🏛️ Chapter 10 · Topic 03 · UNESCO Heritage

UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites of India

Kaziranga, Manas, Keoladeo, Sundarbans, Nanda Devi, Western Ghats, Great Himalayan NP, Khangchendzonga — complete UPSC & PSC notes.

🌿 All UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites of India

Site	State	Year	Key Species/Features
Kaziranga National Park	Assam	1985	One-horned rhinoceros (2/3 of world population); Bengal tiger; Asian elephant; wild water buffalo; Brahmaputra floodplains
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary	Assam	1985	Project Tiger reserve; golden langur; pygmy hog (world’s smallest pig); hispid hare; Manas river; also a Biosphere Reserve
Keoladeo Ghana NP	Rajasthan (Bharatpur)	1985	Bird sanctuary; 370+ bird species; Siberian cranes (now rare); painted storks; man-made wetland; also a Ramsar site
Sundarbans NP	West Bengal	1987	World’s largest mangrove forest; Bengal tiger (swimming tigers); Irrawaddy dolphin; Ganges-Brahmaputra delta; also a Ramsar site
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers NP	Uttarakhand	1988 (ext. 2005)	Nanda Devi peak (7,816 m, 2nd highest in India); Valley of Flowers — alpine meadows; snow leopard; Himalayan musk deer
Western Ghats	Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Goa, Gujarat	2012	Biodiversity hotspot; 39 serial sites; lion-tailed macaque; Nilgiri tahr; purple frog; older than Himalayas
Great Himalayan National Park	Himachal Pradesh (Kullu)	2014	Snow leopard; western tragopan (state bird of HP); Himalayan brown bear; Tirthan, Sainj, Jiwa Nal valleys
Khangchendzonga National Park	Sikkim	2016	MIXED site (cultural + natural); Khangchendzonga peak (8,586 m, 3rd highest in world); snow leopard; red panda; sacred landscape of Lepcha and Sikkimese people

⭐ Western Ghats — UNESCO 2012: The Western Ghats are one of the world’s eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity. They are older than the Himalayas and run for about 1,600 km along the western coast of India. The UNESCO inscription covers 39 serial sites across 6 states. Key features: exceptional biodiversity (over 5,000 plant species, 139 mammal species, 508 bird species, 179 amphibian species); many endemic species; source of major rivers (Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri); receives heavy monsoon rainfall.

📌 Khangchendzonga — India’s Only Mixed UNESCO Site: Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim was inscribed as India’s first and only “mixed” UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016 — meaning it meets both cultural and natural criteria. The Khangchendzonga peak (8,586 m) is the third highest mountain in the world and is considered sacred by the Lepcha and Sikkimese people. The park contains snow leopards, red pandas, and numerous endemic species. The cultural significance includes sacred lakes, caves, and monasteries.

✅ Revision Checklist — Natural Sites

✅ Kaziranga = Assam = 1985 = one-horned rhino (2/3 of world population)
✅ Manas = Assam = 1985 = golden langur + pygmy hog (world’s smallest pig)
✅ Keoladeo = Rajasthan (Bharatpur) = 1985 = bird sanctuary = 370+ species
✅ Sundarbans = West Bengal = 1987 = world’s largest mangrove = swimming tigers
✅ Nanda Devi = Uttarakhand = 1988 = 7,816 m = 2nd highest peak in India
✅ Valley of Flowers = Uttarakhand = 2005 (extension) = alpine meadows
✅ Western Ghats = 2012 = 39 serial sites = 6 states = biodiversity hotspot
✅ Great Himalayan NP = HP = 2014 = snow leopard + western tragopan
✅ Khangchendzonga = Sikkim = 2016 = MIXED site = 3rd highest peak (8,586 m)
✅ India has 7 natural + 1 mixed UNESCO sites (total 8 natural/mixed)