Indian UNESCO WHS

India has 32 sites inscribed on the UNESCO WHS list and thanks to Col Akhil, I'm only missing one site now. 

Rani-ki-Vav, on the banks of the Saraswati River, was initially built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century AD. Stepwells are a distinctive form of subterranean water resource and storage systems on the Indian subcontinent, and have been constructed since the 3rd millennium BC. They evolved over time from what was basically a pit in sandy soil towards elaborate multi-storey works of art and architecture. Rani-ki-Vav was built at the height of craftsmens’ ability in stepwell construction and the Maru-Gurjara architectural style, reflecting mastery of this complex technique and great beauty of detail and proportions. Designed as an inverted temple highlighting the sanctity of water, it is divided into seven levels of stairs with sculptural panels of high artistic quality; more than 500 principle sculptures and over a thousand minor ones combine religious, mythological and secular imagery, often referencing literary works. The fourth level is the deepest and leads into a rectangular tank 9.5 m by 9.4 m, at a depth of 23 m. The well is located at the westernmost end of the property and consists of a shaft 10 m in diameter and 30 m deep. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/922

Photo: J. M. Garg

This National Park in the western part of the Himalayan Mountains in the northern Indian state of Himachal Pradesh is characterized by high alpine peaks, alpine meadows and riverine forests. The 90,540 ha property includes the upper mountain glacial and snow meltwater sources of several rivers, and the catchments of water supplies that are vital to millions of downstream users. The GHNPCA protects the monsoon-affected forests and alpine meadows of the Himalayan front ranges. It is part of the Himalaya biodiversity hotspot and includes twenty-five forest types along with a rich assemblage of fauna species, several of which are threatened. This gives the site outstanding significance for biodiversity conservation. - in: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1406

 Photo: Anirban

Situated at the base of Nanda Devi peak, India’s second highest peak; the Nanda Devi National Park is situated in the higher ranges of Himalaya in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand in North India. Designated as the World Heritage Site, the park has unique topography and supports several habitats, species and eco-systems.

The Nanda Devi basin was declared a sanctuary in1939. In the 1982, an area of 630.33 sq km was added and it was declared a national park, which now forms the core zone of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. The park was declared a World Heritage Site in the 1988 along with the Valley of Flowers.

Besides the Himalayan valleys and lush greenery, visitors can see animals including snow leopards, Himalayan black-bear, Himalayan musk deer, Himalayan tahr and many more.

The park is also an ideal place for bird watchers. About 100 species of birds have made the park their home. Birds including orange-flanked bush robin, Indian tree pipit, blue-fronted redstart are seen more often. The park is also home to several species of butterflies, 312 species of flowers including juniper and alpine vegetation. - in: http://travel.india.com/nanda-devi-national-park/

Photo: Rajika Travels

Where the land meets the sea at the southern tip of West Bengal lies the Indian Sunderbans, a stretch of impenetrable mangrove forest of great size and bio-diversity. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Sunderbans is a vast area covering 4264 square km in India alone. The Indian Sunderbans forms the largest Tiger Reserve and National Park in India. A paradise for birdwatchers, the list includes such rarities as the Masked Finfoot, Mangrove Pitta and the Mangrove Whistler.

The Sunderbans are a part of the world's largest delta formed by the mighty rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. Situated on the lower end of the Gangetic West Bengal, it is also the world’s largest estuarine forest. The Sunderbans is criss-crossed by hundreds of creeks and tributaries. It is one of the most attractive and alluring places remaining on earth, a truly undiscovered paradise.

The Sunderbans forest is home to more than 250 tigers. The Bengal Tigers have adapted themselves very well to the saline and aqua environs and are extremely good swimmers. - in: http://www.sunderbansnationalpark.com/

The Keoladeo Ghana National Park or Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary lies between two of India's most historic cities, Agra and Jaipur. This north Indian sanctuary is situated in the country's northwestern state of Rajasthan, about 190 km from the national capital of Delhi.

Keoladeo is famous as one of Asia’s finest birding areas, with over 380 resident and migrant species, including the Common, Demoiselle and the rare Siberian Cranes. It is also an excellent place to watch mammals like Golden Jackal, Striped Hyaena, Fishing Cat, Jungle Cat, Nilgai, Sambar, Blackbuck and wild Boar. The park derives its name from the temple of Keoladeo (Shiva) and ‘ghana’ which locally means dense, implying the nature of the vegetation. During the cool winter months it is also possible to see large Indian Pythons sunning themselves. - in: http://keoladeonationalpark.com/