Which World Heritage Site in India Spans Multiple States?

India has 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, but only one of them stretches across more than one state. Most heritage sites are contained within a single state - a temple in Tamil Nadu, a fort in Rajasthan, a cave complex in Maharashtra. But there’s one that doesn’t care about state borders. It’s the Sundarbans.

The Sundarbans: A Delta That Doesn’t Follow State Lines

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It’s home to the Bengal tiger, saltwater crocodiles, and over 260 bird species. But what makes it unique among India’s heritage sites is that it sits partly in West Bengal and partly in Bangladesh. The Indian portion covers about 40% of the total Sundarbans area, spread across the South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal.

UNESCO listed the Sundarbans as a World Heritage Site in 1987. The designation includes both the Indian and Bangladeshi sides, but when people ask which Indian heritage site spans multiple states, they’re really asking about the Indian side - and the answer is: it doesn’t. The Sundarbans crosses an international border, not a state border within India.

So what does cross state lines inside India?

Khajuraho: The Real Answer

Many assume the answer is the Taj Mahal, the Red Fort, or the Ajanta Caves. But none of those cross state borders. The Taj Mahal is entirely in Uttar Pradesh. The Red Fort is in Delhi. The Ajanta Caves are in Maharashtra.

The correct answer is Khajuraho.

Wait - Khajuraho is in Madhya Pradesh, right? Yes. But the archaeological site recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site isn’t just the temple complex in Khajuraho town. It includes a cluster of temples scattered across nearby villages that fall under two different administrative zones: Chhatarpur district and Panna district. Both districts are in Madhya Pradesh - so that’s still one state.

Let’s dig deeper.

The Hidden Multi-State Site: The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka

Another candidate? The Bhimbetka rock shelters in Madhya Pradesh. They’re ancient - over 30,000 years old. But again, entirely within one state.

Then what is it?

The real answer is the Sundarbans - but not because it crosses Indian state lines. It crosses international borders. And that’s the problem with the question. No Indian World Heritage Site crosses state lines within India.

But wait - there’s one exception.

The Forgotten Contender: The Mountain Railways of India

India has three Mountain Railways listed as World Heritage Sites: the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway, and the Kalka-Shimla Railway. Each is a separate entry. But what if you consider them as a single system? They’re not connected. They’re in three different states: West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Haryana/ Himachal Pradesh.

UNESCO lists them as three separate sites. So they don’t count as one site spanning multiple states.

So What’s the Answer?

There isn’t one.

Not technically.

Every single one of India’s 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites lies entirely within a single state. The Sundarbans is the only one that crosses borders - but it’s an international border. The rest - from the Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra to the Great Living Chola Temples in Tamil Nadu - are contained within one state boundary.

So why do so many people think there’s a multi-state heritage site in India?

Why the Confusion?

Because of the geographical spread of cultural zones. The Kailash Temple at Ellora is in Maharashtra, but the Chalukya dynasty that built it ruled parts of Karnataka too. The Mughal Empire built forts in Delhi, Agra, and Lahore - but Lahore is in Pakistan now. People mix up historical empires with modern state borders.

Or they confuse tourism circuits with heritage site boundaries. You can book a 7-day tour that takes you from Khajuraho to Varanasi to Sarnath - but those are three separate sites, each in one state.

Even the Amber Fort in Jaipur and the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur are both in Rajasthan - not two states.

What About the Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks?

These two are listed together as a single World Heritage Site. Both are in Uttarakhand. One park is in Chamoli district, the other in Bageshwar district - still one state.

Could There Be One in the Future?

Possibly. India has proposed the Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara and the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park as extensions. But even those are contained within Bihar and Gujarat respectively.

There’s a proposal to include the Western Ghats as a single World Heritage Site. It runs through six states: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. But it’s already listed - and it’s one site that spans six states.

The Real Answer: The Western Ghats

Wait - yes. The Western Ghats.

UNESCO listed the Western Ghats as a World Heritage Site in 2012. It’s not a single building or temple. It’s a chain of mountains, forests, rivers, and ecosystems stretching over 1,600 kilometers from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu.

It includes 39 separate protected areas across six Indian states:

• Gujarat
• Maharashtra
• Goa
• Karnataka
• Tamil Nadu
• Kerala

This is the only World Heritage Site in India that crosses multiple state borders. It’s not a monument. It’s not a temple. It’s a natural landscape - but it’s recognized by UNESCO as a single cultural and natural heritage site.

And it’s the only one.

Why This Matters

It shows how heritage isn’t just about human-made structures. The Western Ghats are home to over 7,400 species of flowering plants, 1,800 species of insects, 500 species of birds, and 225 species of mammals - including the endangered lion-tailed macaque. More than 70% of India’s amphibians and 50% of its reptiles live here.

UNESCO didn’t list it because it’s pretty. They listed it because it’s one of the world’s eight hottest biodiversity hotspots. And because it’s protected across state lines - through coordinated conservation efforts.

That’s the real story behind the question.

Final Answer

The only World Heritage Site in India located in more than one state is the Western Ghats. It spans six states: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.

It’s not a temple. Not a fort. Not a palace. But it’s the most ecologically significant heritage site in the country - and the only one that refuses to be boxed in by state boundaries.

What You Can See There

If you visit the Western Ghats, you’ll find:

• Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala - where elephants roam freely
• Bandipur National Park in Karnataka - part of Project Tiger
• Agumbe Rainforest in Karnataka - known as the ‘Cherrapunji of the South’
• Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve - India’s first international biosphere reserve
• Valley of Flowers National Park - a high-altitude meadow bursting with wildflowers
• Lonar Crater Lake in Maharashtra - a meteorite impact crater with alkaline water

You won’t find crowds here like at the Taj Mahal. But you’ll find something rarer: a living, breathing ecosystem that’s been protected not by walls or gates - but by cooperation between six state governments and thousands of local communities.