At a glance
UNESCO's World Heritage List names places of "outstanding universal value" under the 1972 World Heritage Convention. India has 45 sites, the sixth-highest total in the world: mostly cultural sites, plus natural sites and one mixed site. Each year the World Heritage Committee meets to add new sites from countries' Tentative Lists.
Key facts
- Convention: World Heritage Convention, 1972 (UNESCO, Paris)
- India's total: 45 sites (after July 2026)
- Split: 37 cultural, 7 natural, 1 mixed
- First Indian inscriptions (1983): Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Agra Fort, Taj Mahal
- Only mixed site: Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim (2016)
- Latest site: Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh (48th session, Busan, July 2026)
- India hosted: 46th session, New Delhi, July 2024
- Nodal body in India: Archaeological Survey of India (Ministry of Culture)
- World Heritage Day: 18 April
How it works
A country first puts a site on its Tentative List, then submits a nomination dossier. Advisory bodies evaluate it (ICOMOS for cultural sites, IUCN for natural sites) and the 21-member World Heritage Committee decides at its annual session. Sites must meet at least one of ten criteria. Threatened sites can be put on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
Recent additions:
| Year | Site | State |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Santiniketan | West Bengal |
| 2023 | Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (Belur, Halebidu, Somanathapura) | Karnataka |
| 2024 | Moidams, the mound-burial system of the Ahom dynasty (Charaideo) | Assam |
| 2025 | Maratha Military Landscapes (12 forts) | Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu |
| 2026 | Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath | Uttar Pradesh |
Natural sites include Kaziranga, Manas, Keoladeo (all 1985), Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers, Western Ghats, and the Great Himalayan National Park.
Timeline
- 1977: India ratifies the Convention
- 1983: First four Indian sites inscribed
- 2016: Khangchendzonga becomes India's first mixed site
- 2023: Santiniketan and Hoysala temples
- 2024: Moidams of Assam, at the New Delhi session
- 2025: Maratha Military Landscapes (44th site)
- 2026: Sarnath (45th site)
Recent developments
- Jul 2026: The Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath was inscribed at the 48th World Heritage Committee session in Busan, South Korea, taking India's total to 45.
Exam traps
- Santiniketan was the first living heritage university site; Visva-Bharati was founded by Tagore in 1921.
- India's only mixed site is Khangchendzonga (Sikkim), not Nanda Devi.
- The Moidams are in Assam, the first cultural site in the North-East.
- The Maratha forts include Gingee in Tamil Nadu, not only Maharashtra forts.
- The Tentative List is not the World Heritage List; being on it confers no status.
Quick check
- Q: How many World Heritage Sites does India have as of October 2026? A: 45.
- Q: Which was India's latest addition? A: The Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath (2026).
- Q: Where are the Moidams? A: Charaideo, Assam.
Sources
- https://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/in
- https://www.deccanherald.com/india/ancient-buddhist-site-of-sarnath-inscribed-on-the-unesco-world-heritage-list-4087187
- https://www.drishtiias.com/state-pcs-current-affairs/sarnath-becomes-indias-45th-unesco-world-heritage-site/print_manually
- https://www.triptotemples.com/news/culture-and-heritage/maratha-military-landscapes-in-unesco-world-heritage-makes-india-proud
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