29 States and their capitals

Union territories and their capitals

The Universe
According to Big Bang Theory, our universe is about 15 billion years old and our planet
Earth which began around 4500 million years ago. Scientists believe that life on the
earth began about 3500 million years ago. Stars are huge bodies of glowing gases and
give out huge flames and radiate a tremendous amount of heat and light. Our sun is
just one of the hundred thousand million (1011) stars in the Milky Way Galaxy.

It is believed that our planet Earth is part of our solar system which began around
4500 million years ago. Scientists believe that life on the earth began about 3500
million years ago.

The Solar System

Sun is at the Centre of the solar system with eight planets (i.e. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune), satellites, asteroids, meteors and comets that move
around the Sun.
Till 2006, there were nine planets in the solar system. Pluto was the farthest planet from the
Sun. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted a new definition of a planet.
Pluto and other celestial bodies like Ceres, 2003 UB313 does not fit this definition. It is no
longer considered as a planet of the solar system.

The Sun
It is believed that the Sun was born about 5 billion years ago. Since that time, it is
continuously emitting huge amount of heat and light, and it is expected to glow in a
similar manner for the next 5 billion years or so.

The radius of the Sun is almost 100 times the radius of the earth and its mass is about a
million times the mass of the earth. The Sun is the nearest star from us. The light of the Sun
takes about 8.3 light minutes to reach us.
The planets
• Mercury: It is nearest to the Sun. It is the smallest planet of the solar system, nearly of the
same size and mass as the moon. It takes 88 days for one orbit around the Sun and 59 days
for one spin on its axis. It has no satellite. There is no atmosphere on mercury. The surface of
mercury is rocky and mountainous. One side of the surface facing the Sun receives maximum
heat and light. The surface of this planet does not receive Sunlight or heat on its other side.
One part of mercury, therefore, is very hot while the other part is very cold.

• Venus: It has no moon or satellite of its own. It rotates on its axis is somewhat
unusual i.e. from east to west. The mass of Venus is nearly 4/5 times that of the earth.
It takes 255 days for one orbit around the Sun and 243 days for one spin on its axis.
Therefore it is often called a morning or an evening star. It has an atmosphere that
consists of mainly carbon dioxide. It is the hottest planet in our solar system.

• The Earth: Our earth rotates from west to east. Our earth is more or less like a
sphere, which is slightly flattened in the north and south. Slightly flattened or tapered
at the poles, the earth is best to be described as geoids which mean earth like shape.
It is the third nearest planet to the Sun. It is called blue planet due to presence of
water and landmasses the earth appears blue-green in colour from the space. The
earth is the only planet where some special environment conditions are responsible
for the existence and continuation of life because it has the right temperature range,
the presence of water, soil, minerals, suitable atmosphere and a blanket of ozone.

• Mars: It is almost half the size of the earth. It takes 687 days for one orbit around
the Sun and 1 day for one spin on its axis. It appears slightly reddish and, therefore, it
is also called the red planet. Mars has two small natural satellites named Phobos and
Deimos.

• Jupiter: It is the largest planet of the solar system. It takes 11 years and 11 months
for one orbit around the Sun and 9 hours, 56 minutes for one spin on its axis. It has 16
satellites. It also has faint rings around it. Its most distinguishing feature is the great
red spot. Because of its large mass, it exerts a strong gravitational pull on other
objects which pass by it. It consists of hydrogen and helium in gaseous form.

• Saturn: Beyond Jupiter is Saturn which appears yellowish in colour. What make it
unique in the solar system are its three beautiful rings. It takes 29 years, 5 months for
one orbit around the Sun and 10 hours, 40 minutes for one spin on its axis. It has 18
satellites. Saturn is the least dense among all the planets. Its density is less than that
of water. It is similar in size, mass and composition to Jupiter. It is however cooler than
the Jupiter.

• Uranus: It was the first planet to be discovered with the help of a telescope by
William Herschel in 1781. Hydrogen and methane have been detected in the
atmosphere of Uranus. It rotates from east to west. The most remarkable feature of
Uranus is that it has highly tilted rotational axis. As a result, in its orbital motion it
appears to roll on its side. It takes 84 years for one orbit around the Sun and 17 hours,
14 minutes for one spin on its axis. It has 17 satellites.

• Neptune: It takes 164 years for one orbit around the Sun and 16 hours 7 minutes
for one spin on its axis. It has 8 satellites.

