New Delhi: India is blessed with a rich culture, heritage and tradition. Every part of the country has some unique history. The southern part of India is also filled with many famous historical places. South India has a rich culture and architectural legacy and it has plenty of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These places are a throwback to the rich history of the land, show the architectural brilliance of people and narrate stories which are otherwise buried in the pages of past. In this article, we will take a look at some of the famous UNESCO Heritage Sites in South India.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites in South India
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
It is a collection of 7th and 8th-century CE religious monuments in the coastal resort town of Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu. It is on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal, and the site has 40 ancient monuments and Hindu temples, including the Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna’s Penance, one of the largest open-air rock reliefs in the world. The group has several categories of monuments and were built during the Pallava dynasty.
Group of Monuments at Hampi
Group of Monuments at Hampi is located in Karnataka’s Vijayanagara district. Hampi was there before the Vijayanagara Empire and has been mentioned in the Ramayana and the Puranas. Hampi was the Vijayanagara Empire’s capital from 1336 to 1565 and was a fortified city. It was a prosperous, wealthy and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms and trading markets. Today, it has numerous ancient monuments.
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal
Karnataka’s Pattadakal is the peak of an eclectic art which, in the 7th and 8th centuries under the Chalukya dynasty, achieved a harmonious blend of architectural forms from northern and southern India. There are nine Hindu temples and also a Jain sanctuary. The Temple of Virupaksha stands out and it was built in 740 by Queen Lokamahadevi to commemorate her husband’s victory over the kings from the South.
Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas
The Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas is a group of three Hoysala-style temples in South India. The temples are heritage sites for their outstanding architecture, hyper-realistic sculptures and stone carvings. Early Hoysala rulers developed the architectural style of the three temples as a distinctive and innovative sacred architecture. The temples are Chennakeshava Temple in Belur, Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu, and Keshav Temple in Somanathapura.
Great Living Chola Temples
The Great Living Chola Temples is a group of Chola dynasty era Hindu temples in Tamil Nadu. In 1987, the temple at Thanjavur was added in the list while the other two temples were added in 2004. The temples were completed between early 11th and the 12th century CE, and they are Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, built by Rajaraja I, Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram, built by Rajendra Chola I, and Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram, built by Rajaraja II.
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats is a mountain range that stretches 1,600 km and traverses the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The Western Ghats form one of the major watersheds of India, feeding many perennial river systems that drain almost 40 per cent of the land area of the country. The region is a biodiversity hotspot and has numerous different species of flora and fauna, most of which are endemic to this region. At least 325 globally threatened species occur in the Western Ghats.
Nilgiri Mountain Railway
Also known as the ‘Toy Train’, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway is a metre gauge railway in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district. In 1908, the British built it. The Southern Railway operates it and is the only rack railway in India.
Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple
Rudreshwara, popularly called Ramappa Temple, is located in the Palampet village in Telangana. It is the main Shiva temple in a walled complex built during the Kakatiyan period. Construction of the sandstone temple began in 1213 CE and is believed to have continued over some 40 years. The Ramappa Temple complex has three temples constructed between 1212 and 1234, designed and architect by Ramappa after whom the temple complex is named.
South India has a rich culture and architectural legacy and it has plenty of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These places are a throwback to the rich history of the land and show the architectural brilliance of people. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
