Hill Forts of Rajasthan


World Heritage Identification Number: 247

World Heritage since: 2013

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇮🇳 India

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Asia and the Pacific

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A Journey Through Time: The Hill Forts of Rajasthan

The Hill Forts of Rajasthan, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013, offer a captivating glimpse into the rich history and architectural prowess of the Rajput princely states that thrived in the region from the 8th to the 18th centuries. This cluster of six majestic forts, spread across the vast expanse of Rajasthan, stands as a testament to the power, resilience, and cultural significance of these ancient kingdoms.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The serial site, situated in the state of Rajastahan, includes six majestic forts in Chittorgarh; Kumbhalgarh; Sawai Madhopur; Jhalawar; Jaipur, and Jaisalmer. The ecclectic architecture of the forts, some up to 20 kilometres in circumference, bears testimony to the power of the Rajput princely states that flourished in the region from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Enclosed within defensive walls are major urban centres, palaces, trading centres and other buildings including temples that often predate the fortifications within which developed an elaborate courtly culture that supported learning, music and the arts. Some of the urban centres enclosed in the fortifications have survived, as have many of the site's temples and other sacred buildings. The forts use the natural defenses offered by the landscape: hills, deserts, rivers, and dense forests. They also feature extensive water harvesting structures, largely still in use today.

Encyclopedia Record: Hill Forts of Rajasthan

The Hill Forts of Rajasthan are a group of six historic forts located across Rajasthan state in northwestern India. They have been clustered as a series and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. The hill forts series include—Chittor Fort at Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh Fort at Rajsamand, Ranthambore Fort at Sawai Madhopur, Gagron Fort at Jhalawar, Amer Fort at Jaipur and Jaisalmer Fort at Jaisalmer.

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Additional Site Details

Area: 736 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition

Coordinates: 24.8833333333 , 74.6461111111

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Image of Hill Forts of Rajasthan

© A.Savin, FAL Resized from original.

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Nearby World Heritage Sites

Jaipur City, Rajasthan
256 km — India
The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur
256 km — India
Rani-ki-Vav (the Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan, Gujarat
282 km — India
Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
290 km — India
Historic City of Ahmadabad
294 km — India

Country Information: India

Flag of India

Official Name: Republic of India

Capital: New Delhi

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 1,450,935,791

Population (2023): 1,438,069,596

Population (2022): 1,425,423,212

Land Area: 2,973,190 sq km

Currency: Indian rupee (INR)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Hill Forts of Rajasthan are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Hill Forts of Rajasthan, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

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