The document provides a summary of 11 World Heritage Sites located in India. It describes several architectural and archaeological sites including Rani Ki Vav stepwell in Gujarat, the hill forts of Rajasthan, the Jantar Mantar observatory in Jaipur, the Red Fort in Delhi, the Champaner archaeological park in Gujarat, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station in Mumbai, the Bhimbetka rock shelters near Bhopal, the Mahabodhi Temple complex in Bodh Gaya, the Mountain Railways of India, Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, the Qutub Minar and its monuments in Delhi, the Buddhist

1. 25 Incredibly Beautiful World Heritage Sites in India
- Part 1

2. Rani Ki Vav at Patan, Gujarat
Rani Ki Vav, in Gujarat is an
intricately constructed stepwell
built during the rule of the Solanki
dynasty. The stepwell was
excavated by the Archaeological
Survey of India in the late 1980s
and it is one of the largest
structures of its kind.

3. Hill Forts of Rajasthan
Hill Forts of Rajasthan are a series of
sites located on the rocky Aravalli
mountain range in Rajasthan
representing the Rajput architecture
which are fine examples of defensive
military architecture using the terrain
to their advantage.

4. The JantarMantar, Jaipur
Built by King Jaisingh II in Jaipur between
1727 and 1734, the Jantar Mantar in
Jaipur is a collection of architectural
astronomical instruments and the
observatory is the largest and best
preserved. There are some 20 fixed
instruments built in masonry and is listed
on the UNESCO World Heritage List as “an
expression of the astronomical skills and
cosmological concepts of the court of a
scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal
period.”

5. Red Fort Complex, Delhi
The Red Fort or the Lal Qila is a palace
fort built in the 17th century by the
Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in Delhi.
The majestic fort built in red
sandstone (hence the name Red Fort)
represents a blend of Persian, Timuri
and Indian style of architecture.

6. Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat
The Champaner-Pavagadh
Archaeological Park in the
Panchmahal district in Gujarat is a
historic and living cultural heritage
properties which include
prehistoric (chalcolithic) sites, a
hill fortress of an early Hindu
capital, palaces, religious
buildings, residential precincts
and remains of the 16th century
state capital of Gujarat. This is the
only complete and unchanged
Islamic pre-Mughal city.

7. Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), Mumbai
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly
known as Victoria Terminus, is a historic
railway station in Mumbai, Maharashtra,
which was opened in 1887. Built in the
Gothic style of architecture, it is one of
the busiest railway stations in India.

8. Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Near Bhopal
Spread in sandstone formations, the
rock shelters of Bhimbetka are
spectacular repository of rock
paintings within natural rock shelters
and are located in the foothills of the
Vindhya range in Madhya Pradesh.
The rock shelters could be dated
between 1,00,000 BC to 1,000 AD
and have unique rock paintings with
high diversity of flora and fauna in
the surrounding dense forest to offer.

9. Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya
Originally built by Emperor Ashoka,
in the 3rd century around the Bodhi
Tree, the Mahabodhi Temple is a
place of importance for the
Buddhists as this is where
Siddhartha Gautama Buddha was
enlightened in 531 BC at the age of
35. Built during the “Golden Age” of
Indian culture during the Gupta
Dynasty, the main temple is built in
Indian architectural style between
5th and 6th centuries and is the
oldest temple in the Indian
subcontinent.

10. Mountain Railways of India (Darjeeling, Shimla, Coonoor)
The Mountain Railways of India are
the unique railway lines built by
during the British India located in the
rugged hills of the Himalayas and the
Western Ghats. The Darjeeling
Himalayan Railway, Nilgiri Mountain
Railway and Kalka-Shimla Railway are
“outstanding examples of bold,
ingenious engineering solutions for
the problem of establishing an
effective rail link through a rugged,
mountainous terrain”.

11. Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
Humayun’s Tomb, built by Emperor
Humayun’s widow, Biga Begum, is
set at the centre of a luxurious
garden and was a precursor
monument to the Taj Mahal. Built in
1570, Humayun’s Tomb is often
described as the “necropolis of the
Mughal Dynasty” for its unique
architectural style.

12. QutubMinar and its Monuments, Delhi
The Qutub Minar and its
Monuments in Delhi is a complex
built in the 13th century with the
Qutb Minar, a 72.5 metres red
sandstone tower, as the centre
piece. Its constuction was started by
Qutbuddin Aibak in 1192 and was
completed by Iltutmish between
1211 to 1236.

13. Buddhist Monuments, Sanchi
Located about 45 km
from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, these
monuments are dated between 100 BC
to 200 BC, but were mostly developed
during the rule of Emperor Ashoka. The
stupas, temples, palaces and
monasteries in the sanctuary make it
culturally unique.

14. Elephanta Caves, off the Mumbai coast
The Elephanta Caves are a network
of sculpted Hindu and Buddhist
caves on the Elephanta Island
in Mumbai Harbour. The Hindu
caves contain rock cut stone
sculptures representing the Shaiva
Hindu sect, dedicated to Lord Shiva
dating between 5th and the 8th
centuries.

15. Photographic Attribution
• Thank you all for your contributions!
• Featured Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/theskumar/
• Rani Ki Vav at Patan, Gujarat: www.flickr.com/photos/lesleyanddavidandbenanddaniel/4957592297
• Hill Forts of Rajasthan: www.flickr.com/photos/michaelfoleyphotography/3996454055
• The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur: www.flickr.com/photos/stml/3253263858
• Red Fort Complex, Delhi: www.flickr.com/photos/pranavsingh/3773752482
• Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park, Gujarat: www.flickr.com/photos/azwegers/9840188055
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus), Mumbai:
www.flickr.com/photos/rohit_saxena/4111341452
• Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Near Bhopal: www.flickr.com/photos/thinkglobalschool/11080768853
• Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya: www.flickr.com/photos/francpallareslopez/11584645176
• Mountain Railways of India (Darjeeling, Shimla, Coonoor):
www.flickr.com/photos/theabbott/3082605880
• Humayun's Tomb, Delhi: www.flickr.com/photos/ialla/2953330473
• Qutub Minar and its Monuments, Delhi: www.flickr.com/photos/sakeeb/5409603916
• Buddhist Monuments, Sanchi: www.flickr.com/photos/jayamahesh/5029614718
• Elephanta Caves, off the Mumbai coast: www.flickr.com/photos/rwoan/6522110803