Important Monuments Part 2 by Dr. Gaurav Garg
Dindigul Fort, Tamil Nadu
● The Dindigul Fort was built in the 16th-century by the Madurai Nayakar Dynasty
situated in the town of Dindigul in Tamil Nadu.
● The fort was built by the Madurai Nayakar king Muthu Krishnappa Nayakar in
1605 .
Fort St. George, Chennai
● Fort St George (or historically, White Town ) is the first English fortress in India,
founded in 1644 at the coastal city of Madras, the modern city of Chennai.
● The construction of the fort provided the impetus for further settlements and
trading activity, in what was originally an uninhabited land.
● The fort currently houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly and other official
buildings.
Thirumayam Fort, Tamil Nadu
● The Thirumayam Fort is a 40-acre wide fortress in the town of Thirumayam in
Pudukkottai District , Tamil Nadu.
● It was constructed by Vijaya Raghunatha Sethupathi of Ramnad Kingdom (also
known as "Maravar Kingdom“) in 1687.
● The fort has been extensively renovated by the Archaeological Survey of India in
2012.
Gingee Fort, Tamil Nadu
● Gingee Fort or Senji Fort is one of the surviving forts in Tamil Nadu,
India.
● It lies in Villupuram District , 160 kilometres (99 mi) from the state
capital, Chennai, and is close to the Union Territory of Puducherry.
● The fort is so fortified, that Chhatrapati Shivaji, the Maratha king,
ranked it as the "most impregnable fortress in India" and it was called
the " Troy of the East " by the British.
Great Living Chola Temples, Tamil Nadu
● The Great Living Chola Temples were built by kings of the Chola Empire, which
stretched over all of south India and the neighbouring islands.
● The site includes three great 11th- and 12th-century Temples: the Brihadisvara
Temple at Thanjavur , the Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikondacholisvaram and
the Airavatesvara Temple at Darasuram . ( In exam if question is asked Where is
Brihadisvara temple? Answer will be Thanjavur )
● Great Living Chola Temples are UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Brihadishvara Temple
● Brihadishvara Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in the South
bank of Kaveri river in Thanjavur , Tamil Nadu.
● It is one of the largest South Indian temples and an exemplary example of a fully
realized Dravidian architecture . It is also called Dakshina Meru (Meru of south).
● It was built by Tamil king RajaRaj Chola I between 1003 and 1010 AD.
● The temple is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great
Living Chola Temples".
Brihadisvara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram
● Brihadisvara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram is a Hindu temple dedicated to
Shiva in Gangaikonda Cholapuram, Jayankondam, Tamil Nadu.
● Completed in 1035 AD by Rajendra Chola I as a part of his new capital, this
Chola dynasty era temple is similar in design, and has a similar name, as the older
11th century, Brihadeeswarar Temple about 70 kms to the southwest in Thanjavur.
● Though inland, the temple is near the Kollidam River , within the Cauvery River
delta with access to the Bay of Bengal and through it to the Indian Ocean.
● UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2004
Airavatesvara Temple
● Airavatesvara Temple is a Hindu temple of Dravidian architecture located in
Thanjavur District in Tamil Nadu.
● This temple, built by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE is a UNESCO
World Heritage Site. The temple is dedicated to Shiva .
● The Airavatesvara Shiva temple has a water tank. This tank has a connected
channel that brings in Cauvery River water where Hindus gather annually to take
a dip.
Group of Monuments, Mahabalipuram (or Mamallapuram), Tamil Nadu
● This group of sanctuaries, founded by the Pallava kings , was carved out of rock
along the Coromandel coast of the Bay of Bengal, about 60 kilometres (37 mi)
south of Chennai in the 7th and 8th centuries.
● The site has 40 ancient monuments and Hindu temples , including one of the
largest open-air rock reliefs in the world: the Descent of the Ganges or Arjuna's Penance.
● Known as the Seven Pagodas in many colonial-era publications, they are also called the Mamallapuram temples or
Mahabalipuram temples in contemporary literature.