Inside our Earth

The earth is a dynamic planet because it is constantly undergoing changes inside and
outside. The earth is made up of several concentric layers with one inside another.
There are three types of layer- crust, mantle and core. The crust is the uppermost
layer over the earth’s surface which is about 35 km on the continental masses and
only 5 km on the ocean floors. The mantle has been just beneath the crust, which is
extended up to a depth of 2900 km. below the crust.The innermost layer is the core,
with a radius of about 3500 km.
The earth is a dynamic planet because it is constantly undergoing changes inside and outside.
It is made up of rocks. The earth is made up of several concentric layers with one inside
another. There are three types of layer- crust, mantle and core. The Crust is the uppermost
layer over the earth’s surface which is about 35 km on the continental masses and only 5 km
on the ocean floors. Continental mass is constituents of silica and alumina constituents, thus
it is called sial. The oceanic crust mainly consists of silica and magnesium; it is therefore
called sima (si-silica and ma-magnesium). Mantle is just beneath the crust which is extends
up to a depth of 2900 km. below the crust .The innermost layer is the core with a radius of
about 3500 km. It is mainly made up of nickel and iron and is called nife (ni – nickel and fe –
ferrous i.e. iron).

ROCKS
The earth’s crust is made up of various types of rocks that can be of different colour,
size and texture. There are three major types of rocks: igneous rocks, sedimentary
rocks and metamorphic rocks which are discussed below:

1. Igneous rocks: They are formed, when the molten magma cools and becomes
solid. There are two types of igneous rocks: intrusive rocks and extrusive rocks. An
extrusive igneous rock is formed from molten magma coming from the interior of the
earth on its surface, rapidly cools down and becomes solid. Example- Basalt An
intrusive igneous rock is formed when the molten magma cools down deep inside the
earth’s crust. Example- Granite
2. Sedimentary rocks: It is formed by transported and deposited small fragmented
rocks by wind, water etc and these loose sediments are compressed and hardened to
form layers of rocks. These rocks contain fossils of dead plants, animals and other
microorganisms. For example, sandstone is made from grains of sand.
3. Metamorphic rocks: These rocks are formed due to great heat and pressure over igneous
and sedimentary rocks. For example, clay changes into slate and limestone into marble.

Minerals
They are naturally occurring substance with certain physical properties and definite
chemical composition. These are used in industries – iron, aluminium, gold, uranium,
etc, in medicine, in fertilizers, etc. For example, coal, natural gas and petroleum.

Physical Division
India lies largely on the Indian Plate, the northern portion of the Indo-Australian Plate,
whose continental crust forms the Indian subcontinent Physical divisions, are marked
by natural configuration. India may be divided broadly into five physical units -The
Great Mountains of the north; The north Indian plain; The Peninsular Plateau; The
coastal plains; The Islands.
India lies largely on the Indian Plate, the northern portion of the Indo-Australian Plate,
whose continental crust forms the Indian subcontinent Physical divisions, are marked
by natural configuration. India may be divided broadly into five physical units as
follows:
• The Great Mountains of the north.

• The north Indian plain.

• The Peninsular Plateau.

• The coastal plains.

• The Islands.

The great mountains of the North

From Pamir Plateau in the west to the Indo-Myanmar order in the east, there is a chain
of mountains. They stretch uninterruptedly almost for about 3,600 km and form an
arc. The width of this mountain belt varies between 150 and 400 km. The mountains
extending between the Pamir plateau and the Indus River in Kashmir are known as
Karakoram. The Karakoram Mountain contains some of the world’s largest mountain
glaciers, for example, Baltoro and the Siachen. The world’s 2nd highest peak called K2
(Godwin Austin) belongs to this mountain range. Those between the Indus and the
Brahmaputra are called the Himalayas, meaning ‘the abode of snow’. The Himalayas
consist of three parallel ranges. The height of these ranges increase from south to
north.

The southernmost range, called the Siwalik, is the lowest. The average altitude of
Siwalik range varies between 1,000 and 1,200 m. This range is made of
unconsolidated materials such as mud, silt and soft rocks. This is not a continuous
range and merges with other ranges in the east. Its width varies between 10-50 km.
Some narrow valleys are found in this part. They are called ‘duns’. Dehradun, for
example, is situated in one such valley.

