Almost every person who visits India or Agra makes it a point to see the Taj Mahal. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz, who was laid to rest there. The mausoleum, also called Mumtaz Mahal is built from white marble. It is one of the seven wonders of the world and considered a marvel of Indo-Islamic architecture and manages to captivate people even today. It became a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1983. Photo Courtesy: istock
If you come to Mumbai, then most people will suggest visiting Marine Drive and many other tourist destinations. Interestingly, the city has many sites beyond that to visit and one of them is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The iconic and historic railway station is designed by British architectural engineer Frederick William Stevens in the Victorian Gothic Revival style. Formerly known as Victoria Terminus, the railway station became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004. The Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai is also another heritage site in the city. Photo Courtesy: istock
Maharashtra boasts of the Ajanta and Ellora caves but closer to Mumbai, many may not know about the Elephanta Caves. For those who've been wanting to explore areas around the city, it's only a ferry ride away from Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, otherwise know as Gharapuri. The cave has temples dedicated to Lord Shiva that were built between the 5th and 6th century, according to the Archaeological Survey of India and UNESCO. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Photo Courtesy: istock
Mamallapuram, or Mahabalipuram as it is more commonly known, is a temple town situated in Tamil Nadu's Chengalpattu district a few hours away from Chennai. It is known for its Hindu group of monuments, which were built in the 7th-8th century during the Pallava dynasty. The Shore temple is one of the most popular along with the Pancha Rathas (in picture) in the temple town. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Photo Courtesy: istock
Just like Mahabalipuram and Elephanta Caves are known for their temples, Hampi in Karnataka also has its group of monuments. It is a popular trekking site that it is situated in the Vijayanagara district. It is spread over 4,100 hectares, and known for the Virupaksha Temple (in picture) among 1,600 monuments at the site. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986. Photo Courtesy: istock
India not only has temples as very important UNESCO sites but also national parks like Kaziranga, which is situated in Assam. It is known to be home to the world's largest population of great Indian one-horned rhinoceroses, along with other animals like elephants; it is also a tiger reserve. The national park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985, and also happens to be one of the natural sites in India to get the inscription. Photo Courtesy: istock
While the Kaziranga National Park is in Assam, West Bengal has the Sundarban National Park part of the Sundarbans mangrove forest. The park is another one of the natural sites that was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in India in 1987. It is also known as the Sundarban Tiger Reserve because it houses the Royal Bengal Tiger; it also has the estuarine crocodile and the Ganges River dolphin. Photo Courtesy: istock
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