Important Monuments in India - List of Famous Historical Monuments

Historical monuments in India are a reflection of the country’s rich cultural heritage and architectural brilliance. From the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra and Red Fort in Delhi to Hawa Mahal in Jaipur and Gateway of India in Mumbai, these famous monuments of India showcase a blend of Mughal, Rajput, and colonial influences. Sites like Ajanta and Ellora Caves, Khajuraho Temples, Mysore Palace, Hampi Monuments, and Victoria Memorial not only attract millions of tourists but also serve as vital resources for UPSC preparation, highlighting India’s vibrant history. These monuments, many of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, stand as timeless symbols of art, culture, and historical legacy.

Important Monuments of India is one of the most important topics for the UPSC IAS exam. It covers a significant part of the Art & Culture subject in the General Studies Paper-1 syllabus. 

In this article, we shall study the list of historical and famous Monuments of India.

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Important Monuments of India

Indian monuments are among the most notable examples of the rich and varied Indian civilization because of their complex superfluities and beautiful architecture. Each Indian monument, which is a work of architecture in and of itself, is a strikingly spectacular example of incredible artistry, covering a sense of mystery, deception, and romance. The art of master craftsmanship and elegance highlights the beauty of the ancient past, whether it is the marvel in white marble, the Taj Mahal, or the splendor in red stone, the beautiful Red Fort. Monuments serve as witnesses to India’s history and as the protector pillars of its cultural legacy. Future generations are being inspired by India’s monuments. 

Five Famous Monuments of India Taj Mahal (Agra, Uttar Pradesh) – A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this white marble mausoleum was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Red Fort (Delhi) – Built by Shah Jahan in 1648, this iconic fort was the main residence of Mughal emperors and a symbol of India’s independence celebrations. Qutub Minar (Delhi) – A 73-meter-high minaret built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, it is the tallest brick minaret in the world. India Gate (Delhi) – A war memorial built in honor of soldiers who died in World War I, located in the heart of New Delhi. Gateway of India (Mumbai, Maharashtra) – A colonial-era monument built in 1924 to commemorate King George V and Queen Mary’s visit to India.

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Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years

Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled the Statue of Unity on October 31, 2018, to honour Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 143rd birthday.

It stands 177 feet taller than China’s Spring Temple Buddha statue (the world’s second highest), which took 11 years to create. The Statue of Unity is the tallest structure in the world, standing at 182 metres.

Let’s know some of the famous monuments in India that hold historical significance.

