Indian Heritage and Monuments

Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram) has several famous sculptural panels including the Descent of the Ganges (also called Arjuna's Penance) and Draupadi's disrobing from the Mahabharata. However, the Kirata episode (Shiva disguised as a hunter testing Arjuna) is not among the famous depictions at this site, though it appears in other temple art.

The Modhera Sun Temple, dedicated to the Sun God Surya, is located in Modhera, Gujarat. Built in the 11th century by the Chalukya dynasty king Bhimdev I, it's an excellent example of Maru-Gurjara architecture with intricate carvings and a stepwell (kund).

The Hindustan Socialist Republican Army (HSRA) was indeed founded in September 1928 at Ferozeshah Kotla in Delhi. This revolutionary organization was formed by Bhagat Singh, Bhagwati Charan Vohra, Sukhdev, and others after the suspension of the Hindustan Republican Association following the Kakori train action case. The name change reflected their socialist ideology.

The Qutb Shahi dynasty (also spelled Kutubshahi or Qutub Shahi) ruled Golconda (Golkunda) as their capital from 1518 to 1687. Sultan Quli Qutb Shah founded the dynasty and made Golconda his capital. Bijapur was the capital of the Adil Shahi dynasty, another Deccan Sultanate.

Barsur, an ancient town in Bastar region often called the city of temples, houses the old Mama-Bhanja temple reflecting the region's rich architectural and cultural heritage.

 Kaziranga National Park, Assam is the Unesco approved world heritage site .

The Deorani-Jethani Temple in Tala (Chhattisgarh) is considered the oldest temple in the region, dating back to the 6th-7th century. This ancient temple is an important archaeological site and represents early temple architecture in the region. It is older than other famous temples like Mahamaya and Lakshmaneshwar.

Ajanta Caves have mural paintings in caves 1, 2, 16 and 17. Some of the paintings were commissioned by Harisena of Vakataka dynasty. The theme of the paintings was Jataka tales. Lepakshi Temple is renowned for being one of the best repositories of mural paintings of the Vijaynagar kings. Sanchi Stupa has many beautiful sculptures, but not mural paintings.

The capital of the Hoysalas was initially located at Belur but was later moved to Halebid.

India's largest Buddhist monastery is in Sikkim (not in Arunachal Pradesh). The Hoysaleswara temple located in Halebid is dedicated to Siva.

Jaipur is popularly known as the Pink City due to the distinct pink-colored sandstone used in many of its buildings and structures. This was done to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. Option A is correct.

The first European fort constructed in India was Fort Manuel in Cochin, built by the Portuguese in 1503 under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque. This came after Vasco da Gama's discovery of the sea route to India in 1498. While Goa became more famous under Portuguese control, and Bombay and Calcutta developed later under British rule, Cochin holds the distinction of having the earliest European fortification on Indian soil.

Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) is located in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, this distinctive five-story palace features 953 small windows (jharokhas) designed to allow royal women to observe street festivals and daily life while maintaining purdah (seclusion).

The Qutub Minar is located in Delhi, specifically in the Mehrauli area of South Delhi. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Delhi's most famous landmarks. Construction began in 1193 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak and was completed by his successors. It stands 73 meters tall and is the tallest brick minaret in the world. The other cities listed (Agra has Taj Mahal, Kanpur is an industrial city, Fatehpur Sikri near Agra) do not have the Qutub Minar.

Bombay (now Mumbai) had the earliest Muslim presence in commerce and education among British provinces. Historical Muslim trading communities were well-established there by the 19th century, earlier than in Madras or Calcutta.