Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell) in Patan, Gujarat (World Heritage)
Rani-ki-Vav, the Queen’s stepwell, in Patan, Gujarat sits on the banks of the Saraswati River and was built as a memorial to a king in the 11th century AD. Step wells are a special form of underground water resources and storage systems that have existed since the 3rd millennium BC. Were built on the Indian subcontinent. Over time, they developed from simple pits in the sandy soil to multi-storey architectural works of art.
Rani-ki-Vav was built in the heyday of the stepwell and the Maru-Gurjara architectural epoch and impressively shows all facets of this construction method. Designed as an inverted temple to demonstrate the sanctity of water, it is made up of seven artistically highly sophisticated stairs. Over 500 main sculptures and more than a thousand smaller sculptures combine religious, mythological and secular motifs, often quoting literary works. The fourth and deepest level leads into a rectangular container of 9.5 x 9.4 m and is 23 meters deep. The well is located at the westernmost end of the site and consists of a shaft that is 10 meters in diameter and 30 meters deep.
Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell) in Patan, Gujarat: Facts
| Official title: | Rani Ki Vav (Queen’s Stepwell) in Patan, Gujarat |
| Cultural monument: | Well construction which, in addition to its actual function, contains strong religious and mythological aspects; |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | India |
| Location: | Northwest India on the banks of the Saraswati in the city of Patan, Gujarat state |
| Appointment: | 2014 |
| Meaning: | Example of the high artistic and technical level of the stepwell tradition |
Mountain Fortresses of Rajasthan (World Heritage)
According to naturegnosis, the site comprises a total of six mighty mountain fortresses in the Indian state of Rajasthan. They emerged from the 8th to the 18th century under the influence of the powerful and emerging princely states of Rajpul. The defenses are integrated harmoniously into their natural surroundings and inside they accommodate cities with temples, palaces and trading centers that reflect the social and cultural life of Indian high culture.
Mountain Fortresses of Rajasthan: Facts
| Official title: | Mountain forts of Rajasthan |
| Cultural monument: | Six mighty fortresses in the Indian state of Rajasthan as an expression of the power of the princely states of Rajpul, which emerged from the 8th to the 18th century; Various urban centers with palaces, trading houses and temples within the defensive structures, some of which have been preserved to this day; Places of extraordinary court culture with the care of education, music and art |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | India |
| Location: | Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Sawai Madhopur, Jhalawar, Jaipur, Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, West India |
| Appointment: | 2013 |
| Meaning: | Unique evidence of a high Indian culture and its social life; exceptional embedding of defenses in the natural environment of mountains, deserts, rivers and forests |
Western Ghats Mountains (World Heritage)
The 39 protected areas of the world natural heritage represent the biodiversity in the wet forests of the mountains on the western edge of India, a region with particularly pronounced biodiversity.
Western Ghats Mountains: Facts
| Official title: | Western Ghats Mountains |
| Natural monument: | 1,600 km long mountain range (900 m high on average, highest mountain Anamudi with 2,695 m in the south) on the west coast of India on the Arabian Sea with 39 protected areas on an area of approx. 8,000 km²; large tropical rainforest ecosystem with regulation of monsoons and mitigation of the tropical climate; Home to diverse, also endemic animal and plant species (at least 325 endangered species), above all amphibians and reptiles, but also tigers, mongoose, king cobra, Indian elephant as well as teak, mallow and laurel trees as well as over 4,000 flowering plants; one of the eight sites in the world with the highest biodiversity |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | India |
| Location: | West coast of India |
| Appointment: | 2012 |
| Meaning: | Outstanding evidence of unique biophysical and ecological processes; extraordinary flora and fauna important for understanding the history of the earth; Home to a multitude of endangered animal species and an indispensable regulator of the climate |
The »Jantar Mantar« in Jaipur (World Heritage)
The “Jantar Mantar” is an observatory that was built in the early 18th century. Its core consists of 20 masonry instruments. They were intended for the observation of astronomical phenomena with the naked eye. The observatory is a testament to the innovations and skills of scholars at the end of the Mughal rule.
The »Jantar Mantar« in Jaipur: Facts
| Official title: | The »Jantar Mantar« in Jaipur |
| Cultural monument: | Observatory from the early 18th century in Jaipur, northwest India, the most important historical observatory in India; created for a celestial observation with the naked eye in the tradition of Ptolemaic astronomy; Facility built by Maharajah Jai Singh II. with 20 fixed astronomical instruments and 14 special structures for observing the planets, measuring time and calculating astronomical values, among other things; especially important is the almost 20 m high sundial »Brihat Samrat Yantra« |
| Continent: | Asia |
| Country: | India |
| Location: | Jaipur, Rajasthan state |
| Appointment: | 2010 |
| Meaning: | Outstanding example of a historical astronomical system; Unique instruments for observing the sky, some of which are extraordinarily large |