The ranges lying north of the Siwalik are known as the middle Himalayas or the
Himachal. They have an average height of 4,000 to 4,500 m. above sea level. They
extend over a width of about 80 km. Forests and meadows cover many slopes.
Springs, waterfalls and numerous streams winding their ways through narrow valleys
provide beautiful sights. Dalhousie, Dharmashala, Shimla, Mussorie, Nainital and
Darjeeling are famous hill resorts find here.

The northernmost ranges of the Himalayas, known as the Himadri, are the highest
with an average height of more than 6,000 m. above sea level. Mt. Everest (8,848m)
in Nepal is the world’s highest peak. Kanchenjunga in Sikkim is the highest peak of
the Himalayas, in India.

The eastern extension of these mountains along the border of Myanmar is known as
the Purvanchal. The Purvanchal in the north-east consist of the Patkai-Bum, the Garo-
Khasi-Jaintia, and the Lusai hills. The mountains of the north are characterised by their
great heights, conical peaks, steep slopes and deep valleys. They were formed
comparatively recently in the earth’s history as a result of compression. The
sediments beneath the ocean were folded due to compression and gut uplifted.
Therefore they are known as Young Fold Mountains. These mountains are still rising.
Earthquake tremors, therefore, are felt occasionally in these as well as adjoining
areas.

The north Indian plain

To the south of the Great Mountains of the north, there is a vast plain extending over
2, 500km approximately from the satluj in west to Brahmaputra in the east. It is made
up of the alluvium brought by the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra and their
tributaries. The Indus and the Brahmaputra raise beyond the Himalayas very close to
the each other Lake Mansarovar but flow in opposite directions.

The Peninsula Plateau

To the south of the north Indian plain lays the peninsular plateau. It is made of hard
igneous and metamorphic rocks. It is the oldest part of India. As such, it has been
undergoing the changes brought by the internal and external forces of the earth for
hundreds of Millions of years. Hills with lesser heights and rounded tops in this region
present a contrast to the mountains of the north. The peninsular plateau is broadly
divided into the central highlands and the Deccan plateau.

The northern part of the peninsula, north of the Vindhyas, is known as the central
highlands. It is bounded by the Aravalis in the north-west, merging gradually with the
Ganga plains in the north. The central highland consists of a series of plateaus from
west to east. The western part of the central highlands is known as the Malwa plateau.
Its eastern part in south Bihar is known as the Chhotanagpur plateau. Bundelkhand
and the baghelkhand lie between. To the west of the Aravalis lies the Thar Desert. It is
a sandy and rocky desert which has covered the north-west extension of the plateau
region.

The Deccan plateau extends from the Vindhyas in the north to the tip of the peninsula
in the south. The western edge of the plateau called the Western Ghats is
comparatively continuous and higher than the Eastern Ghats. The Western Ghats
have an average height of 1, 000ms above sea level and at places they rise above 1,
600ms. The Western Ghats consist of the Sahyadri, the Nilgiris, the Annamalai and the
cardamom hill. Height of the Western Ghats increases from north to south with an
elevation of 2, 695 m above the sea level. Anai Mudi in Kerala is the highest peak of
the peninsular India.

The north-western part of the Deccan plateau is made up of lava flows. This part is
known as the Deccan trap. It covers almost the whole of Maharashtra and parts of
Gujarat and M.P. The peninsular plateau is drained by several rivers. The Narmada
and the Tapi rise in the hills of central India. They flow westward and join the Arabian
Sea. The Narmada flows through a narrow valley between the Vindhyas in the north
and the Satpura ranges in the south. The Tapi flows south of Satpura ranges in the
south. All other major rivers- the Mahanadi, the Godavari, the Krishna and the Kaveri
flow eastward and join the Bay of Bengal. The Godavari is the longest peninsular river.

The Coastal plains

The Deccan plateau is flanked by coastal plains on both sides. The western coastal
plain is broadest in the north and includes the plain of Gujarat as well. It narrows
down towards south. South of Gujarat, it is known as the Konkan coast. The southern
part of the coast is known as the Malabar Coast. The western coastline is slightly
indented having estuaries of the Narmada and the Tapi in the north and lagoons or
backwaters in Kerala. The eastern coastal plain is wider and more levelled than the
western coast. In the north this plain merges with the plains of the Ganga-
Brahmaputra delta. The northern part of this coast is known as northern Circar and
the southern part as Coromondel coast.

