To be a heritage site, a location, building or monument must fall into one of the ten selection criteria of UNESCO. Around 40 sites of India fulfill all these criteria are culturally important or represent a masterpiece of either human or nature’s creation. Still, a few UNESCO sites in India have remained behind the curtains of history.
Present generation is only familiar with popular tourist attractions like Taj Mahal, Humayun’s Tomb, Ajanta and Ellora caves. Undoubtedly, they are beautiful and represent our country’s cultural and architectural history but those unknown are no less.
Today, let’s discover all those sites we have never been.
Lesser-Known UNESCO Sites In India
1. Churches and Convents of Goa
via:saveandtravel
The entire Goa displays the culture of Portuguese but if you want to dig deeper about their art style, visit Churches and Convents of Goa. These are 16th and 18th century’s old religious places comprising of 5 churches, among all Se Cathedral is main highlight as it is biggest in entire Asia.
They were built to spread the Baroque, Mannerist and Manueline art around the world especially in Asia. The main attraction of these styles is the wood work, limestone and laterite. These churches became UNESCO sites in India in 1986.
What To See:
- The Basilica of Bom Jesus ( also known as good Jesus)
- Se Cathedral
- Francis of Assisi
- Lady of Rosary Church
- Church of St. Augustine
Location- Velha Old Goa
Opening hours– 9am to 5 pm
2. Khangchendzonga National Park
via:holidy
Khangchendzonga is one of the most diverse and richest national parks in India. One-third of entire flowering plants in India are grown here naturally. One more interesting fact about this park is that it is located on third highest peak in World, Mt. Khangchendzonga.
Beside the flora, wildlife in this park is also very exotic. Red Panda, Himalayan Tahr, Blue Sheep, and other unseen animals are found here.
Interesting Things To Do At Kangchendzonga
- Watch the beautiful Kanchenjunga Falls from an unbelievable height
- See Frozen Lake
- Trekking at highest mountain passes Goechala
- See the serene Yuksom Valley
Location- Sikkim
Opening hours- 10 am to 4 pm
Entry Fee– INR 200/ person | INR 400 for foreigners
3. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
Darjeeling Himalayan Railway site is first in India and second in the world to be designated as UNESCO site. However, before becoming a global heritage site, DHR was about to close by Indian Railways due to its poor maintenance.
Now, it is very valuable for the people of Darjeeling and operates between Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling. It is a small steam engine toy train that takes passengers crossing steep mountains and breathtaking landscapes.
Location- Darjeeling
Toy Train Joyride– 2hours trip from Darjeeling to Ghum
Train Fare– INR 1,500 for steam engine ride
Also Read: 5 Best Train Journeys In India Every Rail Fan Must Experience Once In A Lifetime!
4. Capitol Complex Tourist Centre
via:nationalgeographic
Chandigarh’s focal point and the most representative work of famous Swiss-French Architect Le Corbusier became a heritage site in 2016. This government complex comprises of 3 main buildings that represent judicial, legislative, and executive parts of democracy.
Apart from these architectures, building has an open hand monument that symbolizes the Government of Chandigarh. It rotates with wind and is designed to purveyor the idea of open to give and take.
What to see
- Tower of shadows
- Martyrs memorial
- Geometric hill
- Open hand monument
Location- Chandigarh
Opening hours- 9am to 5 pm
Ticket price- Free
5. Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple
via:theeconomictimes
The latest edition of UNESCO sites in India is Rudreshwara temple of Telangana. It is a Lord Shiva temple built by an architect from the 13th century, Ramappa. Hence, the temple is also known as Ramappa Temple.
Specialty of this 800 years old temple is the materials used in its construction which are very light and can even float on water. Despite this, the temple survived an earthquake. It also has several pillars which are embellished with intricate carvings.
The famous explorer Marco Polo was also stunned by its construction and beauty. He remarked it as the “brightest star of the galaxy of medieval temples”
Location- Palampet, Mulugu district of Telangana
Opening hours– 6 am to 6 pm
If you ever get a chance to visit these cities, don’t forget to explore these lesser-known UNESCO sites of India.