Indian Heritage and Monuments

The Gupta period is called the Golden Age due to significant advancements in science, literature, art, and architecture. While the issuance of gold coins is a sign of economic prosperity, it is not the sole or primary definition of a Golden Age.

The Dasavatara temple at Deogarh, near Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, is one of the earliest surviving Hindu stone temples and is a prime example of Gupta architecture.

Harappan cities except Dholavira had its own citadel or acropolis, which was possibly occupied by members of the ruling class. The Citadel was generally in the upper part of the city. Below the citadel in each city lay a lower town containing brick houses, which were inhabited by the common people.

Khambhat (Cambay) in Gujarat has historically been and remains a major center for the processing and crafting of carnelian agate (Akik) beads.

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.

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.

The Atala Masjid is located in Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh. It was built by Sultan Ibrahim, Sharqi Sultan of Jaunpur on the foundations laid during the reign of  Sultan Firuz Shah Tughluq III. Construction started in 1377 and was completed in 1408. The style of Atala Masjid's architecture is known as Sharqi Style.

Legendary fort that marks the glory of Qutub Shahis is Golconda. The name Golkonda literally means round shaped hill. The fort of Golconda was constructed during Kakatiya rule. Later, it was made the capital of Qutb Shahi dynasty. The region was famous for diamond mines. The world famous Kohinoor diamond belongs to this place.