6 lesser-known UNESCO world heritage sites in India

Our India’s glorious past is represented by the olden and cultural heritage, its beauty divine as well. This needs to be preserved for it to be passed on to the next generations. The beauty of our cultural and natural heritage sites is so exceptional that it is everyones goal to preserve it. These beautiful pieces of architecture and natural wonders are categorized as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.

India is home to 38 UNESCO world heritage sites. There are an additional 43 other sites on the tentative list as well! But, when we think of it, most of us would visit and see attraction like the Taj Mahal or Qutub Minar and forget so many others. In this blog, we have curated a list of 6 lesser-known UNESCO world heritage sites that you should visit atleast once in India.

The Khangchendzonga National Park is located in Sikkim and is for the nature lovers. The name is inspired by the third highest peak in the world, Mount Kangchendzonga. The park has a landscape that varies from slopes covered with lush green forests to rocky mountains that are home 18 glaciers. This place has been included on the UNESCO world heritage list as a mixture of it’s natural and cultural importance. The area can be explored on a trek from Yuksom to Goecha La. You can explore more than 500 species of birds and if you are lucky you can get a glimpse of the rare red panda and the snow leopard.

Rani ki Vav was included as a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2014. It is an inverted temple, divided into seven levels of stairs. It was built in the 11th century on the banks of the river Saraswati in Patan, Gujarat. This man-made marvel features one of the most complicated Maru-Gurjara forms of architectural style that requires complex techniques and exceptional expertise. More than 500 statues and over a thousand little ones cover the walls and pillars of seven terraces that opens into a central water tank. This architectural marvel is one of its kind.

Western ghats are often referred to as the Great Escarpment of India. It is a mountain range, covering an area of 140,000 square kilometers which represents unique biophysical and ecological processes. The Western Ghats have almost 325 unique plants and animal species flourishing here that are globally endangered. This place lies in the list of the world’s eight hottest hotspots of biological diversity along with names of other places like Madagascar and Brazil’s Atlantic Forest. In summer and the rainy season, this beautiful land comes alive with the twinkling lights of bioluminescent insects.

Charles Edouard Jeanneret-Gris, also known as Le Corbusier designed these broad, tree-lined avenues of Chandigarh which is known as Chandigarh Capitol Complex. Spread across almost 100 acres, this complex houses three important government buildings – the Secretariat, the High Court and the Legislative Assembly which are built against the backdrop of the Shivalik hills. The marvels also includes an open hand monument, tower of shadows, and geometric hill. You can also sign up for a guided tour.

If you are a little bit overwhelmed by the crowd at Taj Mahal in the city of Agra then plan a trip to Agra Fort which is just 15 minutes away. This is yet another UNESCO world heritage site that often gets overshadowed by the legendary Taj Mahal. It is a 16th-century marvel built by the Mughals which occupies 94 acres of land including Jahangir Palace, Khas Mahal and Musammam Burj. The fort is made up of a striking red sandstone that has 20 ft. high walls wrap around the complex that was designed by Akbar to protect it from enemies. Later Shah Jahan added a few palaces and other white marble structures to give it a softer touch. This piece of land gives you the best views of the Taj Mahal. The throne room of Diwan-i-Khas is an unmissable spot in the fort where the famous peacock throne embedded with the Kohinoor diamond was kept (now a part of the British crown jewels).

The rock shelters of Bhimbetka were declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site in the year 2003. These massive natural caves are located on the foothills of the Vindhya range which represents the artistic culture of paleolithic, monolithic, and historic periods. Within the sandstone shelters, one can find paintings of dull red, stick figures holding spears and carrying bows and arrows chasing a herd of horned creatures with dozens of deer, buffaloes, elephants and other living creatures which tell us about the traces of human life on the Indian subcontinent. The whole land has around 750 rock shelters and 7 hills. There is a painting of a gigantic red-horned animal chasing a miniature stick man which is the only artwork that shows a human being hunted and tells us about ancient man’s relationship with wildlife.

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