● In 1984, the site was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site .
Moovar Koil, Tamil Nadu
● Moovar Koil or " The Three temples " is a Hindu temple complex situated in the
village of Kodumbalur, 36 kilometres from Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu.
● Kodumbalur was also the site of a fierce battle between the Pandyas and the
Pallavas.
Chittor Fort, Rajasthan
● The Chittor Fort or Chittorgarh is the largest fort in India. It is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
● The fort was the capital of Mewar and is located in the present-day town of
Chittor.
● It sprawls over a hill 180 m (590.6 ft) in height spread over an area of 280 ha
(691.9 acres) above the plains of the valley drained by the Berach River .
● It is said to have been built by the local Maurya ruler Chitrangada Maurya.
Kumbhalgarh Fort, Rajasthan
● Kumbhalgarh (literally " Kumbhal fort ") is a Mewar fortress on the westerly range
of Aravalli Hills , in the Rajsamand district near Udaipur of Rajasthan state in
western India.
● Built during the course of the 15th century by Rana Kumbha.
● He was the ruler of Mewar kingdom of western India. He belonged to the Sisodia
clan of Rajputs.
● It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site included in Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
Hill Forts of Rajasthan consist of:
● Chittor Fort in Chittor
● Kumbhalgarh Fort in Rajsamand
● Ranthambore Fort near Sawai Madhopur
● Gagron Fort in Jhalawar
● Amer Fort in Jaipur
● Jaisalmer Fort in Jaisalmer
Ranthambore Fort, Rajasthan
● Ranthambore Fort lies within the Ranthambore National Park, near the city of Sawai Madhopur , the park being the
former hunting grounds of the Maharajas of Jaipur until the time of India's
Independence.
● The fort was held by the Chahamanas (Chauhans) until the 13th century, when the
Delhi Sultanate captured it.
● It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Gagron Fort, Rajasthan
● Gagron Fort is situated in Jhalawar district of Rajasthan, in the Hadoti region of
India. It is a hill and water fort, one of 12 kinds of Vedic fort architecture known
as JalDurg .
● A mausoleum of Sufi Saint Mitthe Shah just outside the fort is the venue for an
annual colourful fair held during the month of Moharram. The fort is surrounded
from 3 sides by the serene waters of Ahu and also Kali Sindh .
● It is included in UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
Amer Fort, Rajasthan
● Amer Fort or Amber Fort is a fort located in Amer , Rajasthan, India. The fort
overlooks Maota Lake which is the main source of water for the Amer Palace. It
is included in UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
● The settlement at Amer was founded by Raja Alan Singh, a ruler from the Chanda
clan of Meenas in 967 CE.
Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan
● Jaisalmer Fort is situated in the city of Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.
● It is believed to be one of the very few " living forts " in the world (such as
Carcassonne, France), as nearly one fourth of the old city's population still resides
within the fort.
● Legend has it that the fort was built by Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati Rajput, in 1156 CE.
● The fort's massive yellow sandstone walls are a tawny lion colour during the day,
fading to honey-gold as the sun sets, thereby camouflaging the fort in the yellow
desert.
● For this reason it is also known as the Sonar Quila or Golden Fort.
● The fort stands amidst the sandy expanse of the great Thar Desert on Trikuta Hill .
● Included in UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Deeg Palace, Rajasthan
● Deeg Palace is a palace 32 km from Bharatpur in Rajasthan, India built in 1772 as
a luxurious summer resort for the rulers of Bharatpur State.
● Deeg was the capital of the Jat kings before they shifted to Bharatpur. Badan
Singh, who came to the throne in 1721, built a palace here.
● Due to its strategic location and proximity to Agra, Deeg had to face repeated
attacks by invaders.
● His son, prince Suraj Mal , began the construction of a fortress around the palace around 1730. The fort had massive
walls and a deep moat to keep away raiders.
● Two huge water tanks, Gopal Sagar and Rup Sagar, on either side also helped to bring down the temperature.
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