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Heritage

India's 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 16 elements of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

India's heritage on the world stage

AI-drafted · awaiting admin review

India has 45 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and 16 elements on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Key facts
World Heritage Sites45: 37 cultural, 7 natural and 1 mixed. Sarnath became the 45th in July 2026, at the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee
Intangible Cultural Heritage16 elements. Deepavali became the 16th on 10 December 2025, at the committee session held at the Red Fort, New Delhi
Tentative listDozens more sites are on India's tentative list, waiting for nomination

Protecting heritage is a shared duty. The Archaeological Survey of India and the Ministry of Culture look after monuments, and Sangeet Natak Akademi maintains the national inventory of intangible heritage. You can help by visiting respectfully, never defacing monuments, and recording the living traditions of your own family and village in the Preserve section.

Sources

UNESCO World Heritage Sites (45)

UNESCO World Heritage Sites
#NameInscribedTypeWhere
1
Agra FortRed sandstone fortress-city of the Mughal era.
1983CulturalUttar Pradesh
2
Ajanta CavesBuddhist rock-cut caves with paintings from the 2nd century BCE to the 6th century CE.
1983CulturalMaharashtra
3
Ellora CavesHindu, Buddhist and Jain caves side by side, including the Kailasa temple carved from one rock.
1983CulturalMaharashtra
4
Taj MahalWhite-marble mausoleum at Agra, a jewel of Indian architecture.
1983CulturalUttar Pradesh
5
Group of Monuments at MahabalipuramPallava rock-cut temples, rathas and the great relief of the descent of the Ganga.
1984CulturalTamil Nadu
6
Sun Temple, Konark13th-century temple built as the chariot of the Sun god, with 24 carved wheels.
1984CulturalOdisha
7
Kaziranga National ParkHome to the world's largest population of the one-horned rhinoceros.
1985NaturalAssam
8
Keoladeo National ParkWetland near Bharatpur that hosts thousands of migratory birds.
1985NaturalRajasthan
9
Manas Wildlife SanctuaryForests and grasslands in the Himalayan foothills with tigers, elephants and rare species.
1985NaturalAssam
10
Churches and Convents of GoaOld Goa's churches, including the Basilica of Bom Jesus.
1986CulturalGoa
11
Fatehpur SikriShort-lived Mughal capital with the Buland Darwaza.
1986CulturalUttar Pradesh
12
Group of Monuments at HampiRuins of Vijayanagara, capital of a great South Indian empire.
1986CulturalKarnataka
13
Khajuraho Group of MonumentsChandela-era Hindu and Jain temples famed for their sculpture.
1986CulturalMadhya Pradesh
14
Elephanta CavesIsland cave temples with the great three-headed Sadashiva sculpture.
1987CulturalMaharashtra
15
Great Living Chola TemplesBrihadisvara temples at Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram and the Airavatesvara temple at Darasuram, still in worship.
1987, 2004CulturalTamil Nadu
16
Group of Monuments at PattadakalChalukya temples blending northern and southern styles.
1987CulturalKarnataka
17
Sundarbans National ParkThe world's largest mangrove forest, home of the Royal Bengal tiger.
1987NaturalWest Bengal
18
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National ParksHigh Himalayan wilderness and alpine meadows of rare flowers.
1988, 2005NaturalUttarakhand
19
Buddhist Monuments at SanchiThe Great Stupa begun by Emperor Ashoka, with carved gateways.
1989CulturalMadhya Pradesh
20
Humayun's Tomb, DelhiGarden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal.
1993CulturalDelhi
21
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, DelhiTall stone minaret, with the rust-resistant Iron Pillar of the Gupta age nearby.
1993CulturalDelhi
22
Mountain Railways of IndiaDarjeeling Himalayan, Nilgiri and Kalka–Shimla railways.
1999, 2005, 2008CulturalWest Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh
23
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh GayaWhere Siddhartha attained enlightenment and became the Buddha.
2002CulturalBihar
24
Rock Shelters of BhimbetkaRock shelters with paintings from the Stone Age onwards.
2003CulturalMadhya Pradesh
25
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological ParkHill fortress, temples, mosques and a pre-Mughal city.
2004CulturalGujarat
26
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj TerminusMumbai's grand railway station, a blend of Victorian Gothic and Indian styles.
2004CulturalMaharashtra
27
Red Fort ComplexWhere the Prime Minister hoists the Tricolour every Independence Day.
2007CulturalDelhi
28
The Jantar Mantar, JaipurAstronomical observatory of Sawai Jai Singh II, with the world's largest stone sundial.
2010CulturalRajasthan
29
Western GhatsMountain chain older than the Himalaya; a global biodiversity hotspot.
2012NaturalMaharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
30
Hill Forts of RajasthanChittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Gagron, Amber and Jaisalmer.
2013CulturalRajasthan
31
Great Himalayan National Park Conservation AreaHigh mountain forests and meadows with rare Himalayan wildlife.
2014NaturalHimachal Pradesh
32
Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen's Stepwell) at Patan11th-century stepwell carved with hundreds of sculptures.
2014CulturalGujarat
33
Archaeological Site of Nalanda MahaviharaOne of the world's oldest universities, a centre of learning for 800 years.
2016CulturalBihar
34
Khangchendzonga National ParkIndia's first 'mixed' site: sacred mountains and outstanding nature.
2016MixedSikkim
35
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier (Capitol Complex, Chandigarh)Part of a transnational listing of modern architecture.
2016CulturalChandigarh
36
Historic City of AhmadabadIndia's first World Heritage City, with its pols (traditional neighbourhoods).
2017CulturalGujarat
37
Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of MumbaiBuildings around the Oval Maidan from two eras of architecture.
2018CulturalMaharashtra
38
Jaipur City, RajasthanPlanned city of 1727 laid out on a grid, the Pink City.
2019CulturalRajasthan
39
Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple13th-century temple built with 'floating' bricks.
2021CulturalTelangana
40
Dholavira: a Harappan CityHarappan city in the Rann of Kachchh with remarkable water management.
2021CulturalGujarat
41
SantiniketanRabindranath Tagore's university town.
2023CulturalWest Bengal
42
Sacred Ensembles of the HoysalasTemples of Belur, Halebidu and Somanathapura.
2023CulturalKarnataka
43
Moidams: the Mound-Burial System of the Ahom DynastyRoyal burial mounds of the Ahom kings at Charaideo. The first cultural site from the North-East.
2024CulturalAssam
44
Maratha Military Landscapes of IndiaTwelve forts of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's era, including Raigad, Shivneri, Pratapgad, Sindhudurg and Gingee.
2025CulturalMaharashtra, Tamil Nadu
45
Ancient Buddhist Site, SarnathWhere the Buddha gave his first sermon. Includes the Dhamek and Chaukhandi stupas and the Ashokan pillar. India's 45th site.
2026CulturalUttar Pradesh

