A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area selected by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific significance. These sites are protected by international treaties.
World Heritage Day also known as the International Day for Monuments and Sites is observed annually on April 18. The significance of the day is to promote cultural heritage through activities undertaken by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). ICOMOS works closely with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations (UNESCO) for the conservation and protection of cultural heritage sites, it also helps UNESCO on World Heritage Sites.
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area selected by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific significance. These sites are protected by international treaties. According to UNESCO, a grand total of 1121 sites are listed across worldwide of which 869 are cultural, 213 are natural and 39 are a mixture
The aim of organizing the World Heritage Day is to preserve the human heritage and appreciate the efforts of all organizations that work for the preservation of this heritage. The first World Heritage Day was organised by the ICOMOS in 1982 but it only got approved by the UN General Assembly in the following year.
As the coronavirus pandemic is sweeping the globe, ICOMOS has decided that the theme for this year’s World Heritage Day would be “Shared Culture, Shared Heritage and Shared Responsibility.” ICOMOS aims at emphasising the importance of sharing of knowledge between generation through this theme. The theme for the previous year’s celebration was “Rural Landscapes”.
List of Natural World Heritage Sites
| Sl. No. | Name of Natural World Heritage Site | State | Year of Notification | Area (In Km2) |
| 1 | Kaziranga National Park | Assam | 1985 | 429.96 |
| 2 | Keoladeo Ghana National Park | Rajasthan | 1985 | 28.73 |
| 3 | Manas Wildlife Sanctuary | Assam | 1985 | 391.00 |
| 4 | Nanda Devi National Park and Valley of Flowers | Uttarakhand | 1982 2005 |
630.00 87.50 |
| 5 | Sunderbans National Park | West Bengal | 1984 | 1,330.10 |
| 6 | Western Ghats | Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala |
2012 | 1,60,000.00 |
| 7 | Great Himalayan National Park | Himachal Pradesh | 2014 | 905.4 |
List of Cultural World Heritage Sites.
| Sl. No. | Name of Cultural World Heritage Site | State | Year of Notification |
| 1 | Agra Fort | Uttar Pradesh | 1983 |
| 2 | Ajanta Caves | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| 3 | Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | 1989 |
| 4 | Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park | Gujarat | 2004 |
| 5 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Formerly Victoria Terminus) | Maharashtra | 2004 |
| 6 | Churches and Convents of Goa | Goa | 1986 |
| 7 | Elephanta Caves | Maharashtra | 1987 |
| 8 | Ellora Caves | Maharashtra | 1983 |
| 9 | Fatehpur Sikri | Uttar Pradesh | 1986 |
| 10 | Great Living Chola Temples | Tamil Nadu | 1987 |
| 11 | Group of Monuments at Hampi | Karnataka | 1986 |
| 12 | Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram | Tamil Nadu | 1984 |
| 13 | Group of Monuments at Pattadakal | Karnataka | 1987 |
| 14 | Hill Forts of Rajasthan | Rajasthan (Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambhore, Amber Sub-Cluster, Jaisalmer, Gagron) | 2013 |
| 15 | Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi | Delhi | 1993 |
| 16 | Khajuraho Group of Monuments | Madhya Pradesh | 1986 |
| 17 | Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya | Bihar | 2002 |
| 18 | Mountain Railways of India | Tamil Nadu | 1999 |
| 19 | Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi | Delhi | 1993 |
| 20 | Rani-Ki-Van (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat | Gujarat | 2014 |
| 21 | Red Fort Complex | Delhi | 2007 |
| 22 | Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka | Madhya Pradesh | 2003 |
| 23 | Sun Temple, Konarak | Orissa | 1984 |
| 24 | Taj Mahal | Uttar Pradesh | 1983 |
| 25 | The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur | Rajasthan | 2010 |
| 26 | Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda | Bihar | 2016 |
| 2728.
29. |
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern MovementHistoric City of Ahmadabad
Mumbai’s victorian art deco ensembles |
ChandigarhGujarat
Mumbai |
20162017
2018 |
| 30. | Jaipur City | Rajasthan | 2019 |
List of Mixed World Heritage Sites in India
| Sl. No. | Name of Mixed World Heritage Site | State | Year of Notification |
| 1 | Khangchendzonga National Park | Sikkim | 2016 |
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