UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India Quiz — 7 Free Questions

Question 1

Who commissioned the building of Humayun's Tomb in Delhi in the 1560s, employing a Persian architect for what became an important precursor to the Taj Mahal?

Question 2

The Ajanta Caves are generally understood to have been excavated in two broad phases, reflecting a shift in Buddhist religious practice. What distinguishes these two phases from one another?

Question 3

How does UNESCO structure the criteria used to judge whether a proposed site qualifies for World Heritage status, distinguishing between cultural and natural significance?

Question 4

An image of Rani ki Vav, the Patan stepwell, was featured on which item of Indian currency issued after its UNESCO recognition?

Question 5

The Brihadisvara Temple at Thanjavur, notable for its towering vimana capped by a single massive stone at its summit, was completed by which Chola ruler in the early eleventh century?

Question 6

Which UNESCO World Heritage Site at Bharatpur in Rajasthan, inscribed in 1985, was originally created as an artificial wetland for royal duck-hunting before becoming one of India's most important bird sanctuaries?

Question 7

Which narrow-gauge line, opened in 1903 and connecting the plains town of Kalka to the former British summer capital of Shimla in the Himalayan foothills, was added to the Mountain Railways of India World Heritage listing in 2008?

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About UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India

This quiz is meant for students preparing for the IAS examination and other competitive tests, and for anyone who wants a wide-ranging survey of India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It begins with the great Mughal and Rajput-era monuments of the north -- the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri, Humayun's Tomb, the Qutb Minar, the Red Fort, the Jantar Mantar and City of Jaipur, the Hill Forts of Rajasthan, Rani ki Vav, Champaner-Pavagadh, the Mountain Railways, and Khajuraho. It then moves to the great cave and temple sites of the Deccan and the south -- Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Hampi, Pattadakal, Mahabalipuram, the Great Living Chola Temples, the Hoysala temples, and the Ramappa Temple. A third section covers Buddhist and other composite cultural sites -- Sanchi, Bodh Gaya, Nalanda, Konark, Bhimbetka, Dholavira, the Moidams, Santiniketan, Ahmedabad, the Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai, the Churches of Goa, and the Chandigarh Capitol Complex. A fourth section covers India's Natural and Mixed World Heritage Sites -- Kaziranga, Keoladeo, Manas, the Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and the Valley of Flowers, the Western Ghats, the Great Himalayan National Park, and Khangchendzonga. It closes with general questions on the UNESCO World Heritage system itself -- the 1972 Convention, criteria, the nomination process, and India's overall standing. When complete it will have one hundred and fifteen carefully checked questions, arranged in five packs of twenty-three.

Every question has four options, and the correct option can be in any position. After each question there is a detailed explanation of more than five lines, in simple Indian English that a school student can follow, giving the important names, dates and the points that examiners like to test.

Every fact has been checked against standard reference material on India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites.