Tourism Chapter 8 – Indian Architecture as Tourist Attractions

NIOS Class 12 Tourism Chapter 8 Solutions

INTEXT QUESTIONS 8.1

1. What do you understand by the evolution of Indian architecture?

Ans: The emergence and decay of great empires and dynasties in the subcontinent influenced the growth and shape of Indian culture.

2. How did Harappans protect their civilisation?

Ans: Many thick layers of well-baked bricks laid in gypsum mortar were joined together to make the whole construction very strong. The strength of the buildings can be seen by the fact that they have successfully survived the ravages of at least five thousand years.

3. How were the engineering skills of Harappan people evident?

Ans: The Public bath at the site of Mohenjo-Daro is evidence of their engineering skills.

4. When was the first temple built in India?

Ans: During the Gupta period

INTEXT QUESTIONS 8.2

1. Name the two stupas that show the achievement of Mauryan architecture.

Ans: Sanchi stupas and Sarnath stupas

2. Where were the teachings of Dhamma inscribed during Ashoka’s reign?

Ans: On Monolithic stone pillars

3. Name some schools of sculptural art in India.

Ans: Gandhara School, Mathura School, Amaravati School

4. Where are Udayagiri caves?

Ans: In Orissa

5. Who built the Kailash temple of Ellora?

Ans: The Rashtrakutas

6. Who built the Ratha temples at Mahabalipuram?

Ans: The Pallavas

7. What is the Dravida style of architecture?

Ans: A temple architecture style having vimana or shikara, high walls and a gateway topped by gopuram.

8. Name the temple built by the Chola king at Tanjore.

Ans: Brihadeshwara Temple

9. Define the Nagara style of architecture.

Ans: Temples constructed with shikaras (spiral roofs), the garbhagriha (sanctum), and the mandap (Pillared Halls)

10. Who built the Sun temple at Konark?

Ans: Narshimha Deva I

11. Name the famous Jain temple at Mount Abu, Rajasthan.

Ans: Dilwara Temple

INTEXT QUESTIONS 8.3

1. What was the style of architecture of the Turks?

Ans: Domes, arches, minarets

2. Name some of the tombs and mosques constructed during the Sultanate Period.

Ans: Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque at Delhi, Qutab Minar – At Delhi Tomb of Mohammad Tuglaq, Tomb of Firoz Tuglaq, Tomb of Ibrahim Lodhi – At Delhi Sher Shah Tomb at Sasaram

3. Which is the largest dome in the world?

Ans: Gol Gumbaz

4. What is pietra dura?

Ans: Decorative design in inlay work in buildings constructed during the Mughal Period.

5. Which building reflects the grandeur of the mighty Mughal Empire?

Ans: Buland Darwaza

INTEXT QUESTIONS 8.4

1. Which were the most famous churches in Goa built by the Portuguese?

Ans: Basilica Bom Jesus and the church of Saint Francis.

2. Name the architect who designed the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Ans: Lutyens

3. Which architectural style can be observed in buildings built during the British Empire in India?

Ans: Greek and Roman architectural styles.

4. What is contained in the Victoria Memorial building in Kolkata these days?

Ans: It houses a museum full of colonial artefacts.

5. Who designed the city of Chandigarh?

Ans: French architect Corbusier.

6. Name the architect who designed the India International Centre of Delhi.

Ans: An Austrian architect Stein

7. Name some famous architects of modern India.

Ans: (i) Raj Rewal (ii) Charles Correa

INTEXT QUESTIONS 8.5

1. Name 5 cities that came up in the ancient period in India.

Ans: Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Kalibangam, Surkotada, Rajgir, Varanasi, Ayodhya, Hastinapur, Ujjain, Sravasthi, Kapilavastu, Kaushambi or any other not mentioned in this lesson.

2. Name 5 places where ports were set up by the British.

Ans: Any 5 out of Panaji, Bombay, Machilipatnam, Nagapattnam, Madras, Kolkatta or any other/s not mentioned in this lesson.

3. Name 5 Hill Stations developed by the British.

Ans: Any 5 out of Mussoorie, Simla, Nainital, Darjeeling, Shillong, Nilgiri, Kodaikanal or any other/s not mentioned in this lesson.