List of Historical Monuments of India
State	Monuments Name	Place	Built by
Bihar	Golghar	Patna	British Govt.
	Pathar Ki Masjid	Patna	Pervez Shah
	Sher Shah’s Tomb	Sasaram	Mir Muhammad Aliwal Khan
	Vishnupad Temple	Gaya	Rani Ahilyabai
Delhi	Feroz Shah Kotla	Delhi	Ferozshan Tughlaq
	Hauz Khas	Delhi	Alauddin Khilji
	Humayun Tomb	Delhi	Empress Bega Begum
	Jama Masjid	Delhi	Shahjahan
	Jantar-Mantar	Delhi	Sawai Jai Singh
	Khirki Masjid	Delhi	Ghyasuddin Tughlaq
	Lakshmi Narayan Temple	Delhi	Birla Family
	Moti Masjid	Delhi	Aurangzeb
	President House	Delhi	British Govt.
	Purana Qila	Delhi	Sher Shah Suri
	Qutub Minar	Delhi	Qutubuddin Aibak
	Red Fort	Delhi	Shahjahan
	Safdarjung Tomb	Delhi	Shuja-ud-daula
Gujarat	Sabarmati Ashram	Ahmadabad	Mahatma Gandhi
Jammu and Kashmir	Charar-E- Sharif	Budgam	Zainul Abedin
	Nishat Garden	Srinagar	Asaf Ali
	Shalimar Garden	Srinagar	Jahangir
Karnataka	Gol Gumbaz	Bijapur	Yaqut of Dabul
Maharashtra	Ajanta- Ellora Caves	Aurangabad	Gupta rulers
	Bibi Ka Maqbara	Aurangabad	Aurangzeb
	Elephanta Cave	Mumbai	Rashtrakuta rulers
	Gateway Of India	Mumbai	British Govt.
	Kanheri Fort	Mumbai	Buddhists
Odisha	Jagannath Temple	Puri	Anantavarman Ganga
	Sun Temple	Konark	Narasimhadeva I
Punjab	Golden Temple	Amritsar	Guru Ramdas
Rajasthan	Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra	Ajmer	Qutubuddin Aibak
	Bharatpur Fort	Bharatpur	Raja Surajmal Singh
	Ajmer Sharif Dargah	Ajmer	Sultan Shyasuddin
	Dilwara Jain Temple	Mount Abu	Siddharaja
	Hawa Mahal	Jaipur	Maharaja Pratap Singh
	Jaigarh Fort	Jaipur	Sawai Jai Singh
	Jodhpur Fort	Jodhpur	Rao Jodha
	Nahargarh Fort	Jaipur	Sawai Jai Singh
	Vijaya Stambha	Chittorgarh	Maharana Kumbha
Tamil Nadu	Saint George Fort	Chennai	East India Company
Telangana	Char- Minar	Hyderabad	Quli Qutub Shah
	Makka Masjid	Hyderabad	Quli Qutub Shah
Uttar Pradesh	Agra Fort	Agra	Akbar
	Akbar Rsquo Tomb	Sikandra	Akbar
	Anand Bhawan	Allahabad	Motilal Nehru
	Aram Bagh	Agra	Babur
	Bada Imambara	Lucknow	Asaf-ud-daula
	Chhota Imambara	Lucknow	Muhammad Ali Shah
	Deewan-E- Khas	Agra Fort	Shahjahan
	Fatehpur Sikri	Agra	Akbar
	Tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daula	Agra	Nurjahan
	Jama Masjid	Agra	Shahjahan
	Moti Masjid	Agra	Shahjahan
	Sati Burj	Mathura	Raja Bhagwan Das
	Shish Mahal	Agra	Shahjahan
	Taj Mahal	Agra	Shahjahan
West Bengal	Shantiniketan	West Bengal	Rabindranath Tagore
	Belur Math	Kolkata	Swami Vivekananda
	Victoria Memorial	Kolkata	British Govt.

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Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years. 

List of Famous National Monuments of India

• Taj Mahal – Agra, Uttar Pradesh
• Red Fort – Delhi
• Qutub Minar – Delhi
• Gateway of India – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• India Gate – Delhi
• Charminar – Hyderabad, Telangana
• Sun Temple – Konark, Odisha
• Sanchi Stupa – Madhya Pradesh
• Ajanta and Ellora Caves – Maharashtra
• Hampi Monuments – Karnataka

Here are 10 major historical Indian monuments explained in brief:

Taj Mahal, Agra

An iconic symbol of love built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Made of white marble, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• A white marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in Agra. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
• The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous monuments of India. It is considered a masterpiece of Mughal architecture.
• It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Red Fort, Delhi

Constructed in 1648 by Shah Jahan, the Red Fort served as the Mughal emperor’s main residence and is now the site of India's Independence Day address.

• A massive red sandstone fort in the heart of Delhi. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century.
• It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
• Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
• A five-story pink sandstone palace in Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is also known as the "Palace of the Winds."
• The Hawa Mahal was built in the 18th century by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. It was designed to allow the women of the royal family to observe street life without being seen.

Jama Masjid, Delhi

The mosque is located within the historic city of Shahjahanabad, today known as the locality of Old Delhi. Across from the mosque are the Red Fort and Sunehri Masjid.As one of the focal points of Old Delhi, Jama Masjid is surrounded by various commercial centres, such as the historic Chandni Chowk. The tomb of Abul Kalam Azad, an Indian independence activist, is located adjacent to the mosque.

