Incredible Treasures: UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India

The World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO aims to promote awareness and safeguarding of heritage sites considered to have outstanding value for all humanity. There are 38 such sites in India, as of May 2021, and this volume presents them all together for the first time, with accessible commentary and stunning photographs. This treasure trail begins deep in the jungles of central India, with the spirited figures that shimmer on the prehistoric cave walls of Bhimbetka. Caves of another kind draw us westwards, to the radiant artistry of the rock-cut sanctuaries of Ajanta, Ellora and Elephanta Caves. Further north and east are monuments materially associated with the birth and spread of Buddhism across the subcontinent. In the south, mighty stone temples rise in the air, from the Chola temples to the ruins of Hampi, and, in the east, from the Sun Temple to Khajuraho, presenting sacred and profane visions of faith. Other masterpieces of pluralism borrow from Hindu, Jain and Islamic traditions, like the Taj Mahal or Rani-ki-Vav, both expressions of grief turned into beauty. Finally, even very old cultures must come into the new, finding novel vocabularies from colonial masters and Christian Europe, as in the railways chugging up snowy Darjeeling, or Le Corbusier’s Chandigarh. India’s natural odyssey takes us through forested glades that harbour flora and fauna found nowhere else in the world. From the gelid slopes of the Himalayas to the many wildlife sanctuaries, the natural and mixed properties include biospheres of exceptional beauty and sites of long interaction between people and the landscape. Dr Shikha Jain has worked on several nomination dossiers for India and other Asian countries. Vinay Sheel Oberoi served as the Ambassador & Permanent Delegate of India to UNESCO from 2010 to 2014. Rohit Chawla is one of India’s leading contemporary photographers. Eric Falt is currently Director, UNESCO India Cluster Office.