The Islands
To the west of the Kerala coast, there is a cluster of numerous small islands. They are
collectively known as the Lakshadweep islands. They are of local origin. The Andaman
and Nicobar islands are located in the Bay of Bengal. They are bigger in size. While
some of the islands are of volcanic origin, others are submerged hill ranges. The
southern part of India, called the Indira point, is located in Great Nicobar Island.
Kanyakumari is the southernmost point of the Indian mainland. But, Indira point,
situated in the Island Group of the Andaman and Nicobar is the southernmost point of
the Indian Territory.

Composition of Air
The atmosphere is a huge blanket of air that surrounds the earth. It provides us the
air we breathe and protects us from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays. Atmosphere
is consists of mainly nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (0.93%), carbon dioxide
(0.03%) and other gases like helium, ozone, argon and hydrogen (0.04%).
The atmosphere is a huge blanket of air that surrounds the earth. It provides us the
air we breathe and protects us from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays.
Atmosphere is consists of mainly nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), argon (0.93%),
carbon dioxide (0.03%) and other gases like helium, ozone, argon and hydrogen
(0.04%).

• Nitrogen is very important for plant’s survival. They cannot take nitrogen directly
from the air. Bacteria that live in the soil and roots of some plants take nitrogen from
the air and change its form so that plants can use it.

• Oxygen is the second most plentiful gas in the air. Humans and animals take oxygen
from the air. Green plants produce oxygen during photosynthesis.

• Carbon dioxide is another important gas. Green plants use carbon dioxide to make
their food and release oxygen. Humans or animals release carbon dioxide. The
amount of carbon dioxide released by humans or animals seems to be equal to the
amount used by the plants which make a perfect balance.

Structure of the Atmosphere

The atmosphere is divided into five layers starting from the earth’s surface. These are
Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Exosphere.

• Troposphere: This layer is the most important layer of the atmosphere. Its average
height is 13 km. The air we breathe exists here. Almost all the weather phenomena
like rainfall, fog and hailstorm occur in this layer.

• Stratosphere: It lies above the troposphere which extends up to a height of 50 km.

This layer is almost free from clouds and associated weather phenomenon, making
conditions most ideal for flying aeroplanes. One important feature of stratosphere is
that it contains a layer of ozone gas.

• Mesosphere: This is the third layer of the atmosphere. It lies above the stratosphere.
It extends up to the height of 80 km. Meteorites burn up in this layer on entering from
the space.

• Thermosphere: In thermosphere temperature rises very rapidly with increasing

height. Ionosphere is a part of this layer. It extends between 80-400 km. This layer
helps in radio transmission. In fact, radio waves transmitted from the earth are
reflected back to the earth by this layer.
• Exosphere: The upper most layer of the atmosphere is known as exosphere. This
layer has very thin air. Light gases like helium and hydrogen float into the space from
here.

Water
Water is very important for life .It continuously changes its form through water cycle.
The process by which water continually changes its form and circulates between
oceans, atmosphere and land is known as the water cycle. The major sources of fresh
water are the rivers, ponds, springs and glaciers. The ocean bodies and the seas
contain salty water. The earth is covered by three-fourth of water. 97.3% water is
saline or salty in ocean and seas, 3% is fresh water that consisting ice-cape, ground
water, fresh water lakes, inland and salt lakes.

Location and its Neighbour

India is located latitudinally in the Northern Hemisphere and longitudinally in the
Eastern Hemisphere. It extends from 80 4’ N to 370 6’ N latitude and 680 7’ E to 970 25’
E longitude. Because of this great longitudinal extent, the difference in local time
between eastern and western extremes of our country is of two hours. The local time
along 820 30’ E longitudes is taken as standard time of India i.e. Indian Standard Time
(IST). This meridian is known as the Standard Meridian of India. It has an area of 3.28
million square km. It is the seventh largest country in the world. It accounts for nearly
2% of the world’s total area. It is situated in the northern hemisphere.

Area wise the four largest states in descending order are: Rajasthan> Madhya
Pradesh> Maharashtra> Andhra Pradesh. Goa is the smallest state of India area-wise.

Important Facts
 The largest district is Kachchh (Gujarat) and the smallest district is Mahe (Puducherry).
• The Indira Point is the southern point of India and is situated on the island of
Andaman and Nicobar.

• Barren Island is only India’s active volcano situated in the Andaman Sea about 135
km NE of Port Blair in the Andaman Islands.

