World Heritage Day: This year, the theme is "Heritage and Climate".(File)
World Heritage Day is celebrated on April 18 every year to raise awareness and adopt ways to preserve cultural heritage. The day is also known as International Day for Monuments and Sites and traces its origin to UNESCO's 22nd General Conference in 1982. This year, the World Heritage Day theme is "Heritage and Climate".
As we observe World Heritage Day 2022, let's take a look at five historical monuments that you can visit in India to mark the occasion.
1.Taj Mahal
Considered to be an architectural marvel across the world, the Taj Mahal is a beautiful mausoleum made of white marble. Located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, the monument was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.
2.Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Khajuraho, located in the district of Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, is considered to be a perfect blend of architectural brilliance and stunning sculptures. It houses a collection of roughly 20 temples that depict and represent an amalgamation of two religions -- Hinduism and Jainism.
3. Red Fort
The Red Fort, located in Delhi, was built as a palace fort by Shah Jahan. The iconic structure is a melange of four different traditions -- Islamic, Hindu, Persian, and Timurid.
4. Sanchi Stupa
Sanchi Stupa is one of the oldest examples of an iconic and free-standing architecture. The Sanchi Stupa, as per UNESCO, is considered the oldest Buddhist sanctuary in existence. There is a range of architectural edifices ranging from Stupas, Viharas, and Stambhs (Monolithic Pillars).
5. Temples At Hampi
Hampi is an ancient village in Karnataka that fosters the remnants of the Vijayanagara empire. The site is filled with temples, shrines, sacred complexes, and memorial structures that are dated somewhere between the 14th and 16th centuries.