Important

Monuments of
India

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

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Important Monuments of India

Taj Mahal
• It is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

• It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in

1632.

• It was built in memory of his wife, Mumtaj

Mahal.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage

site.

• It is included in seven wonders of the world.

Gateway of India
• It is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• It was built by Scottish Architect George

Wittet.

• It was constructed to commemorate the

landing in December 1911 at Apollo
Bunder, Mumbai of King-Emperor George
V and Queen-Empress Mary, the first British monarch to visit India.

• The Gateway of India is an arch-monument built with an Indo-Saracenic

Architectural style.

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India Gate
• It is located in New Delhi, India.

• It was designed by British Architect Sir Edwin

Lutyens.

• The India Gate formerly known as the All India War

Memorial and it was built as a memorial to 70,000
soldiers of the British Indian Army who died in
between 1914 and 1921 in the First World War, in
France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa,
Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near and the Far East,
and the third Anglo-Afghan War.

• The India Gate is an arch-monument built with triumphal arch Architectural style.

Golden Temple
• It is located in Amritsar, Punjab.

• It was built by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru

Ram Das in 1577.

• Maharaja Ranjit Singh after founding the Sikh

Empire, rebuilt it in marble and copper in
1809, overlaid the sanctum with gold foil in
1830, ever since it is known as Golden
Temple.

• The Golden Temple is spiritually the most significant sacred site in Sikhism.

• The Gurdwara complex which is situated here has been nominated as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site.

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Hawa Mahal
• It is located in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

• It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap

Singh.

• Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh was so inspired by

the unique structure of Khetri Mahal, Jhunjhunu
that he built this grand and historical palace.

• It is a Unique example of Rajput Architectural

style.

• It has five floors with 953 small windows called Jharokhas decorated with intricate
latticework.

Char Minar
• It is located in Hyderabad, Telangana.

• It was built by fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi

dynasty, Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591.

• The Charminar was constructed at the

intersection of the historical trade route that
connects the city to international markets
through the port city of Machilipatnam.

• It is a finest example of Indo-Islamic

architectural style.

• It is listed as an archaeological and architectural treasure on the official "List of

Monuments" prepared by the Archaeological Survey of India.

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Meenakshi Temple
• It is located in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

• It was built by King Kulasekara Pandya in 1216.

• It is dedicated to Meenakshi, a form of Parvati,

and her husband Sundareshwar, a form of Shiva.

• The temple is at the center of the ancient temple

city of Madurai.

Agra Fort
• It is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

• It was built between in 1565 - 1573 by

Mughal Emperor Akbar.

• It was the main residence of the emperors of

the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the
capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage site.

City Palace
• It is located in Udaipur, Rajasthan.

• Its construction began in 1553, started by

Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodia Rajput
family as he shifted his capital from Chittoor to
the new found city of Udaipur.

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• The palace complex has been built entirely in granite and marble.

• The complex provides a view of the lake Pichola and the Udaipur city from its upper
terraces.

Victoria Memorial
• It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal.

• It was Designed by British Architect

William Emerson in 1921.

• It is dedicated to the memory of

Queen Victoria, then Empress of
India.

• It is now a museum under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.

Khajuraho Temple
• It is located in Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh.

• Khajuraho temples were built between 885

and 1050 by the Chandela dynasty.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage

site.

• These temples are famous for their nagara-

style architectural symbolism and their erotic
sculptures.

• The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two
religions, Hinduism and Jainism.

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Ajanta and Ellora Caves

• The Ajanta Caves are approximately 30 rock-
cut Buddhist cave monuments which
inscripted from the 2nd century BCE to about
480 CE .

• Ellora Caves are one of the largest rock-cut

temple cave complexes in the world, featuring
Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monuments, and
artwork which were inscripted from the 600–
1000 CE period.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage site.

Amer Fort
• It is located in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

• It was built by Meenas in 967 CE.

• Amer Fort is known for its artistic style

elements and several buildings of the fort
greatly influenced by Mughal architecture.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage

site as a part of the group Hill Forts of
Rajasthan.

