Wonderful World Heritage Sites of India Quiz

Answer:

As of January 2024, India has 42 sites inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of these, 34 are cultural, 7 are natural, and one of mixed type; there is also a transnational site shared with six other countries. Another 50 sites are part of the Tentative List, where candidates for inscription wait for a decision from the World Heritage Committee.

Many of India's World Heritage sites are concentrated in the northern part of the country. The most famous of all Indian UNESCO sites, and one of the world's most iconic landmarks, the Taj Mahal at Agra - a magnificent white marble mausoleum built in the mid-17th century - was part of the first batch of Indian sites added to the List in 1983. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who had the Taj Mahal built for his beloved wife Mumtaz, was also responsible for building the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila) in Delhi (added in 2007), which served as the main residence of the Mughal emperors. Not far from Agra, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, the mostly abandoned but remarkably well-preserved city of Fatehpur Sikri - founded in 1571 by Akbar, the third Mughal emperor, to be the capital of his empire - was designated in 1986. All these sites combine traditional Indian styles with Islamic (mainly Persian) architecture.

South of these sites, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh, lies the stunning (and somewhat notorious) site of Khajuraho, a group of Hindu and Jain temples built between the 10th and the 11th century AD, added to the World Heritage List in 1986. The surviving 22 temples are richly decorated by magnificent sculptures, about 10% of which are erotic in nature - hence the site's notoriety.

Also designated in 1983, the Ajanta Caves in the western state of Maharashtra are among the oldest Indian World Heritage sites. This complex of 29 Buddhist caves carved into a cliff, with their celebrated rock-cut sculptures and wall paintings narrating a series of legends related to the life of Buddha, was begun around the 2nd century BC, and completed in the mid-7th century AD.

Further south, on the coast of the Arabian Sea, lies Goa, India's smallest state, a former Portuguese colony. The many religious buildings of the now mostly deserted city of Old Goa, built in the 16th and 17th century, became a World Heritage Site in 1986. One of these monuments, the Baroque Basilica of Bom Jesus, houses the remains of Saint Francis Xavier, one of the founders of the Society of Jesus.

The remaining four sites are all found in the eastern part of India. The site of Mahabalipuram (added in 1984) consists of a group of 40 monuments located on the coast of the Bay of Bengal, in the south-eastern state of Tamil Nadu. The monuments - mostly Hindu temples, built in the 7th and 8th century AD - include one of the world's largest open-air rock reliefs, depicting the descent of the Ganges.

Much further to the north, on the coast of the state of Odisha, lies the famed Konark Sun Temple, built in the 13th century, and dedicated to the sun god Surya. What remains of the temple complex (also added in 1984) has the shape of a gigantic, wheeled chariot drawn by seven horses - the vehicle used by the god to travel through the sky. The Konark temple is renowned for its intricately detailed reliefs, depicting a variety of subjects - including erotic scenes.

Further to the northeast, the Sundarbans National Park - one of India's natural sites - lies in West Bengal, in the Ganges Delta, near the border with Bangladesh. The huge wetland area, mainly consisting of mangrove forest, is a natural habitat for the endangered Bengal tiger, India's national animal, as well as a large number of species of birds, reptiles, fish and invertebrates. Established in 1984, the Park was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Also known as the Toy Train, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway runs for about 88 km (55 mi) between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling, in the northern part of West Bengal. Serviced by steam and diesel locomotives, the railway - which is a popular tourist attraction, but also offers a scheduled service - climbs to an altitude of 2,285 m (7,407 ft) in the foothills of the Himalayas. Opened in 1881, it was designated as a Word Heritage Site in 1999.

The ten non-Indian sites are found in Indonesia (Borobudur temple complex), Cambodia (Angkor), Vietnam (Ha Long Bay), Japan (Himeji Castle), China (Temple of Heaven), Nepal (Kathmandu Valley), Iran (Persepolis), Turkey (Ephesus), Yemen (Old City of Sana'a), and Uzbekistan (Samarkand).