• A mosque in Delhi, India. It is the largest mosque in India and was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century.
• The Jama Masjid is a popular tourist destination and is one of the most important mosques in India.

Qutub Minar, Delhi

This 73-meter tall minaret, started by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, is a fine example of Indo-Islamic architecture and features intricate carvings and verses from the Quran.

• A 73-meter tall victory tower in Delhi, India. It was built by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, the first Sultan of Delhi, in the 12th century.
• The Qutub Minar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra

The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE to about 480 CE in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state in India. Ajanta Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Universally regarded as masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, the caves include paintings and rock-cut sculptures described as among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian art, particularly expressive paintings that present emotions through gesture, pose and form.

• A group of 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave temples in Aurangabad of Maharashtra. The caves were built between the 2nd century BCE and the 7th century CE.
• The Ajanta Caves are famous for their intricate carvings and paintings.
• The Ajanta Caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Ellora Caves, Maharashtra

The Ellora Caves are a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aurangabad, India. It is one of the largest rock-cut cave complexes in the world, with artwork dating from the period 600–1000 AD, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain caves.

• A group of 34 rock-cut caves in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra. The caves were built between the 6th and 10th centuries CE.
• The Ellora Caves are famous for their variety of religious architecture, including Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain caves.
• The Ellora Caves were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.

Hampi, Karnataka

The ruins of Hampi, once a flourishing capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, include majestic temples, markets, and palaces set amid giant boulders.

• A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka. Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from the 14th to the 16th centuries.
• Hampi is famous for its ruins of temples, palaces, and other structures.
• Konark Sun Temple, Odisha
• A 13th-century Hindu temple in Konark, Odisha. The temple is dedicated to the sun god Surya.
• The Konark Sun Temple is famous for its intricate carvings and sculptures.
• The Konark Sun Temple was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu

Mahabalipuram, is a town in the Chengalpattu district in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, best known for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of 7th- and 8th-century Hindu Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram. It is one of the famous tourist sites in India. The ancient name of the place is Thirukadalmallai. It is a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Area. It is a satellite town of Chennai.

• A UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tamil Nadu. Mahabalipuram was a major port city during the Pallava rule from the 7th to the 9th century CE.
• Mahabalipuram is famous for its shore temples. They are a series of rock-cut temples built on the beach.

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Importance of Famous Indian Monuments

In order to preserve India’s rich cultural heritage and history, historical monuments are important. Monuments were regularly built to commemorate significant historical moments or occurrences. Famous historical monuments serve as significant representations of several eras in India’s long and rich history. Monuments also display the evolution of Indian architecture over time. India is known as the “country of monuments” since it has a large number of them. The splendour of these monuments attracts countless tourists to India.

Conclusion

Important Monuments in India establish the prominent art and architecture of India. Currently, historical sites have great significance in India and are well-known tourist destinations. The monuments of India also provide a plethora of information about the country’s traditional culture and past.

Also, check out the article on Temple Style Architecture in India with this link!

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UPSC Previous Year Questions on Important Maonuments in India

2024

1. Though the great Cholas are no more, yet their name is still remembered with great pride because of their highest achievements in the domain of art and architecture. Comment.
2. Estimate the contribution of Pallavas of Kanchi for the development of art and literature of South India.

2022

1. How will you explain that medieval Indian temple sculptures represent the social life of those days?
2. Discuss the significance of the lion and bull figures in Indian mythology, art and architecture.

2020

1. The rock-cut architecture represents one of the most important sources of our knowledge of early Indian art and history. Discuss.
2. Indian philosophy and tradition played a significant role in conceiving and shaping the monuments and their art in India. Discuss.

2016

1. Early Buddhist Stupa-art, while depicting folk motifs and narratives, successfully expounds Buddhist ideals. Elucidate.
2. Mesolithic rock-cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this comment.

2014

1. Gandhara sculpture owed as much to the Romans as to the Greeks. Explain.
2. To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the present-day urbanization? Discuss.

2013

1. Chola architecture represents a high watermark in the evolution of temple architecture. Discuss.