Lotus Temple

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• Name of the monument: Lotus Temple

Basilica of Bom Jesus.

• It is located in Delhi, India.

• It is a Baha'i House of Worship that was

built in December, 1986.

• It was designed by an Iranian-American

architect Fariborz Sahba.

• In 2001, a CNN report referred to it as the most visited building in the world.

Qutub Minar
• It is located in New Delhi, India.

• Its construction Started in 1199 by Qutb-ud-din Aibak

and was completed in 1220 by Iltutmish.

• The height of Qutub Minar is 72.5 meters, making it

the tallest Tower in the world built of bricks.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage site.

Bara Imambara
• It is located in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

• It was built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh

in 1784.

• Construction of Bara Imambara was started in

1780.

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• It was a year of a devastating famine, and one of Asaf-ud-Daula's objectives in

embarking on this project was to provide employment for people in the region.

• Here, the name denotes Bara means big Palace.

Brihadeshwara Temple
• It is located in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

• It was Built by Tamil king Raja Raja Chola I

between 1003 and 1010 AD.

• It is one of the largest South Indian temples

and an exemplary example of a fully
realized Tamil architecture.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage

site.

Dilwara Temple
• It is located in Mount Abu, Sirohi, Rajasthan.

• It was built by Vimal Shah and

Vastupala - was a prime minister of
the Vāghelā king Vīradhavala, Gujrat
in between 11th and 16th centuries.

• It is one of the most famous

monuments in the style of Maru-
Gurjara architecture.

• It is a pilgrimage place for Jains, and

also a significant tourist attraction.

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Sanchi Stupa
• It is located in Sanchi town, Raisen, Madhya Pradesh.

• It was built by emperor Ashoka in the

3rd century BCE.

• These monuments at Sanchi today

comprise a series of Buddhist
monuments starting from the Maurya
Empire period (3rd century BCE),
continuing with the Gupta Empire
period (5th century CE), and ending
around the 12th century CE.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage site.

Elephanta Caves
• It is located in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

• It was built between the 5th and 9th

century.

• Elephanta Caves are a collection of

cave temples predominantly dedicated
to the Hindu god Shiva.

• The Elephanta Caves also contain rock

cut stone sculptures that show
syncretism of Hindu and Buddhist ideas and iconography.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage site.

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Fatehpuri Sikri
• It is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

• It was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar.

• The Fatehpur Sikri city itself was founded as the

capital of Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar.

• Some of the important buildings in this city are:

Buland Darwaza, Jama Masjid, Tomb of Salim Chishti and Ibadat Khana.

Gingee Fort
• It is located in Villupuram District, Tamilnadu.

• Initially, it was built by

Saenji Ananda kone
of the Ananda Kone
dynasty and later the
Chola Dynasty and
Vijayanagara Empire.

• This fort was fortified by Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Maratha king and ranked it as the
"most impregnable fortress in India".

• It was recognised as a National Monument in 1921.

Golconda Fort
• Name of the monument: Golconda Fort.

• It is located in Hyderabad, Telangana.

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• Golconda Fort was first built by the

Kakatiya Dynasty between 12th to
14th century; later, the fort was rebuilt
and strengthened by Rani Rudrama
Devi and her successor Prataparudra.

• The Golconda Fort used to have a

vault where the famous Koh-i-Noor
and Hope diamonds were once stored along with other diamonds.

Hampi
• It is located in Vijayanagara, Karnataka.

• It was built as the capital city of the

Vijayanagara Empire in the 14th century.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage site

as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.

• Some of the important temples in Hampi are:

Virupaksha Temple, Vittala Temple, Krishna
Temple, Hazara Rama Temple, Elephant Stables and Lotus Mahal.

Gwalior Fort
• It is located in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

• It was built in the eighth century.

• The present-day fort consists of a defensive

structure and two main palaces, Gujari
Mahal and Man Mandir, built by Man Singh
Tomar (reigned 1486–1516 CE).

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• The Gujari Mahal is now a museum.

