Enduring Wonders of India Trivia Quiz

Answer: Buddhism

These fine examples of rock-cut art date from the 2nd century BC to around the 5th century AD. Apart from the rock-hewn sculpture, the caves also host a number of murals painted on the walls. Having fallen into disuse over the years and hidden by the dense growth of jungles all around them, these caves were accidently discovered by a British officer out on a hunting trip in the early 19th century.

At least thirty caves have since been discovered and are now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Answer: Yamuna

Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal dynasty which was established in India by his father, Babur. After his death, his first wife, Bega Begum commissioned an elaborate garden tomb complex to house a mausoleum for him. A Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, designed the complex and it was one of the first structures in India to be built using sandstone extensively.

The tomb is also regarded as the precursor to the Taj Mahal with which it shares a number of design elements.

Answer: Akbar

Fatehpur Sikri was a planned city built by Akbar a few kilometers away from Agra to be his new capital after his military victories over the Rajput kingdoms of Chittor and Ranthambore. The city was so named as Fateh means victorious in Persian.

Salim Chishti was a well known Sufi saint during Akbar's era. Akbar sought the saint's blessings for a male heir, after which he became father to three sons. He named his eldest son Salim in honour of the saint. Salim succeeded his father taking on the name Jehangir as emperor.

A marbled structure houses the tomb of Salim Chishti within the Jama Masjid courtyard inside Fatehpur Sikri.

Answer: Rajasthan

Located in the Aravalli mountain range, these hill forts were built as military strongholds by the various Rajput rulers of the erstwhile kingdoms of Rajasthan. The largest of these is the Chittorgarh fort which is also the largest fort found in India. Covering an area of nearly 700 acres, it has seven gateways built purely of stone to secure the entrance.

The Ranthambore fort is found within the national park of the same name which is one of the major reserves for tigers in India. Amer Palace (shown in the photograph) is likely the most visited among these six forts due to its proximity to the capital, Jaipur, making it easily accessible to tourists covering the golden triangle of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

Answer: No

Sawai Jai Singh II had a keen interest in astronomy which is reflected in the Jantar Mantars built by him at various locations. There are five such observatories, the first being in Delhi. However, the one in Jaipur has the most well preserved instruments and is the only one among the five designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The locations derive their name from the words for instrument (jantar) and calculation (mantar). Among the instruments found here are ones capable of predicting eclipses, calculating celestial altitudes and tracking the locations of different stars during the earth's orbit around the sun.

These measurements also played an important role in astrology which was likely considered a part of astronomy in earlier times in India.

Answer: Vijayanagara

The Vijayanagara empire flourished between 1336 to 1565, when it suffered a severe military defeat at the hands of the Deccan sultanates, though it continued in a weaker state until 1646. The present-day city of Hampi houses the ruins of its capital city, Vijayanagara. Bounded by the Tungabhadra river on one side and mountains on the other three sides, the city consisted of several religious, royal and civil structures during the time of the empire. Monolithic stone idols of numerous Hindu deities carved out of a single piece of rock are found in the different temples. Aqueducts built to carry the canal water over to far-off fields are still found in functional state.

The photograph alongside shows a stepped water tank found within the royal complex.

Answer: Goa

Standing testimony to the evangelization of India, the churches and convents of Old Goa (also called Velha Goa after the Portuguese word for old) were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1986. The most famous among these churches is the Basilica of Bom Jesus which houses the tomb and mortal remains of Saint Francis Xavier.

The casket containing the saint's body is made of pure silver and the mausoleum was designed by Florentine sculptor Giovanni Battista Foggini and completed over a period of ten years.

It was gifted to the church by Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The public viewing of the body is held every ten years during the month of the saint's feast which falls on the 3rd of December.

Answer: True

Built in the 13th century, this temple located in Konark in the state of Odisha is believed to have been commissioned by king Narasimhadeva I of Eastern Ganga Dynasty. Deriving its name from the Sanskrit words for corner (kona) and sun (arka), the temple is built in the shape of a giant chariot, the vehicle of the Hindu sun god, Surya.

The chariot is supported by twelve pairs of stone wheels and is pulled by seven stone horses. The wheels also act as sundials enabling the calculation of time. The orientation of the structure is such that first rays of the sun strike the main entrance of the temple.

Answer: Railway station

The Victoria Terminus, now renamed the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus after the Maratha king Shivaji, was built in the late 19th century at the starting point of the first passenger train journey in India which covered a distance of 35 kilometers between Bori Bunder and Thane. Now housing the headquarters of the Central Railway, CST as it is better known, is one of the busiest railway stations in India.

It was selected as a World Heritage site by UNESCO for its architectural style which blended Victorian Gothic architecture with traditional elements of Indian design giving rise to the Indo-Sarcenic style of architecture.

Answer: Agra

Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jehan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj is one of the most well known and highly regarded examples of Mughal architecture, a style that blended elements from other forms of architecture prevalent at the time including Ottoman, Persian, Indian and Islamic. Constructed over a period of twenty years, the tomb complex was designed to be perfectly symmetrical with Mumtaz's tomb lying in the centre.

The white domed marble structure is surrounded by four minarets tilting slightly to the outside so that in case any of them fall, they fall away from the tomb without harming it.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous and highly visited tourist attractions in India.