4. Who lived in the Civil Lines?

Ans: Civilian Officers

5. What was the Cantonment meant for?

Ans: Army Officers

INTEXT QUESTIONS 8.6

1. Name 4 famous places in Chennai.

Ans: The High Court Building, The Ice House, the Church of St. John, the General Post Office or any other/s not mentioned in this lesson.

2. Name 4 famous places in Kolkata.

Ans: Any 4 out of Howrah Bridge, Marble Palace, Writer’s Building, Fort William, Eden Gardens, Victoria Memorial Hall or any other/s not mentioned in this lesson.

3. Name 4 famous places in Mumbai.

Ans: Any 4 out of Secretariat, Council Hall, Elphinstone College, Victoria Terminus (modern Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus), Gateway of India or any other/s not mentioned in this lesson.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 8.7

1. Match the cities within Delhi with the king who built them.

S. No. Name of the City	Name of the king who built it
1. Indraprastha	Prithvi Raj Chauhan
2. Lal Kot	Mohammed Bin Tughlaq
4. Mehrauli	Yudhishthira
5. Siri	Firoz Shah Tughlaq
6. Jahanpanah	Humayun
7. Tughlaqabad	Shah Jahan
8. Firozabad	Alauddin Khilji
9. Dinpanah	Anang Pal Tomar
10. Shahjahanabad	Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq

Ans:

S. No. Name of the City	Name of the king who built it
1. Indraprastha	Yudhishthira
2. Lal Kot	Anang Pal Tomar
4. Mehrauli	Prithvi Raj Chauhan
5. Siri	Alauddin Khilji
6. Jahanpanah	Mohammed Bin Tughlaq
7. Tughlaqabad	Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
8. Firozabad	Firoz Shah Tughlaq
9. Dinpanah	Humayun
10. Shahjahanabad	Shah Jehan

2. Name 4 famous Sufi saints of the Jahanpanah area.

Ans: Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Nizamuddin Auliya, Sheikh Nasiruddin Mahmud, Amir Khusrau, or any other/s not mentioned in this lesson.

Terminal Exercises

1. Describe the architectural styles of the Harappan civilisation.

Ans: Harappan civilisation showed modern urban civilisation with expert town planning and engineering skills.

They had a very advanced drainage system, and well-planned roads and houses.
They constructed dwelling houses, pillared halls and public baths.
The cities had been built on a clear geometric pattern or grid layout.
Roads cut each other at right angles and were very well laid out.
Many thick layers of well-baked bricks laid in gypsum mortar were joined together to make it strong.
Those buildings successfully survived the ravages of at least five thousand years.

2. Elaborate on the contributions of Gupta, Pallavas and Chola rulers to the temple architecture of India.

Ans:

Gupta: The Gupta period marks the beginning of the construction of free-standing Hindu temples. An example of this is the temple at Deogarh (Jhansi district), which had a central shrine or garbhagriha where the image of the deity was placed. Another temple at Bhitargaon (Kanpur district) are two fine example of this period.
Pallavas: The Pallava rulers built the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram. The Pallavas also built other structural temples like the Kailashnath temple and the Vaikuntha Perumal temples at Kanchipuram.
Cholas: The Cholas built many temples, most famous being the Brihadeshwara temple at Tanjore. They developed a typical style of temple architecture of South India called the Dravida style, complete with Vimana or Shikhara, high walls and the gateway topped by gopuram. Magnificent temples were built at Belur and Halebid, where the stone engravings reached even greater heights.

3. What were the different styles of architecture and sculpture found in India?

Ans: Architecture in India is a blend of various traditional styles and those influenced by the foreign invaders. Moreover, each part of India also has its own style of architecture. However, those styles could be consolidated into these types.