• Narcondam Island is a volcanic island which is situated in the northern-eastern part

of North Andaman.

• The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman Islands and the Nicobar Islands
from each other in the Bay of Bengal.

• Duncan pass is located between South Andaman and Little Andaman.

• The Grand Channel is between the Great Nicobar islands and Sumatra islands
(Indonesia).

• The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are also known as the Emerald Islands.

• The Eight Degree Channel separates the islands of Minicoy and Maldives.
• The Nine Degree Channel separates the island of Minicoy from the main
Lakshadweep archipelago.

• The Palk Strait is situated between Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu state in India.

• The Adam’s Bridge is situated between Tamil Nadu (India) and Sri Lanka. Pamban
Island is a part of the Adam’s Bridge. Rameshwaram is situated on this Island.

Important Passes in India

• Zoji La (Pass)-It is in the Zaskar range of Jammu & Kashmir. The road route from
Srinagar to Leh goes through this pass. It has been created by the Indus River.

• Banihal Pass-Banihal Pass is a mountain pass across the Pir Panjal Range at a
maximum elevation of 2,832 m. It connects the Kashmir Valley in the union territory
of Jammu and Kashmir to the outer Himalayas and the plains to the south. In the
Kashmiri language, "Banihāl" means blizzard.

• Shipki La (Pass)-Shipki La is a mountain pass and border post with a dozen

buildings of significant size on the India-China border. The river Sutlej enters India
near this pass.

• Bara-Lacha Pass- Bara-lacha la also known as Bara-lacha Pass, is a high mountain

pass in the Zanskar range, connecting Lahaul district in Himachal Pradesh to Leh
district in Ladakh, situated along the Leh–Manali Highway.

• Rohtang Pass-It is a high mountain pass on the eastern end of the Pir Panjal Range
of the Himalayas around 51 km from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the
Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.

• Mana Pass-The pass is one of the highest vehicle-accessible passes in the world,
containing a road constructed in the 2005-2010 period for the Indian military by the
Border Roads Organisation. Mana Pass is the last point between India and China
Border.

• Niti Pass-The Niti Pass located at 5800 meters connects India with Tibet. The pass
is located in Uttarakhand.

• Nathu La (Pass)-Nathu La is a mountain pass in the Himalayas in East Sikkim

district. It connects the Indian state of Sikkim with China's Tibet Autonomous Region.
Nathu means "listening ears" and La means "pass" in Tibetan.

• Jalep La (Pass)-Jelep La or Jelep Pass, elevation 4,267 m or 13,999 ft, is a high

mountain pass between East Sikkim District, Sikkim, India and Tibet Autonomous
Region, China. It is on a route that connects Lhasa to India.

Prominent Islands of India

• Sriharikota: It is situated in the foremost part of Pulicat Lake which is made up of
coral reefs.

• Pamban Island: It is situated in the Gulf of Mannar between India and Srilanka. It is
a part of the Adam’s Bridge.
• New Moore: It is situated in the Bay of Bengal on the border of Bangladesh and
India. It is latest Island made up of deposition of silt at the mouth of the Ganga.

Distribution of Rainfall
The average rainfall in India is 125 cm. The South-west monsoon constituted 75% of
the total rainfall (June to September), 13% of it by north-east monsoon (October to
December), 10% of it by pre monsoon cyclonic rainfall (mainly in April and May and
2% of it by western disturbances (December to February). The western coast and
North-Eastern India receive over about 400 cm of rainfall annually. However, it is less
than 60 cm in western Rajasthan and adjoining parts of Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab.
• Areas of heavy rainfall: Those areas of India where there is more than 200 cm
rainfall. There are three such main areas in India:
I. The western slopes of the Western Ghats.

II. The north-east India (except Tripura and Manipur)

III. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

• Areas of scanty rainfall: These areas receive less than 50 cm average annual
rainfall. There are three such areas in India:
I. Northern Gujarat, western Rajasthan and the southern parts of Punjab-Haryana

II. The rain-shadow area of the Western Ghats

III. The desert of Ladakh

Type of soil
• The alluvial soils are made up of fine silt deposited by rivers. It is one of the most
fertile soils of the world. These are found in the northern plains and the river-deltas.
Very fine and relatively new alluvium found in the flood-plains and the delta of the
Ganga-Brahmaputra is known as Khadar. Relatively old and coarse alluvium is known
as Bhangar. It is found on the upper sides of river valleys.

