Ghats and the Great Himalayan National Park. India's single mixed site, Khangchendzonga National Park, is recognised for both its cultural and natural value.
World Heritage Sites at a glance
| Site | State / UT | Category | Inscribed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taj Mahal | Uttar Pradesh | Cultural | 1983 |
| Agra Fort | Uttar Pradesh | Cultural | 1983 |
| Ajanta Caves | Maharashtra | Cultural | 1983 |
| Ellora Caves | Maharashtra | Cultural | 1983 |
| Sun Temple, Konark | Odisha | Cultural | 1984 |
| Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram | Tamil Nadu | Cultural | 1984 |
| Kaziranga National Park | Assam | Natural | 1985 |
| Keoladeo National Park | Rajasthan | Natural | 1985 |
| Manas Wildlife Sanctuary | Assam | Natural | 1985 |
| Group of Monuments at Hampi | Karnataka | Cultural | 1986 |
| Khajuraho Group of Monuments | Madhya Pradesh | Cultural | 1986 |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Uttar Pradesh | Cultural | 1986 |
| Elephanta Caves | Maharashtra | Cultural | 1987 |
| Group of Monuments at Pattadakal | Karnataka | Cultural | 1987 |
| Great Living Chola Temples | Tamil Nadu | Cultural | 1987 |
| Sundarbans National Park | West Bengal | Natural | 1987 |
| Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks | Uttarakhand | Natural | 1988 |
| Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | Cultural | 1989 |
| Humayun's Tomb, Delhi | Delhi | Cultural | 1993 |
| Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi | Delhi | Cultural | 1993 |
| Mountain Railways of India | West Bengal / Tamil Nadu / Himachal Pradesh | Cultural | 1999 |
| Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya | Bihar | Cultural | 2002 |
| Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park | Gujarat | Cultural | 2004 |
| Red Fort Complex, Delhi | Delhi | Cultural | 2007 |
| Jantar Mantar, Jaipur | Rajasthan | Cultural | 2010 |
| Western Ghats | Multiple states | Natural | 2012 |
| Hill Forts of Rajasthan | Rajasthan | Cultural | 2013 |
| Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen's Stepwell), Patan | Gujarat | Cultural | 2014 |
| Great Himalayan National Park | Himachal Pradesh | Natural | 2014 |
| Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara | Bihar | Cultural | 2016 |
| Capitol Complex, Chandigarh (Le Corbusier) | Chandigarh | Cultural | 2016 |
| Khangchendzonga National Park | Sikkim | Mixed | 2016 |
| Historic City of Ahmadabad | Gujarat | Cultural | 2017 |
| Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai | Maharashtra | Cultural | 2018 |
| Jaipur City, Rajasthan | Rajasthan | Cultural | 2019 |
| Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple | Telangana | Cultural | 2021 |
| Dholavira: A Harappan City | Gujarat | Cultural | 2021 |
| Santiniketan | West Bengal | Cultural | 2023 |
| Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas | Karnataka | Cultural | 2023 |
| Moidams – Mound-Burial System of the Ahom Dynasty | Assam | Cultural | 2024 |
Site markers are placed at approximate coordinates on an OpenStreetMap base layer. Inscription years and categories are based on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Some serial sites (such as the Western Ghats and Mountain Railways) span multiple locations and are shown at a single representative point.