• Some of the major monuments in the fort are: Siddhachal Jain Temple Caves,
Urvashi temple, Gopachal, Teli ka mandir, and Garuda monument.

Group of Monuments at Pattadkal

• It is located in Bagalkot district, Karnataka.

• It is a complex of Hindu and Jain temples

built in the 7th and 8th century.

• It is a UNESCO recognised world heritage

site.

• UNESCO has described Pattadakal as "a

harmonious blend of architectural forms
from northern and southern India" and an illustration of "eclectic art" at its height.

Shore Temple
• It is located in Mahabalipuram,
Chengalpattu district, Tamilnadu.

• Shore Temple, built in the late 7th

century by Rajasimha.

• The Shore Temple is so named

because it overlooks the shore of the
Bay of Bengal.

• It is recognised as UNESCO World

Heritage Site as the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram.

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Hill Palace Museum

• It is located in Kochi, Kerala.

• Hill Palace was built in 1865 by the Maharaja of

Cochin and is now the largest archaeological
museum in Kerala.

• It was the imperial administrative office and

official residence of the Cochin Maharaja.

Jaisalmer Fort
• It is located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.

• It was built by Rawal Jaisal in 1155.

• It was a new capital established when Rawal

Jaisal founded the city of Jaisalmer.

• It is recognised as UNESCO World Heritage

Site under the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

Rani ki Vav
• It is located in Patan, Gujarat. Rani ki vav was
constructed during the rule of the Chaulukya dynasty.

• It was built in memory of Udayamati, daughter of

Khengara of Saurashtra, queen of the 11th-century
Solanki dynasty and spouse of Bhima I. It is recognised
as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Jama Masjid
• It is located in Delhi, India.

• It was built by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in

1656.

• Jama Masjid is one of the largest mosques in India.

• The mosque is considered as the best among all mosques built during the Mughal
Empire as it has the best mixture of marble and limestone.

Humayun’s Tomb
• It is located in Delhi, India.

• It was built by Humayun's first wife Haji Begum.

• It was built in memory of Mughal emperor

Humayun.

• It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage

Site.

Mahabodhi Temple
• It is located in Bodhgaya, Gaya District, Bihar.

• Mahabodhi Temple was built by Emperor Ashoka in around 260 BCE.

• It is the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment.

• It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Jantar Mantar
• It is located in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

• It was built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II

in 1734.

• The Jantar Mantar is a collection of 19

astronomical instruments.

• It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• It features the world's largest stone sundial - a device that tells the time of day
when there is sunlight by the apparent position of the Sun in the sky

Konark Sun Temple

• It is located in Puri, Odisha.

• It was built by King Narasimhadeva I in the

13th century.

• The temple is attributed to king

Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga
Dynasty.

• It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• This temple is dedicated to the Hindu god Surya(Sun) and it is a classic illustration
of the Odisha style of Architecture or Kalinga Architecture.

Red Fort

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• It is located in Delhi, India.

• It was built between 1639 to 1648 by Mughal

Emperor Shahjahan.

• It was designed by architect Ustad Ahmad

Lahori, who also constructed the Taj Mahal.

• This fort served as the main residence of the

Mughal Emperors.

• It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

• Every year on India's Independence Day (15 August), the Prime Minister hoists the
Indian flag at this fort and delivers a nationally broadcast speech from its ramparts.

Bhimbetka Rock Shelters

• It is located in Raisen district, Madhya Pradesh.

• It is an archaeological site which is famous for its

caves/ rock painting, dated between prehistoric
Paleolithic and Mesolithic periods

• This painting exhibits the earliest traces of human

life in India and evidence of the Stone Age starting
at the site in prehistoric time.

• It is recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nalanda Mahavira
• It is located in Nalanda, Bihar.

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• It was built during the Gupta Period by King

Kumaragupta I.

• Nalanda was an ancient Mahavihara, a

respected Buddhist monastery which also
served as a renowned centre of learning, in
the ancient kingdom of Magadha in India.

• It is recognised as a UNESCO World

Heritage Site.

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