• The black soils are made up of volcanic rocks of lava flows. They are clayey and
retain moisture for a long period. These soils are fertile. They are found mainly in the
Deccan trap region of Maharashtra and parts of M.P. and Gujarat. These soils are most
suited for raising cotton crops. They are also known as black cotton soils. Locally,
these soils are called Regur soils.

• The red soils are derived from igneous rocks in the hot and relatively dry parts of
the southern and the eastern parts of the Indian peninsula. These soils are less fertile.
However, with the use of fertilizers they can produce good crops.

• The laterite soils are found in hot and Western Ghats, the Chhota Nagpur plateau
and some parts of the north-eastern states. Due to heavy rainfall, the nutrients of the
top soil percolate downward. This process is known as leaching. These soils are
deficient in humus and hence less fertile.

• Mountainous soils: In the mountainous region of the Himalayas, soil cover is

generally thin. Valleys have comparatively thicker cover. Soils of such regions are
known as mountainous soils. Sandy soils found in the arid region of Rajasthan and
Gujarat are classified as desert soil. These are loose in structure and lack soil-
moisture.

Wildlife Sanctuaries in India

Andaman and Nicobar Islands Great Nicobar
Andhra Pradesh 1. Nagarjuna Sagar Srisailam
2. Eturnagaram
3. Kolleru
4. Pulicat
Arunachal Pradesh Pakui-bameri
Assam Garampani
Bihar Gautam Buddha (Gaya)
Himachal Pradesh 1. Gobind Sagar
2. Shikari Devi (Mandi)
Jharkhand 1. Palamau
2. Hazaribagh
Karnataka 1. Bhadra
2. Dandeli
3. Ranganathittu
Kerala 1. Waynad
2. Nayyar
Madhya Pradesh 1. Bori-Satpura
2. Pachmarhi
3. National Chambal
Goa Bhagwan Mahaveer
Maharashtra 1. Kanheri
2. Melghat
Mizoram Dampa
Odisha 1. Satkasia
2. Nandan Kanan (Bhubaneshwar)
3. Chandka
4. Chilika Lake
Punjab Abohar
Rajasthan 1. Mount Abu
2. Tal Chhappar
Tamil Nadu 1. Vedanthangal
2. Point Calimere
3. Mundanthurai
Uttar Pradesh Chandraprabha (Varanasi)
West Bengal 1. Mahanadi
2. Joldapara
3. Sajanakhali
National Parks in India
Andaman and Nicobar 1. Campbell
lslands 2. Galathea
3. Mahatma Gandhi Marine
4. Middle Button Island
5. Mount Harriet
6. North Button Island
7. Rani Jhansi Marine
8. Saddle Peak
9. South Button Island
Andhra Pradesh 1. Kasu Brahmananda Reddy
2. Mahaveer Harina Vanasthal
3. Mrugavani
4. Sri Venkataeswara
Arunachal Pradesh 1. Mouling
2. Namdapha
Assam 1. Dibru-Saikhowa
2. Kaziranga
3. Manas
4. Nameri
5. Orang
Bihar Valmikinagar
Chhattisgarh 1. Indravati
2. Kangerghati
3. Sanjay
Goa Mollen
Gujarat 1. Bansda
2. Gir
3. Marine (Gulf of Kachchh)
4. Blackbuck
Haryana Sultanpur
Himachal Pradesh 1. Great Himalayan
2. Pin Valley
Jammu and Kashmir 1. City Forest (Salim Ali)
2. Dachigam
3. Hemis
4. Kistwar
Jharkhand Betla
Karnataka 1. Anshi
2. Bandipur
3. Bannerghatta
4. Kudremukh
5. Nagarahole
Kerala 1. Eravikulam
2. Periyar
 3. Silent Valley
Madhya Pradesh 1. Bandhavagarh
2. Fossil
3. Kanha
4. Madhav
5. Panna
6. Pench (Priyadarshini)
7. Sanjay
8. Satpur
9. Van Vihar
Manipur Keibul-Lamjao
Maharashtra 1. Gugamal
2. Nawegaon
3. Pench
4. Sanjay Gandhi (Borivilli)
5. Tadoba
Meghalaya 1. Balphakram
2. Nokrek Ridge
Mizoram 1. Murlen
2. Phawngpui Blue Mountain
Nagaland Intanki
Odisha 1. Bhitarkanika
2. Similipal
Rajasthan 1. Desert
2. Keoladeo Ghana
3. Ranthambore
4. Sariska
Sikkim Khangchendzonga (Kanchenjunga)
Tamil Nadu 1. Guindy
2. Gulf of Mannar Marine
3. Indira Gandhi (Annamalai)
4. Mudumalai
5. Mukurthi
Uttarakhand 1. Corbett
2. Gangotri
3. Gobind
4. Nanda Devi
5. Rajaji
6. Valley of Flowers (Phoolon ki Ghati)
Uttar Pradesh Dudhwa
West Bengal 1. Buxa
2. Gorumara
3. Neora Valley
4. Singhlila
5. Sunderbans
Bird Sanctuaries in India
Name of Bird Sanctuaries Location
Ghana Bird Sanctuary (Keoladeo) Bharatpur (Rajasthan)
Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary Mysore (Karnataka) ,
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary Chingleput (Tamil Nadu)
Nalapati Bird Sanctuary Nellore (Andhra Pradesh)
Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary Chorao (Goa)
Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary Thattekkad (Kerala)
Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary Kottayam (Kerala)
Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary Sanand (Gujarat)
Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary Jamnagar (Gujarat)
Bankapura Peacock Sanctuary Karnataka
Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary Narendrapur (24 Paragana, West
Bengal)
Kanwar Bird Sanctuary Begusarai (Bihar)
Bakhira Bird Sanctuary Khalilabad (Uttar Pradesh)
Chilika Bird Sanctuary Odisha