Intangible Cultural Heritage (16)

Intangible Cultural Heritage
#NameInscribedWhere
1
Tradition of Vedic chantingOral transmission of the Vedas with precise memorisation techniques.
2008All of India
2
Ramlila, the traditional performance of the RamayanaVillage and town performances of the Ramayana before Dussehra.
2008North India
3
Kutiyattam, Sanskrit theatreOver 2,000 years of Sanskrit theatre in Kerala's temples.
2008Kerala
4
Ramman, religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal HimalayasMasked festival of the Saloor-Dungra villages, Chamoli.
2009Uttarakhand
5
Mudiyettu, ritual theatre and dance drama of KeralaDance drama of Goddess Kali's battle with the demon Darika.
2010Kerala
6
Kalbelia folk songs and dances of RajasthanSerpentine dances of the Kalbelia community.
2010Rajasthan
7
Chhau danceMartial dance of Mayurbhanj, Seraikella and Purulia, often masked.
2010Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal
8
Buddhist chanting of LadakhRecitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the monasteries of Ladakh.
2012Ladakh
9
Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of ManipurDevotional singing and drumming at the heart of Manipuri Vaishnav life.
2013Manipur
10
Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala GuruHand-beaten brass and copper utensils of Amritsar district.
2014Punjab
11
YogaAncient discipline of body, breath and mind.
2016All of India
12
NawrouzNew Year festival, celebrated in India especially by the Parsi community.
2016All of India (with other countries)
13
Kumbh MelaThe largest peaceful gathering of pilgrims on Earth.
2017Prayagraj, Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik
14
Durga Puja in KolkataThe Goddess's festival as public art and community celebration.
2021West Bengal
15
Garba of GujaratCircular devotional dance of Navratri.
2023Gujarat
16
DeepavaliThe festival of lights, inscribed at the session held in New Delhi.
2025All of India

Photos are freely licensed pictures from Wikimedia Commons; each entry's page credits the photographer and licence.

Pages marked “AI-drafted” were written with AI from the official sources listed on each page and have not yet been checked by our team. Spot an error? Click the ✎ next to any entry, or “Suggest a correction” at the top of its page.