IASNOVA Interactive Atlas · Geography Through Maps
INDIA’S WORLD HERITAGE ATLAS
44 UNESCO properties — hover or tap a marker, then revise by category and State.
Each property uses one small dot; closely overlapping city sites are separated slightly for selection. The teal Western Ghats belt shows its broad physical extent.
How to read the World Heritage map
Each coloured point represents one UNESCO World Heritage property associated with India. Orange marks cultural heritage, teal marks natural heritage and violet marks a mixed property recognised for both cultural and natural values. Hover over a point on a desktop, or tap it on a phone, to see the State or Union Territory, inscription year, UNESCO criteria and a revision fact.
Some entries are serial properties. They consist of several protected components but appear as one World Heritage property. The Mountain Railways of India, Western Ghats and Maratha Military Landscapes are important examples.
Three UNESCO categories
Monuments, groups of buildings, archaeological sites and cultural landscapes valued for history, architecture, art, technology or living traditions. India has 36.
Exceptional ecosystems, habitats, geological formations or landscapes recognised for natural beauty, earth history or biodiversity. India has seven.
Places satisfying at least one cultural and one natural criterion. Khangchendzonga National Park is India’s only mixed World Heritage property.
A serial property contains separate components. A transnational property extends across countries; Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex is India’s component of the Le Corbusier property.
UNESCO selection criteria
A property must demonstrate Outstanding Universal Value and meet at least one of ten criteria. Criteria (i)–(vi) are cultural; criteria (vii)–(x) are natural.
| Criteria | What they broadly recognise | Indian examples |
|---|---|---|
| (i)–(ii) | Creative genius and important exchanges of human values in architecture, art, planning or technology. | Taj Mahal, Ajanta Caves, Jantar Mantar |
| (iii)–(iv) | Exceptional testimony to a civilisation and outstanding examples of architecture, ensembles or technological landscapes. | Hampi, Dholavira, Nalanda, Hill Forts of Rajasthan |
| (v)–(vi) | Traditional settlement or land use, and direct association with events, beliefs, ideas or artistic works of universal significance. | Jaipur City, Mahabodhi Temple Complex |
| (vii)–(viii) | Superlative natural beauty and outstanding records of earth history or geological processes. | Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers |
| (ix)–(x) | Ongoing ecological processes and crucial habitats for biodiversity conservation. | Western Ghats, Kaziranga, Sundarbans |
Spatial patterns across India
Mughal capitals and monuments cluster around Delhi and Agra, including the Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb complex, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Taj Mahal.
Harappan urbanism, stepwells, rock-cut caves, Buddhist remains, Rajput forts and Mumbai’s colonial architecture create a dense cultural belt.
Pallava, Chalukya, Chola, Vijayanagara, Hoysala and Kakatiya monuments reveal long regional traditions of temple building and sculpture.
Natural and mixed sites protect high mountains, forests, floodplains and sacred landscapes, while the Moidams preserve Ahom funerary traditions.
Goa, Elephanta, Konark, Mahabalipuram, the Sundarbans and coastal forts connect maritime geography with religious, commercial and defensive histories.
Several listings unite geographically separated places into one property, requiring students to learn both the shared theme and individual components.
India’s inscription timeline at a glance
| Period | Major additions | Revision signal |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Ajanta, Ellora, Agra Fort and Taj Mahal | India’s first four inscriptions |
| 1984–1989 | Konark, Mahabalipuram, Kaziranga, Manas, Keoladeo, Goa, Hampi, Khajuraho, Fatehpur Sikri, Pattadakal, Elephanta, Chola temples, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and Sanchi | Rapid early expansion |
| 1993–2004 | Humayun’s Tomb, Qutb complex, Mountain Railways, Mahabodhi, Bhimbetka, Champaner and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus | Urban, Buddhist and engineering heritage |
| 2007–2014 | Red Fort, Jantar Mantar, Western Ghats, Hill Forts, Rani-ki-Vav and Great Himalayan National Park | Fortifications, science and ecosystems |
| 2016–2018 | Nalanda, Khangchendzonga, Le Corbusier, Ahmedabad and Mumbai ensembles | Education, mixed heritage and modern cities |
| 2019–2022 | Jaipur City, Ramappa Temple and Dholavira | Planned cities and regional architecture |
| 2023 | Santiniketan and Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas | Education and temple networks |
| 2024–2025 | Moidams and Maratha Military Landscapes | Latest Indian additions |
Site-by-site reference
Open any card for a concise revision profile. The interactive index above provides the same list inside the map.
Test yourself
1. Which is India’s only mixed UNESCO World Heritage property?
Khangchendzonga National Park meets both cultural and natural criteria and is India’s only mixed property.
2. Rani-ki-Vav is located in which State?
Rani-ki-Vav is an intricately carved stepwell at Patan in Gujarat.
3. Which property became India’s newest World Heritage addition in 2025?
The Maratha Military Landscapes of India were inscribed in 2025 as a serial cultural property.
4. Which World Heritage property preserves the remains of an ancient monastic university?
Nalanda Mahavihara in Bihar was a major Buddhist monastic and scholastic institution.
5. Which Assam property is especially associated with the greater one-horned rhinoceros?
Kaziranga’s Brahmaputra floodplain supports the world’s largest population of greater one-horned rhinoceros.
6. The Indian component of the transnational Le Corbusier property is located in:
Chandigarh’s Capitol Complex is the Indian component of the transnational Architectural Work of Le Corbusier.
7. The Great Living Chola Temples are located in:
The three component temples are at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram in Tamil Nadu.
8. The Western Ghats are listed by UNESCO under which category?
The Western Ghats are a natural World Heritage property recognised for ecological processes and biodiversity.
Frequently asked questions
How many UNESCO World Heritage Sites does India have?
India currently has 44 World Heritage properties: 36 cultural, seven natural and one mixed property.
Which is India’s newest UNESCO World Heritage property?
The Maratha Military Landscapes of India, a serial cultural property consisting of twelve forts, became India’s newest addition in 2025.
Which is India’s only mixed World Heritage property?
Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim is India’s only mixed property. It combines exceptional Himalayan biodiversity with a sacred cultural landscape.
What is the difference between the World Heritage List and the Tentative List?
The World Heritage List contains properties formally inscribed by the World Heritage Committee. A Tentative List contains properties a State Party may consider nominating in future; tentative status is not World Heritage status.
Why can one UNESCO property appear in several States?
A serial property may unite separate components that share Outstanding Universal Value. The Western Ghats and Mountain Railways of India therefore extend across more than one State.
Which map boundary is used in this atlas?
The national outline is derived from Survey of India’s 2026 International Boundary Vector, generalised at 1:16 million scale. Lakshadweep is represented at its geographic location for visibility.
Sources and map note
Map points identify representative UNESCO coordinates and are designed for study, not legal boundary measurement. Serial properties may cover many separate components. The Survey of India-derived outline has been simplified only for efficient web display and has not been separately certified by Survey of India.
