Recently, the Hoysala era monuments at Belur, Somanathpura and Halebidu got entry in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list. And on this occasion, we thought of introducing you to the heritage sites in India that are part of World Heritage list. But before that. let’s understand a bit about the UNESCO World Heritage list.
What is UNESCO World Heritage list?
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance. The sites are judged to contain “cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity”.
To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a somehow unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance. For example, World Heritage Sites might be ancient ruins or historical structures, buildings, cities, deserts, forests, islands, lakes, monuments, mountains, or wilderness areas. A World Heritage Site may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet, or it might be a place of great natural beauty.
Benefits of getting listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site list
- It brings international attention to the need for the preservation and conservation of the site.
- It brings tourism to the site, with its accompanying economic benefits to the host country and local area.
- It can provide funds for restoration, preservation, and training.
- It promotes national and local pride in the natural and man-made wonders of the country.
- It promotes close ties with the United Nations system and the prestige and support it provides.
- It provides access to global project management resources.
- It facilitates creating partnerships between government, the private sector, and NGOs to achieve conservation goals.
- The site is protected under the Geneva Convention against destruction or misuse during wartime.
How many places in India are part of the list?
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designates World Heritage Sites of outstanding universal value to cultural or natural heritage which have been nominated by countries which are signatories to the UNESCO World Heritage Convention, established in 1972. India accepted the convention on 14 November 1977, making its sites eligible for inclusion on the list.
As of 2023, there are 42 World Heritage Sites located in India. Out of these, 34 are cultural, 7 are natural, and one, the Khangchendzonga National Park, is of mixed type. India has the sixth largest number of sites in the world. Here we share list of the Indian sites in the list. However, we are including only the sites that are related to temples.
Heritage sites in India that are part of the list
1. Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
The caves at Ajanta represent a collection of Buddhist art from two periods. First monuments date to 2nd and 1st centuries BCE and were created by the followers of Theravada Buddhism. Further monuments were added in the 5th and 6th centuries CE, during the Vakataka dynasty, by the followers of Mahayana Buddhism. The monuments are masterpieces of Buddhist art and exhibited strong influence in India and in the broader region, especially in Java.
Ajanta caves became a part of the list in 1983, along with Ellora caves, Taj Mahal and Agra fort.
2. Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
Ellora Caves comprise 34 temples and monasteries that were cut into a 2 km (1.2 mi) long basalt cliff between the 7th and 11th centuries. As they were built by followers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism, they illustrate religious tolerance of the period when they were constructed. The caves also contains the largest monolith structure of the world, the Kailasa Temple, that is elaborately decorated with sculptures and paintings.
3. Sun temple, Konark, Odisha
Konark Sun Temple is a 13th-century CE Sun temple at Konark in Odisha. The temple is attributed to king Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga dynasty about 1250 CE.
Dedicated to Surya, what remains of the temple complex has the appearance of a 100-foot (30 m) high chariot with immense wheels and horses, all carved from stone. Once over 200 feet (61 m) high; much of the temple is now in ruins, in particular the large shikara tower over the sanctuary. The Shikhara at one time rose much higher than the mandapa that remains. The structures and elements that have survived are famed for their intricate artwork, iconography, and themes, including erotic kama and mithuna scenes. Also called the Surya Devalaya, it is a classic illustration of the Odisha style of Architecture or Kalinga architecture.
Konark Surya Mandir became part of the list in 1984.
4. Group of Monuments, Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), Tamilnadu
The monuments around the town of Mamallapuram were built in the 7th and 8th centuries, under the Pallava dynasty. There are different types of monuments: the rathas, which are chariot-shaped temples (Dharmaraja Ratha), the mandapas (rock-cut temples), rock reliefs, including the giant Descent of the Ganges, Shore Temple and other temples and archaeological remains. The artistic expression of the monuments was influential in the broader region, including Cambodia, Vietnam, and Java.
The group of monuments at Mamallapuram were included in the list in the year 1984.
5. Khajuraho Group of Monuments, Madhya Pradesh
This site comprises 23 temples, both Hindu and Jain, that were built in the 10th and 11th centuries, during the Chandela dynasty. The temples are built in the Nagara style. They are richly decorated with stone carvings and sculptures that depict sacred and secular motifs, including depictions of domestic life, musicians, dancers, and amorous couples.
Most Khajuraho temples were built between 885 CE and 1000 CE by the Chandela dynasty. Historical records note that the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by the 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometres. Of these, only about 25 temples have survived, spread over six square kilometres. Of the surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism, and expressiveness of ancient Indian art. The temple complex was forgotten and overgrown by the jungle until 1838 when Captain T.S. Burt, a British engineer, visited the complex and reported his findings in the Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
The Khajuraho group of monuments were included in the list in 1986.
6. Group of Monuments at Hampi, Karnataka
Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire until the abandonment after the sacking and pillaging by the Deccan sultanates in 1565. For about 200 years, it was a prosperous multi-cultural city that left several monuments in the Dravidian as well in the Indo-Islamic style. Chronicles left by Persian and European travellers, particularly the Portuguese, say that Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world’s second-largest city, after Beijing, and probably India’s richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.
