Lothal
GujaratProminent city of the ancient Indus valley civilization (present-day Gujarat, India).
- Where
- Ahmedabad district
- Status
- On UNESCO’s tentative list; Protected monument of national importance
Places by type
Ancient sites in India
Harappan cities, early Buddhist centres and the ruins of medieval capitals. 59 ancient sites across 17 states and union territories.
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The best-known ancient sites
Ranked by how many language editions of Wikipedia cover them.
Vaishali
BiharAncient Buddhist pilgrimage and archaeological site (Ashoka pillar, Stupa and Swastika Monastery) associated with significant events in Lord Buddha's life; in Bihar in India.
- Where
- Vaishali district
Golconda
TelanganaFortified citadel and former city in central Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
- Where
- Hyderabad
Shravasti
Uttar PradeshKapilavastu
Uttar PradeshVikramashila
Bihar- Where
- Bhagalpur district
- Status
- Protected monument of national importance
Kalibangan
RajasthanTown on the banks of the Ghaggar River in India.
- Where
- Hanumangarh district
- Status
- Protected monument of national importance
Vijayanagara
KarnatakaNow ruins, previously the capital of Vijayanagara Empire founded in the 14th century.
- Where
- Vijayanagara District
Aihole
KarnatakaVillage and historic site in Karnataka, India.
- Where
- Bagalkot district
Mandu, Madhya Pradesh
Madhya PradeshUninhabited ancient city in the present-day Mandav area of the Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh, India.
- Where
- Dhar district
Rakhigarhi
HaryanaLargest Indus valley civilization site.
Gauḍa
West BengalAncient city in India and Bangladesh.
Barabar Caves
BiharRock-cut caves in Bihar, India.
- Where
- Jehanabad district
Piprahwa
Uttar PradeshVillage and ancient Buddhist site in Siddharthnagar district, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Where
- Siddharthnagar district
Dhauli
OdishaHill in Khurdha district.
- Where
- Khordha district
Ram Janmabhoomi
Uttar PradeshArchaeological site in India, believed to be the birthplace of Rama.
- Where
- Ayodhya
Pauni
MaharashtraTown in Bhandara district, Nagpur division, Maharashtra, India.
- Where
- Bhandara district
Bharhut
Madhya PradeshVillage in Satna district, Madhya Pradesh, India.
- Where
- Satna district
Kalugumalai
Tamil NaduVillage in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Where
- Thoothukudi district
Sankissa
Uttar PradeshHistorical city in Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Where
- Farrukhabad district
All 59 ancient sites by state
Andhra Pradesh 2
Assam 1
Bihar 5
Gujarat 3
Haryana 4
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh 4
Karnataka 4
Madhya Pradesh 7
Maharashtra 3
Odisha 5
Puducherry 1
Rajasthan 2
Tamil Nadu 4
Telangana 2
Tripura 1
Uttar Pradesh 6
West Bengal 5
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the most ancient sites on this list?
Madhya Pradesh, with 7 of the 59. Next come Uttar Pradesh (6) and Bihar (5).
What are the best-known ancient sites in India?
Measured by how many language editions of Wikipedia write about them, the best known are Lothal, Vaishali, Golconda, Shravasti, Kapilavastu.
How did you choose these ancient sites?
They are the ancient sites in India that Wikidata, the free database behind Wikipedia, records with a location and articles in at least 6 Wikipedia languages. That keeps the list to places people actually look up. We checked the data on 19 Oct 2026.
Sources: Wikidata (CC0) and Wikipedia, checked 19 Oct 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email namaste@india-4u.com.