Indian Heritage and Monuments

The drainage system of Mohenjo-Daro was very impressive. Water flowed from the house into the streets which had drains. The street drains were equipped with manholes. Perhaps no other bronze age civilization gave so much importance to health and cleanliness as the Indus Valley people did.

Dharmrajika stupa is situated at Sarnath. This stupa was built by Mauryan emperor Ashoka to keep relics of lord Buddha. There are many other Buddha images in the standing position from Sarnath having features like transparent drapery, subtle movement and carved separately and placed about the memorial stupas around the Dharmrajika stupa. They are either single or with the attendant figures of Boddhisattvas, Padmapani and Vajrapani.

The most important public space of Mohenjo- Daro seems to be the Great Bath, comprising the tank which was situated in the citadel mound. It is an example of beautiful brickwork. It measures 54.8 meters long and 32.90 meters wide. Flights of steps at either end lead to the surface. There were side rooms for changing clothes. The floor of the Bath was made of burnt bricks. It is suggested that the Great Bath served ritual bathing, which has been so vital to any religious ceremony in India. So all the given statements are correct.

Lothal is famous for its large artificial dockyard, which served as a major maritime trade hub for the Harappan civilization.

Lothal, located in present-day Gujarat, was the primary port city of the Indus Valley Civilization, facilitating maritime trade.

The Gondeshwar temple is located in Sinnar, a town in the Nashik district of Maharashtra, India. It is an 11th-12th century Hindu temple. Its main shrine is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The main shrine is surrounded by 4 subsidiary shrines. That is why it is an example of Panchayatana temple.

Temple in Maharashtra built during the 12-13th centuries are known as Hemadpanti Temples. This style is named after its founder Hemadpant (1259-1274 CE). He was the prime minister in the court of Seuna Yadavas of Devagiri.

Evidence of urban planning can be seen at Dholavira. This settlement has been divided by archaeologists into three sections – the ‘citadel,’ the ‘middle town,’ and the ‘lower town.’ The city streets were based on a grid system and oriented east to west. The roads and streets intersected at right angles. Each street had a well-organized drain system.

Most Indus Valley cities, such as Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa, featured houses with entrances opening into side lanes to avoid dust and noise from main streets. Lothal is a notable exception where houses often opened onto the main streets.

The Kailasa Temple is a famous rock-cut ancient Hindu temple located in the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra. It is renowned for being carved from a single massive rock.

The chronological order is: Qutub Minar (early 13th century), Tughluqabad Fort (1321), Lodhi Garden (15th-16th century), and Fatehpur Sikri (late 16th century).

The construction of the Qutub Minar was started by Qitub-ud-Din Aibak, but he only constructed the basement. The construction of the tower was later taken over by his successor Iltutmish who constructed three more stories. The last two storeys were completed Firoz Shah Tuglak.

Durgadas Rathore, a prominent Rathore Rajput general, spent his final years in Ujjain, where he also passed away. A cenotaph dedicated to him is located on the banks of the Shipra River in Ujjain.

During the Sultanate period, Indo -Islamic style of art and architecture developed as a result of the mingling of the Indian and Turkish styles. Indian decoration and techniques were used in the Islamic buildings, with domes and arches of their own style. The forts were simple but strong. they built arches above the doorways and windows instead of beams which were used by Indians before coming of Muslim. Thus they used arch opening but with pointed arch style.

After the fall of Chittor to Akbar in 1568, Maharana Udai Singh II established a new capital at Udaipur, which he had founded earlier to provide a more secure base for the Mewar kingdom.