Which of the Mountain Railways of India was the first to be inscribed on the World Heritage List?
- A.Nilgiri Mountain Railway
- B.Kalka Shimla Railway
- C.Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
- D.Matheran Hill Railway
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. This narrow gauge line in West Bengal, opened in the late nineteenth century and famous for its loops and zig zag reverses as it climbs to Darjeeling, was inscribed in 1999 and became the first railway property of India on the list. The Mountain Railways of India were then extended twice, and the site is counted as one serial property with three components.
Option A, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu, the only rack railway in India, was added in 2005. Option B, the Kalka Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh, with its long tunnels and arched bridges, was added in 2008. Option D, the Matheran Hill Railway in Maharashtra, is on India's Tentative List but has not been inscribed, so it is the distractor here.
Read the full article: UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India: List and Facts
Practice Questions
View allIn which year was the UNESCO Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted?
- A.1945
- B.1959
- C.1972
- D.1992
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The Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972 and came into force in 1975 once enough countries had ratified it.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following pairs of sites was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983, in India's first group of entries?
- A.Khajuraho and Hampi
- B.Taj Mahal and Agra Fort
- C.Sun Temple, Konark and Elephanta Caves
- D.Sanchi and Bhimbetka
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India's first four World Heritage Sites were inscribed together in 1983: the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in Uttar Pradesh, and the Ajanta and Ellora caves in Maharashtra.
Read the full explanation →Which is the only mixed World Heritage Site in India, inscribed for both cultural and natural value?
- A.Khangchendzonga National Park
- B.Great Himalayan National Park
- C.Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
- D.Sundarbans National Park
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This park in Sikkim was inscribed in 2016 under both the natural and the cultural criteria, which makes it India's only mixed site.
Read the full explanation →Rani ki Vav, the stepwell inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2014, is located in which state?
- A.Rajasthan
- B.Madhya Pradesh
- C.Gujarat
- D.Maharashtra
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Rani ki Vav stands at Patan on the bank of the Saraswati in Gujarat and was built in the eleventh century during the Solanki or Chaulukya period, by tradition as a memorial raised by Queen Udayamati.
Read the full explanation →The Kakatiya Rudreshwara temple, better known as the Ramappa temple and inscribed in 2021, is in which state?
- A.Karnataka
- B.Telangana
- C.Andhra Pradesh
- D.Tamil Nadu
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The Ramappa temple stands at Palampet in the Mulugu district of Telangana. It was built in the early thirteenth century under the Kakatiya rulers of Warangal by their general Recharla Rudra, and is named after its sculptor Ramappa, a rare case of a temple carrying its craftsman's name.
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