Harappan: They showed much advanced drainage systems, town-planning and roads that lasted many years.
Mauryan: Mauryan art and architecture depicted the influence of the Persians and Greeks. The stupas of Sanchi and Sarnath are symbols of the achievement of Mauryan architecture.
Gandhara: The blending of Greek and Indian art led to the development of Gandhara art, which developed later. Life-like statues of Buddha and Bodhisattavas were made in the likeness of Greek gods and were in stone, terracotta, cement-like material and clay.
Nagara: In north and eastern India, magnificent temples were also constructed, and the style followed by them is referred to as the Nagara style. Most of them consisted of the shikaras (spiral roofs), the garbhagriha (sanctum) and the mandap (pillared hall).
Dravida: The Cholas developed a typical style of temple architecture of South India called the Dravida style, complete with Vimana or Shikhara, high walls and the gateway topped by gopuram.
Buddhist architecture is seen in various cave temples. Famous among these were the Ajanta and Ellora caves of Maharashtra, and the Udayagiri cave of Orissa. These caves hold Buddhist viharas, chaityas, as well as mandapas and pillared temples of the Hindu gods and goddesses.
Mughal: The architecture of the Mughal style started during Akbar’s rule. Humayun’s Tomb at Delhi is a Mughal architectural masterpiece. Other examples of Mughal architecture are the Taj Mahal, the fort of Fatehpur Sikri, and Agra Fort, etc.
Colonial: The colonial period saw the influence of various European designs. The Parliament House and Connaught Place in Delhi are good examples of Greek and Roman influence. The Portuguese built the Basilica Bom Jesus and the church of Saint Francis in Goa. The Victoria Memorial in Kolkata and Victoria Terminus in Mumbai are notable contributions of the British. Chandigarh has buildings designed by the French architect Le Corbusier.

4. Buddhism and Jainism had contributed to the architectural development in India – Discuss.

Ans: Buddhism and Jainism helped in the development of the early architectural style of India in building stupas, viharas and chaityas. The Buddhist Stupas were built at places where

Buddha’s remains were preserved at the major sites where important events in Buddha’s life took place. Monasteries (viharas) and centres of preaching, teaching and learning came up at such places. Congregational halls (chaitya) for teaching and interaction between the common people and the monks were also built.

5. How would you view the construction of monuments during the regime of the Delhi Sultanate?

Ans: During the regime of the Delhi Sultanate, a new technique of architecture- the architectural styles of Persia, Arabia and Central Asia. The engineering features of these buildings were the domes, arches and minarets. There was a blending of the Islamic with the indigenous styles. During the Afghan rule, the tombs of Ibrahim Lodi at Delhi and Shershah’s tomb at Sasaram were built. The architecture of this period also shows how indigenous styles were adopted and utilised by the builders. During these years, the Turks were still in the process of settling down. The rulers were threatened by the Mongols, who made sudden invasions from the north. This is why the buildings of this period are strong, sturdy and practical.

6. The architecture during the Mughal period was a synthesis of the Indian, Persian, Mongol, and Mughal styles. Elaborate.

Ans: With the arrival of the Turks during the thirteenth century came a new technique in architecture – the architectural styles of Persia, Arabia, and Central Asia. There was a blending of the Islamic with the indigenous styles. The architecture of the Mughal style started during Akbar’s rule. Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi is a Mughal architectural masterpiece. In this magnificent building, red stone was used. It served as a precursor to the Taj Mahal. Other buildings at Fatehpur Sikri reflect a synthesis of Persian and Indian elements. Fatehpur Sikri also shows a blend of Rajasthani architecture. Moreover, most iconic buildings in India reflect this blend of Indian, Persian, Mongol, and Mughal styles.

7. Narrate the story of Delhi in your own words.

Ans: Delhi became the capital of British India in 1911. However, Delhi has a history much older than that. It is believed that there are at least seven important old cities that have come together to form Delhi. These are probably Indraprastha, Lal Kot, Mehrauli, Siri, Tughlaqabad, Firozabad and Shahjahanabad.

Delhi was founded by Raja Dhilu. Later, Mohammed Bin Tughlaq (1320-1388) enclosed the earlier cities of Delhi into a single unit and named it Jahanpanah. But Timur destroyed Jahanpanah. It was Shah Jahan who revived the lost glory of Delhi. He started building the Red Fort in 1639 and finished it in 1648, and called the city Shahjahanabad. Over the centuries, the city was looted and destroyed by the armies of Nadir Shah (1739), Ahmad Shah Abdali (1748), as well as continuous attacks from within, weakening it.

In 1803, the British occupied Delhi after defeating the Marathas. In 1911, the British shifted their capital to Delhi and built an entirely new city called New Delhi. This new city was completed by 1932.

8. Find out the truth about the saying “Dilli hai dil walon ki”. Write an essay on it. You can search on the Internet or get books from a library.

Ans: Write in your own words.