Located in Karnataka near the modern-era city of Hosapete, Hampi’s ruins are spread over 4,100 hectares (16 sq mi) and it has been described by UNESCO as an “austere, grandiose site” of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India that includes “forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, mandapas, memorial structures, water structures and others”.
The monuments got added to the list in 1986. A minor boundary modification of the site took place in 2012. Between 1999 and 2006, the site was listed as endangered due to risks posed by increased traffic and new constructions.
7. Group of Monuments at Pattadakal, Karnataka
This site comprises nine Hindu and one Jain temple that were built in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty. They were constructed in the Badami Chalukya style that blends influences from northern and southern India. UNESCO has described Pattadakal as “a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India” and an illustration of “eclectic art” at its height. The Hindu temples are generally dedicated to Shiva, but elements of Vaishnavism and Shaktism theology and legends are also featured.
The group of monuments got added to the list in 1987.
8. Elephanta Caves, Maharashtra
The cave complex, located on the Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbour, was constructed mainly in the 5th and 6th centuries, with remains of human occupation dating back to the 2nd century BCE. The temples are dedicated to Shiva. The caves are decorated with stone carvings, some of them colossal.
The Elephanta Caves contain rock-cut stone sculptures, mostly in high relief, that show syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist ideas and iconography. The caves are hewn from solid basalt rock. Except for a few exceptions, much of the artwork is defaced and damaged. The main temple’s orientation as well as the relative location of other temples are placed in a mandala pattern. The carvings narrate Hindu mythologies, including the large monolithic Trimurti Sadashiva (three-faced Shiva), Nataraja (Lord of dance) and Yogishvara (Lord of Yogis) being the most celebrated.
The site was included in the list in 1987.
9. Great Living Chola Temples, Tamilnadu
This site comprises three Hindu temples built in the 11th and 12th centuries under the Chola dynasty. The monuments include Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Airavatesvara Temple at Kumbakonam. They represent some of the best examples of Dravidian architecture of the Chola period. They are made of stone and decorated with stone and bronze sculptures.
The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of fully realized Tamil architecture. Built by Raja Raja Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD. The Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a Hindu temple located at Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Completed in 1035 AD by Rajendra Chola I as a part of his new capital, this Chola dynasty era temple is similar in design and has a similar name as the 11th century, and sometimes just called the Gangaikondacholapuram temple. The Airavatesvara Temple is in the city of Kumbakonam, completed in 1166 AD. It is one among a cluster of eighteen medieval era large Hindu temples in the Kumbakonam area.
The Temple Complex at Thanjavur was recognised in 1987. The Temple Complex at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavatesvara Temple Complex were added as extensions to the site in 2004. The site was renamed then to the current name.
10. Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh
Sanchi is one of the oldest extant Buddhist sanctuaries and was instrumental in the spread of the religion through the Indian subcontinent. It became important under Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Empire in the 3rd century BCE. The remains of a pillar from the period are preserved. The Great Stupa at Sanchi is one of the oldest stone structures in India, and an important monument of Indian Architecture.
Stupas, palaces, temples, and monasteries are preserved in different states of conservation, mostly dating to the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE. Temple no 17 at the complex is said to be the oldest free standing temple in India. The city declined in importance in the 12th century.
It was included in the list in the year 1989.
11. Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar
The Buddhist temple complex marks the site where Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree. The present temple dates to the 5th and 6th centuries CE (during the Gupta period) and was built upon a previous structure commissioned by emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE. The temple is 50 m (160 ft) high and made of brick. It had substantial influence on the development of architecture in the following centuries. After centuries of abandonment and neglect, the temple was extensively restored in the 19th century.
It was included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites in 2002.
12. Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat
Rani-ki-Vav is one of the finest examples of a stepwell, an elaborate type of well where ground water is accessed through several levels of stairs. It was constructed in the 11th century, during the Chaulukya dynasty, on the banks of the Saraswati River in the city of Patan. It consists of seven levels, each of which is decorated with stone carvings and sculptures, depicting religious and secular themes and literary works. After the change in the river course in the 13th century, it was no longer in use and got covered with silt, which allowed for its preservation.
The site was included in the list in year 2014.
13. Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Warangal, Telangana
The temple, dedicated to Shiva, was constructed in the first half of the 13th century under the Kakatiya dynasty. It is decorated with stone carvings and sculptures in granite and dolerite that depict regional dance customs. In line with Hindu practices, the temple is constructed in a way that it blends harmonically with the environment.
It was included in the list in the year 2021.
14. Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas, Karnataka
This nomination comprises two clusters of monuments (in Belur and Halebidu), and the Keshava temple in Somanathapura. Dating to the time of the Hoysala Empire, between the 11th and 14th centuries. Hoysala architecture combined the elements of the Dravidian architecture with influences from northern India. The temples were built by the followers of Vaishnavism, Shaivism, and Jainism, and they are richly decorated with stone sculptures and carvings. The Chennakeshava Temple in Belur is still an important pilgrimage site.
The site was added to the list in 2023.
Dr Janki Thaker
Guest Author
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