MONUMENTS OF INDIA - 1 - ANSWERS

1.  C.  Ajmer

Jantar Mantar was constructed with an aim of measuring local time, altitude (of the place) and also to measure declination of Sun, stars and planets and to determine eclipses. Motion, speed and properties of stars and planets were also recorded using several special instruments.

A total of five Jantar Mantars (1. Jaipur, Rajasthan, 2. Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, 3. Delhi, 4. Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and 5. Mathura, Uttar Pradesh) were built by Sawai Jai Singh II between 1724-1730, of which only four remain today. At Mathura there is no trace of the once glorious observatory. The largest of them is in Jaipur (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) which features many instruments along with the world's largest stone sundial. Jai Singh’s decision to build multiple observatories at large distances from one another was in part a quest for accuracy; the ability to compare readings from different coordinates. But the observatories may also have played a role in strengthening Jai Singh’s political position in regions where he had gained authority. It is also noteworthy that the sites Jai Singh chose have historical, political, or religious significance:

(Jantar Mantar at Delhi, one of the city’s most remarkable sights)

(Ved Shala, as Ujjain’s Jantar Mantar is known locally, is still used as an observatory. Ujjain is located on the prime meridian established by the ancient Hindu canons of astronomy.)

(Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar is the biggest of all and everything here speaks of its builder, Sawai Jai Singh II’s greatness and ambition)

(Jantar Mantar, Varanasi - Jai Singh built this Jantar Mantar on the roof of an old palace, the Man Mandir. It is a small observatory and not as impressive as the others.)

2. A. Aurangabad

“Bibi Ka Maqbara” was commissioned in 1660 by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in the memory of his first and chief wife Dilras Banu Begum which bears uncanny similarity with Taj Mahal, the tomb of Aurangzeb’s mother Mumtaz Mahal. Aurangzeb was not much interested in architecture though he had commissioned the small, but elegant, “Pearl Mosque” at Delhi. “Bibi Ka Maqbara” is the largest structure that Aurangzeb has to his credit.

An inscription found on the main entrance door of “Bibi Ka Maqbara” (known as Taj of the Deccan) mentions that this mausoleum was designed and erected by Ata-ullah, an architect and Hanspat Rai, an engineer respectively. Ata-ullah was the son of Ustad Ahmad Lahauri, the principal designer of the Taj Mahal. Aurangzeb's son, Azam Shah, was in later years put in charge of overseeing the repair-work of the mausoleum by Aurangzeb.

(Mahabat Maqbara, Junagarh, Gujarat)

“Mahabat Maqbara” in Junagarh (the tomb of Mahabat Khan II, a former nawab of Junagadh) is another stunning yet neglected replica of Taj Mahal having its blend of European (Gothic Columns, French Windows), Islamic and Hindu styles of architecture.

3. B. West Bengal

Ghoom Monastery, also referred to as Yiga Choeling Monastery, located in Darjeeling, West Bengal, houses a 15-foot high Maitreya Buddha statue that captivates the surroundings with its aura. Built in 1850 by Lama Sherpa 'Sokpo Sherab Gyatso', a Mangolian monk and astrologer, it is famous for its beautiful Thangka (Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silk applique) on the walls, fancy bells, and drums. This attraction in Darjeeling is a storehouse of Tibetan translations of popular Sanskrit works such as 'Meghadoot' by Kalidasa, 'Nagananda' by King Harshavardhana etc.

4. A. Thiruvalluvar

The Thiruvalluvar Statue is a 133-feet (40.6 m) tall stone sculpture of the Tamil poet and philosopher Valluvar, author of the Tirukkural, an ancient Tamil work on secular ethics and morality. The statue stands 400 meters from the coastline of Kanyakumari on a small island rock. The ferry service to Vivekananda Rock Memorial from the mainland stops for a while at the Thiruvalluvar Statue. The statue was sculpted by V. Ganapati Sthapati and was unveiled on the millennium day of 1st January, 2000 by the then Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.

5. C. Somnath Temple, Gujarat

The Somnath temple located in Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Saurashtra on the western coast of Gujarat, India, is believed to be the first among the twelve jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. It is an important pilgrimage and tourist spot of Gujarat. Reconstructed several times in the past after repeated destruction by several Muslim invaders and rulers (Mahmud of Ghazni in 1024, Alauddin Khalji in 1299, Mohammed Begeda in 1479, Mujaffar Shah II in 1503 and Aurangazeb in 1701), the present temple (believed to be the seventh structure) was reconstructed in Chaulukya style of Hindu temple architecture and completed in May, 1951. The reconstruction was started under the orders of the Home Minister of India, Vallabhbhai Patel and completed after his death under the supervision of K. M. Munshi. In May, 1951, Rajendra Prasad, the first President of the Republic of India, performed the installation ceremony for the temple.