India has many monuments that have been declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The most well-known are Humayun’s Tomb and Qutab Minar in Delhi, the Taj Mahal and Fort in Agra, and the former Moghul capital at nearby Fatehpur Sikri.

Besides these monuments, the World Heritage Sites also include the mountain railways of Darjeeling, Shimla and Ooty. The natural habitat list includes the Bharatpur bird sanctuary, the Sunderbans, Manas and Kaziranga in Assam.

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The World Heritage List is an international registry of sites that have great natural or cultural value. Some sites are listed as part of the World Heritage because of their spectacular or unusual scenery and wildlife. Others are included because of their importance as part of humanity’s cultural heritage. Some areas possess both natural and cultural importance.

The World Heritage List was established at a General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1972. The aim of the convention is to protect, conserve, and transmit the cultural and natural heritage to future generations.

Of its prestigious monuments and natural wonders, sixteen cultural and five natural sites in India are listed and three mountain railways.

Taj Mahal Agra Fort Fatehpur Sikri Ajanta Caves Ellora Caves Mamallapuram Group of Monuments Konarak Sun Temple Khajuraho Group of Monuments Hampi Group of Monuments Pattadakal Group of Monuments Elephanta Caves Sanchi Buddhist Monuments Thanjavur Brihadishwara Temple The Churches of Old Goa Qutab Complex, Delhi Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi

Kaziranga National Park, Assam Keoladeo Ghana Bird Sanctuary, Bharatpur Manas Reserve, Assam Sunderbans National Park, West Bengal Nanda Devi National Park, Uttar Pradesh

Darjeeling Mountain Railway Shimla Mountain Railway Ootacamund Mountain Railway