A nation’s cultural and ecological legacy, as manifested in buildings, monuments, and natural attractions, is evidence of its past. Additionally, no matter where they are located, distinctive buildings and monumented national assets trace humanity’s evolution. As a result, jet travel makes the world’s most potent civilizational and natural treasures available to an ever-increasing number of students, academics, and ordinary people worldwide.
The United States of America in 1965 asked to establish a World Heritage Trust to encourage international collaboration in preserving the world’s magnificent natural and scenic regions and historical monuments for the future and current generations of global citizens. Environment protection organizations supported the notion. In 1968, the International Union for Natural Resources Conservation prepared an identical idea. Which was delivered at the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm. The concept was forwarded to the United Nations Scientific, Academic, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) by the General Assembly of the United States. In the same year, UNESCO created an international agreement under the style and name of the Conference Concerning the Safeguarding of the World Heritage of Culture and Nature.
The treaty’s primary objective is to promote the identification, protection, and preservation of historical and natural heritage properties worldwide that are thought to be of exceptional significance to humankind.
All you need to know about the Top 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North India:
1. Humayun’s Tomb
Humayun’s Mausoleum, the Indian subcontinent’s first garden tomb, was constructed by the Emperor’s principal wife, Bega Begum. The building in Nizamuddin East is near the Old Fort and may be visited as one of Delhi’s numerous tourist attractions (and one of three UNESCO World Heritage Sites).
Humayun’s Tomb contains not just the Emperor’s burial but also the graves of countless others, including Bega Begum, Dara Shikoh, and Hamida Begum. Muhammad Kam Bakhsh, and many others. The groomed grounds are a pleasant area to roam about, and the monument is enjoyable to examine.
Location: Nizamuddin East, Delhi
2. The Complex of Red Fort
The Red Fort is the third UNESCO World Heritage Site in India’s capital city of Delhi. Another Mughal construction was created as the residential palace for Shahjahanabad, the capital city of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. Red forts’ distinctive red appearance is due to the Fort’s long, enormous red sandstone walls and structures.
Mughal, Hindu, and Timurid influenced the design and other inspirations, and its vast gardens and palaces are an excellent spot to spend hours researching India’s history.
Location: Old Delhi
3. Qutub Minar
The Qutub Minar, a 73-meter-tall tower in Delhi’s Mehrauli neighborhood, was constructed by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, the city’s first Mughal monarch. The tapering construction has five floors, with balconies on every floor. The minor’s development was continued by Aibak’s successors, Firoz Shah Tughlakand Iltutmish.
Who completed the tower to what it is now? The architecture is typical of Islamic construction, although it also incorporates elements from Jain and Hindu temple structures. The neighboring monuments include Iltutmish’s Mausoleum, the Quwwatu’l-Islam mosque, its extension, Alauddin Khilji’s mahal, and other systems that make up this UNESCO World Heritage Site in North India.
Location: Mehrauli Area of South Delhi
4. Agra Fort
The Army owns a big chunk of the Agra Fort, but what remains is one of the numerous attractive sights that should be seen. The Fort, which is adjacent to the Taj Mahal, takes around an hour or two to visit entirely and is made up of red sandstone walls and buildings, giving it the nickname “Red Fort of Agra”.
The 2.5-kilometer-long enclosure walls of the Mughal monument house various palaces, including the Palace of Jahangir and the Khas Mahal, in addition to the Diwan-i-Khas and Diwan-i-Aajam, and two exquisite mosques.
Location: Rakabganj, Agra, UP
5. Nanda Devi and Its Valley of Flowers
The spectacular panoramas of the Nanda Devi mountain and the Valley of Flowers combine to form one of the most stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North India, filled with gorgeous flowers complementing the rugged yet magnificent Himalayan peak of the Nanda Devi.
Both zones are rich in biodiversity, with various rare and uncommon animals, including the Asian black bear, snow leopard, brown bear, Himalayan musk deer, and many plant species.
Location: Chamoli, Uttarakhand
6. The Kalka Shimla Railway
The Kalka-Shimla Railway is one of India’s three mountain railway lines on the UNESCO World Heritage List in North India. The picturesque 96.6-kilometer Kalka-Shimla road winds across the majestic Himalayas. The railway was constructed in the mid-nineteenth century to boost transportation to Shimla and demonstrates the brilliance of construction at the time.
The railway is still running, and the route provides a terrific experience with picturesque scenery that varies with the seasons—from snow-covered paths to fallen rhododendron blooms covering the ground to diffused sunshine peeking through the trees.
7. Jantar Mantar
The Jantar Mantar was constructed in the nineteenth century as a celestial observation point, with its twenty pieces of fixed equipment and a heart-shaped structure.
The observatory, built by Prince Jai Singh II, functioned as a gathering spot for diverse scientific cultures. It also worked as a clock and served as a sign of royal power and time management.
Location: Modern City of New Delhi
8. Keoladeo National Park
The Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan is one of the environmental UNESCO World Heritage Sites in North India. It is recognized for holding a diverse range of bird species, including migratory birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Siberia, and those native to India’s ecosystem.
An evening spent here may be quite enlightening about these critters’ migration patterns and is a terrific opportunity to spend some time with nature.
Location: Bharatpur, Rajsthan
9. The Hill Forts of Rajasthan
Rajasthan’s hill forts are mainly in the Aravalli Mountain Range. They include the Chittor Fort in Chittorgarh, the Amer Fort in Jaipur, the Gagron Fort in Jhalawar, the Jaisalmer Fort, the Kumbhalgarh Fort, and the Ranthambore Fort in Sawai Madhopur.
Many of the forts were built by many Rajput monarchs between the 5th and 18th centuries. Many forts still have intact urban centers and use water collection technologies.
Location: Rajasthan
10. Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri also referred to as the City of Victory, is said to have been created to give relaxation & luxury to Akbar, the Mughal emperor.
The complex includes the Buland Darwaza (lofty entrance), mosques, an elephant tower, tombs, and a drum chamber where musicians could proclaim the Emperor’s approach. A space in Pachisi Court has been designated for a human version of Ludo!
Location: About 36km from Agra’s headquarters
Conclusion
Exploring the UNESCO World Heritage sites should be on everyone’s bucket list if they enjoy traveling. With its rich history and culture, India features a plethora of forts, ancient monuments, intricately carved caves, and even nature reserves teeming with unique flora and animals.
Many of these sites are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Some are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites dispersed across India’s regions – north, south, east, west, and northeast. So, for nature and history fans, these locations are a terrific opportunity to tour the country and see things that the rest of the world comes to see in your own country.
Find out more details on North India here:
