Monuments of India – List of Historical Important Monuments of India
By BYJU'S Exam Prep
Updated on: November 14th, 2023
Monuments of India portray tradition and diverse cultural brilliance. They are spread across the length and breadth of the country. Historical monuments act as authentic shielding pillars of remarkable artistic mastery. Apart from famous monuments, the country is rich in civilisation, heritage establishments, royal abodes, and sanctuaries.
According to ASI (Archeological Survey of India), India owns a total of 116 tagged monuments separated into 19 states. All these monuments of India and their builders are important and bear prosperous cultural heritage and significance. Each State in India has its monuments that bring a deep inheritance. Some of the most famous monuments of India include the Red Fort, Konark Sun Temple, Taj Mahal, Golconda Fort, Gateway of India, Golden Temple, India Gate, Ellora and Ajanta Caves, Group of Monuments at Mamallapuram, Qutab Minar, etc. This article gives the complete list of monuments with states and their builders.
Table of content
Monuments of India
Monuments are structures or buildings well-known for their culture and architectural legacy. They are long-lasting and popular emblems of Indian history as they depict political and historical information about them.
The importance of Indian Monuments are:
- Indian monuments act as glory for the country and a symbol of the Indian civilization.
- Monuments let citizens admire the country’s past.
- They are a tremendous reservoir of knowledge for chroniclers.
- Monuments produce a stunning canvas expressing the colours of India’s ancient culture, exposing stories and riddles of kings and queens and demonstrating wars fought heroically.
- They function as essential sources and shreds of evidence of record and improve the tourism business as well.
Monuments can be temples, churches, mosques, landmarks, pillars, edicts, gravestones, fountains, memorials, mounds, palaces, monoliths, war memorials, statues, tombs, towers, and many more such structures.
Important Monuments of India (State-Wise)
Below are the important monuments of India, the city and Indian State where they are located, and the rulers who constructed them. Additionally, learn when these major monuments were constructed.
| Monuments of India List with States | |||
| Monuments of India | Built by | Year/Century | Place |
| Agra Fort | Akbar | 1573 AD |
Agra (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Agra city | Sikandar Lodi | – | |
| Aram Bagh | Babur | 1528 AD | |
| Tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daula | Noor Jahan | 1628 AD | |
| Jama Masjid | Shah Jahan | 1648 AD | |
| Shish Mahal | Shahjahan | 1632 AD | |
| Taj Mahal | Shahjahan | 1653 AD | |
| Fatehpur Sikri
Jodha Bai Palace Birbal Palace Panch Mahal Buland Darwaza |
Akbar | 16th century | |
| Akbar’s Tomb | Akbar and his son Jahangir | 1613 AD | Sikandra, Agra (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Deewan-E- Khas | Shahjahan | – | Agra Fort, Agra (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Moti Masjid | Shahjahan | 1635 AD | |
| Anand Bhawan | Motilal Nehru | 1930 AD | Allahabad, (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Bada Imambara | Asaf-ud-daula | 1785 AD | Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Chhota Imambara | Muhammad Ali Shah | – | |
| Jantar Mantar | Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II | 1724-1738 AD | Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Jantar Mantar | Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II | 1724-1739 AD | Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh) |
| Rock cut temple | Mahendravarman-I | 8th century | Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu) |
| Shore temple | Narasimhavarman-II | 8th century | |
| Kailasanathar Temple | Narasimhavarman-II | 685-705 AD | Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) |
| Airavatesvara Temple | Rajaraja I | 12th century | Darasuram (Tamil Nadu) |
| Brihadeshwara Temple | Rajaraja Chola I | 1010 AD | Tanjore (Tamil Nadu) |
| Gangaikondacholapuram | Rajendra I | 12th century | Gangaikonda cholapuram (Tamil Nadu) |
| Saint George Fort | East India Company | 1644 AD | Chennai (Tamil Nadu) |
| Meenakshi Temple | – | – | Madurai, Tamil Nadu |
| Adhai Din Ka Jhopra | Qutubuddin Aibak | 1192 AD | Ajmer (Rajasthan) |
| Dargah Ajmer Sharif | Sultan Shyasuddin | – | |
| Hawa Mahal | Maharaja Pratap Singh | 1799 AD | Jaipur (Rajasthan) |
| Nahargarh Fort | Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II | 1734 AD | |
| Jaigarh Fort | Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II | 1726 AD | |
| Vijaya Stambha | Maharana Kumbha | 1448 AD | Chittorgarh (Rajasthan) |
| Dilwara Jain Temple | Vimal Shah | 1582 AD | Mount Abu (Rajasthan) |
| Bharatpur Fort | Raja Surajmal Singh | 19th century | Bharatpur (Rajasthan) |
| Amber Fort | Man Singh I | 1592 AD | Jaipur (Rajasthan) |
| Jantar Mantar | Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II | 1724-1736 AD | |
| Mehrangarh Fort | Rao Jodha | 1460 AD | Jodhpur (Rajasthan) |
| Jantar Mantar | Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II | 1724-1737 AD | Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) |
| Khajuraho Temples | Chandelas | 950-1050 AD | Madhya Pradesh |
| Char Minar | Quli Qutub Shah | 1591 AD | Hyderabad (Telangana) |
| Macca Masjid | Quli Qutub Shah | 1694 AD | |
| Golconda Fort | Qutub Shahi rulers | 16th century | |
| Shri Venkateswara Temple | – | – | Andhra Pradesh |
| Ajanta Caves | Gupta rulers | 4-10th century | Aurangabad (Maharashtra) |
| Bibi Ka Maqbara | Aurangzeb | 1661 AD | |
| Ellora Caves | Rashtrakuta rulers | 6-10th century | Maharashtra |
| Elephanta Caves | Rashtrakuta rulers | 5-9 century | Mumbai (Maharashtra) |
| Gateway of India | British Govt. | 20th century | |
| Vikramasila Monastery | Dharma Pala | 8th century | Bihar |
| Nalanda University | Kumargupta I | – | |
| Shershah’s Tomb | Shershah’s son | 1545 AD | Sasaram (Bihar) |
| Purana Qila | Shershah Suri | 16th century | Delhi |
| Safdar Jung Tomb | Shuja-ud-Daula | 1754 AD | |
| Qutub Minar | Qutubuddin Aibak | 1193 AD | |
| Alai Darwaza | Alauddin Khiliji | 1311 AD | |
| Hauz Khas | Alauddin Khilji | – | |
| Ferozshah Kotla | Ferozshan Tughlaq | – | |
| Khirki Masjid | Ghyasuddin Tughlaq | 1354 AD | |
| Humayun’s Tomb | Humayun’s wife | 1533 AD | |
| Jama Masjid | Shahjahan | 1656 AD | |
| Red Fort | Shahjahan | 1639 AD | |
| Moti Masjid | Aurangzeb | 1660 AD | Delhi Fort, Delhi |
| Jantar Mantar | Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II | 1724-1735 AD | New Delhi |
| India Gate | Edwin Lutyens (Architect) | – | |
| Lal Bagh | Hyder Ali | 1760 AD | Bengaluru (Karnataka) |
| Gol Gumbaz (largest dome in India) | Muhammad Adil Shah | 1656 AD | Bijapur, Karnataka |
| Hampi Monuments | – | – | Karnataka |
| Swarna Mandir (Golden Temple) | Guru Ram Das with the fifth, Guru Arjan | 1577 AD | Amritsar (Punjab) |
| Shantiniketan | Rabindra Nath Tagore | 19th century | West Bengal |
| Victoria Memorial | British Govt. | 1921 AD | Kolkata (West Bengal) |
| Sun Temple | Narsimhadeva I | 1250 AD | Konark (Odisha) |
| Jagannath Temple | Anantvarman Ganga | 1161 AD | Puri (Odisha) |
| Shalimar Garden | Jahangir | 1619 AD | Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) |
Historical Indian Monuments
Let’s dive in and learn more about historical Indian monuments, along with their location. We have added the monuments of India list with states in a tabulated way below.
| Important Monuments of India | Built by | State | Place |
| Golghar | British Govt. | Bihar | Patna |
| Pathar Ki Masjid | Pervez Shah | Patna | |
| Sher Shah’s Tomb | Mir Muhammad Aliwal Khan | Sasaram | |
| Vishnupad Temple | Rani Ahilyabai | Gaya | |
| Feroz Shah Kotla | Ferozshan Tughlaq | Delhi | Delhi |
| Humayun Tomb | Empress Bega Begum | Delhi | |
| Jantar-Mantar | Sawai Jai Singh | Delhi | |
| Lakshmi Narayan Temple | Birla Family | Delhi | |
| President House | British Govt. | Delhi | |
| Safdarjung Tomb | Shuja-ud-daula | Delhi | |
| Sabarmati Ashram | Mahatma Gandhi | Gujarat | Ahmadabad |
| Charar-E- Sharif | Zainul Abedin | Jammu and Kashmir | Budgam |
| Nishat Garden | Asaf Ali | Srinagar | |
| Ajanta- Ellora Caves | Gupta rulers | Maharashtra | Aurangabad |
| Kanheri Fort | Buddhists | Mumbai | |
| Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra | Qutubuddin Aibak | Rajasthan | Ajmer |
| Ajmer Sharif Dargah | Sultan Shyasuddin | Ajmer | |
| Jodhpur Fort | Rao Jodha | Jodhpur | |
| Makka Masjid | Quli Qutub Shah | Telangana | Hyderabad |
| Akbar Rsquo Tomb | Akbar | Uttar Pradesh | Sikandra |
| Sati Burj | Raja Bhagwan Das | Mathura | |
| Belur Math | Swami Vivekananda | West Bengal | Kolkata |
| Victoria Memorial | British Govt. | Kolkata |
Which State has the Most Famous Monuments of India?
The table below will help comprehend the total number of Indian monuments in each State.
- The important monuments of India are designed and nurtured by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
- To conclude, Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of monuments (741), whereas Manipur has the lowest (1).
| Indian State | Total Number of Famous Indian Monuments |
| Uttar Pradesh | 741 |
| Karnataka | 506 |
| Tamil Nadu | 413 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 292 |
| Maharashtra | 285 |
| Gujarat | 203 |
| Delhi | 174 |
| Rajasthan | 163 |
| West Bengal | 133 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 129 |
| Haryana | 90 |
| Odisha | 78 |
| Bihar | 70 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 56 |
| Assam | 55 |
| Chhattisgarh | 47 |
| Uttarakhand | 44 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 43 |
| Punjab | 33 |
| Kerala | 26 |
| Goa | 21 |
| Ladakh | 13 |
| Jharkhand | 12 |
| Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu | 12 |
| Tripura | 8 |
| Telangana | 8 |
| Mizoram | 8 |
| Meghalaya | 8 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 5 |
| Nagaland | 4 |
| Sikkim | 3 |
| Manipur | 1 |
British Monuments of India
It is imperative to be familiar with the elementary facts about some British architectural structures built during the pre-Independence period of India. Below are the 6 monuments made by the British that possess immense value in the Indian record.
| British Architectural Monuments of India | ||
| British Monuments | Built By | Relevance |
| Gateway of India | George Wittet | To monumentalize King George V’s arrival to India. |
| All India War Memorial Arch or India Gate | Edward Lutyens | A memorial built in Delhi to mark the demise of 70,000 Indian and British soldiers during World War I. |
| St. Mary’s Church | John Thompson | It is the oldest British monument in India (Chennai) and the most ancient Anglican church in South Asia. |
| Victoria Memorial | Sir William Emerson | It was created in remembrance of Queen Victoria. |
| Parliament House or House of Parliament | Edward Lutyens and Herbert Baker. | It represents the highest legislative body in the country. |
| Rashtrapati Bhavan | Edward Lutyens | This monument of Delhi was the former dwelling of the British Viceroy. |
Religious Monuments of India
India is a diverse nation, and religion plays an influential role in its culture. A mixture of beliefs exists in holy monuments. Here is a list of religious monuments in India that illuminate windows to the rich past of ancient India.
| Name of Religious Monuments | Place | Built by in the year | Facts |
| Sanchi Stupa | Madhya Pradesh | Started by Ashoka in the 3rd Century, B.C.E. | Oldest stone temple in India that holds a unique model of Buddhist artistry and architecture. |
| Khajuraho | Madhya Pradesh | Built by the Chandela dynasty between 900 to 1130 CE. | The Nagara style of architecture is devoted to Hinduism and Jainism gods. |
| Golden Temple | Punjab | Made in the 16th Century by Guru Ram Das. | It incorporates the Guru Granth Sahib, the most divine scripture of Sikhism. |
| Ellora Cave Temples | Maharashtra | Rashtrakuta king Krishna I (756-773 CE). | It exhibits 17 Hindu, 12 Buddhist, and 5 Jain caves and is an ideal form of rock-cut architecture in India. |
| Jama Masjid | New Delhi | Built by Shah Jahan in 1656 C.E. | It is the biggest mosque that can adjust 25,000 people. This Masjid is a mix of Hindu and Mughal architecture. |
| Mahabodhi Temple | Bihar | Built by Ashoka in 250 B.C.E. | Regarded as the oldest brick structure in India. It is a Buddhist place of worship where Lord Buddha acquired enlightenment. |
☛ Temple Architecture of India
