60-second revision
- India's first World Heritage Sites (1983): Ajanta, Ellora, Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal.
- Konark Sun Temple: Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Gangas, 13th century.
- Khajuraho: Chandelas. Brihadeshwara: Rajaraja Chola I. Rathas of Mamallapuram: Pallavas.
- Rani-ki-Vav (Patan, Gujarat): Solanki-era stepwell; World Heritage Site 2014.
- Charminar (1591): Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah. Gol Gumbaz (Bijapur): tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah.
- Jantar Mantar observatories: Sawai Jai Singh II. Hawa Mahal: Sawai Pratap Singh.
- Vijay Stambha, Chittorgarh: Rana Kumbha.
- Recent sites: Dholavira and Ramappa (2021), Santiniketan and Hoysala temples (2023), Moidams (2024), Maratha Military Landscapes (2025), Sarnath (2026).
How monuments are asked
Railway and SSC papers usually ask one of three things about a monument: who built it, where it is, or what it commemorates. UPSC goes further into styles and dynasties. Learn monuments in groups by period — the dynasty tells you the style and the region.
Ancient and early medieval monuments
| Monument | Place | Built by / period |
|---|---|---|
| Great Stupa, Sanchi | Madhya Pradesh | Begun under Ashoka; gateways (toranas) added later |
| Mahabodhi Temple | Bodh Gaya, Bihar | Marks the Buddha's enlightenment; first shrine under Ashoka, present temple from the 5th–6th century |
| Ajanta Caves | Maharashtra | Buddhist caves with murals, 2nd century BCE to the 5th–6th century CE |
| Ellora Caves | Maharashtra | Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves; Kailasa temple by Rashtrakuta Krishna I |
| Elephanta Caves | Near Mumbai | Shiva caves; three-headed Maheshamurti |
| Rathas and Shore Temple, Mamallapuram | Tamil Nadu | Pallavas (Narasimhavarman I; Rajasimha) |
| Brihadeshwara Temple | Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu | Rajaraja Chola I, c. 1010 |
| Kandariya Mahadeva, Khajuraho | Madhya Pradesh | Chandelas |
| Sun Temple, Konark | Odisha | Narasimhadeva I (Eastern Ganga), 13th century |
| Jagannath Temple, Puri | Odisha | Anantavarman Chodaganga (Eastern Ganga) |
| Sun Temple, Modhera | Gujarat | Solankis (Bhima I) |
| Dilwara Temples | Mount Abu, Rajasthan | Jain temples in white marble |
| Ramappa Temple | Palampet, Telangana | Built 1213 by Recherla Rudra, general of the Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva |
Medieval and later monuments
| Monument | Place | Built by |
|---|---|---|
| Qutb Minar | Delhi | Begun by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, completed by Iltutmish |
| Alai Darwaza | Delhi | Alauddin Khalji, 1311 |
| Vijay Stambha | Chittorgarh, Rajasthan | Rana Kumbha |
| Gol Gumbaz | Vijayapura (Bijapur), Karnataka | Tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah |
| Charminar | Hyderabad | Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, 1591 |
| Humayun's Tomb | Delhi | Commissioned by Bega Begum |
| Buland Darwaza | Fatehpur Sikri | Akbar |
| Taj Mahal | Agra | Shah Jahan |
| Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib) | Amritsar | Sikh Gurus; gilded under Maharaja Ranjit Singh |
| Jantar Mantar | Jaipur (also Delhi, Ujjain, Varanasi) | Sawai Jai Singh II |
| Hawa Mahal | Jaipur | Sawai Pratap Singh, 1799 |
| Victoria Memorial | Kolkata | Memorial to Queen Victoria, opened 1921 |
| Gateway of India | Mumbai | Marks the visit of George V and Queen Mary (1911) |
| India Gate | New Delhi | Designed by Edwin Lutyens; memorial to Indian soldiers of the First World War |
Reading a monument by its features
Indo-Islamic buildings from the Sultanate onwards introduced the true arch and dome, minarets, calligraphy and geometric decoration in place of human figures. The Mughals added the charbagh (a four-part garden divided by water channels), double domes and pietra dura — inlay of coloured stones in marble, first seen on a large scale at Itimad-ud-Daulah's tomb. Rajput palaces such as those of Jaipur and Udaipur mix these ideas with jharokhas (overhanging balconies) and chhatris (domed pavilions). Colonial buildings in Mumbai and Kolkata follow European styles such as Victorian Gothic and Indo-Saracenic.
UNESCO World Heritage cultural sites in India
India's list grows almost every year, so learn the year of each site rather than a total. The table lists the main cultural sites with the year they were inscribed.
| Year | Site(s) |
|---|---|
| 1983 | Ajanta Caves; Ellora Caves; Agra Fort; Taj Mahal |
| 1984 | Sun Temple, Konark; Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram |
| 1986 | Churches and Convents of Goa; Khajuraho; Hampi; Fatehpur Sikri |
| 1987 | Pattadakal; Elephanta Caves; Great Living Chola Temples (extended 2004 to Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram) |
| 1989 | Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi |
| 1993 | Humayun's Tomb; Qutb Minar and its Monuments |
| 1999 | Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (Mountain Railways extended with Nilgiri 2005 and Kalka-Shimla 2008) |
| 2002 | Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya |
| 2003 | Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka |
| 2004 | Champaner-Pavagadh; Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai |
| 2007 | Red Fort Complex |
| 2010 | Jantar Mantar, Jaipur |
| 2013 | Hill Forts of Rajasthan |
| 2014 | Rani-ki-Vav, Patan |
| 2016 | Nalanda Mahavihara; Capitol Complex, Chandigarh (part of Le Corbusier's works) |
| 2017 | Historic City of Ahmedabad (India's first World Heritage City) |
| 2018 | Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai |
| 2019 | Jaipur City |
| 2021 | Dholavira; Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple |
| 2023 | Santiniketan; Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (Belur, Halebidu, Somanathapura) |
| 2024 | Moidams of the Ahom dynasty, Charaideo (Assam) |
| 2025 | Maratha Military Landscapes of India (12 forts, including Raigad, Shivneri and Gingee) |
| 2026 | Ancient Buddhist Site of Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh) |
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