Tributaries of Ganga
The important tributaries of Ganga are the Ramganga, the Gomati, the Ghaghara, the
Gandak, the Kosi and the Mahanada. The river finally discharges itself into the Bay of
Bengal near the Sagar Island.

• The Yamuna, the western most and the longest tributary of the Ganga, has its
source in the Yamunotri glacier on the western slopes of Banderpunch range (6,316
km). It joins the Ganga at Prayag (Allahabad). It is joined by the Chambal, the Sind,
the Betwa and the Ken on its right bank which originates from the Peninsular plateau
while the Hindan, the Rind, the Sengar, the Varuna, etc. join it on its left bank. Much
of its water feeds the western and eastern Yamuna and the Agra canals for irrigation
purposes.

• The Chambal rises near Mhow in the Malwa plateau of Madhya Pradesh and flows
northwards through a gorge up wards of Kotain Rajasthan, where the Gandhisagar
dam has been constructed. From Kota, it traverses down to Bundi, Sawai Madhopur
and Dholpur, and finally joins the Yamuna. The Chambal is famous for its badlands
topography called the Chambal ravines.

• The Gandak comprises two streams, namely Kaligandak and Trishulganga. It rises
in the Nepal Himalayas between the Dhaulagiri and Mount Everest and drains the
central part of Nepal. It enters the Ganga plain in Champaran district of Bihar and
joins the Ganga at Sonpur near Patna.
• The Ghaghara originates in the glaciers of Mapchachungo. After collecting the
waters of its tributaries – Tila, Seti and Beri, it comes out of the mountain, cutting a
deep gorge at Shishapani. The river Sarda (Kali or Kali Ganga) joins it in the plain
before it finally meets the Ganga at Chhapra.

• The Kosi is an antecedent river with its source to the north of Mount Everest in
Tibet, where its main stream Arun rises. After crossing the Central Himalayas in Nepal,
it is joined by the Son Kosi from the West and the Tamur Kosi from the east. It forms
Sapt Kosi after uniting with the river Arun.

• The Ramganga is comparatively a small river rising in the Garhwal hills near
Gairsain. It changes its course to the southwest direction after crossing the Shiwalik
and enters into the plains of Uttar Pradesh near Najibabad. Finally, it joins the Ganga
near Kannauj.

• The Damodar occupies the eastern margins of the Chotanagpur Plateau where it
flows through a rift valley and finally joins the Hugli.

• The Barakar is its main tributary. Once known as the ‘sorrow of Bengal’, the
Damodar has been now tamed by the Damodar Valley Corporation, a multipurpose
project.

• The Sarda or Saryu River rises in the Milan glacier in the Nepal Himalayas where it
is known as the Goriganga. Along the Indo-Nepal border, it is called Kali or Chauk,
where it joins the Ghaghara.

• The Mahananda is another important tributary of the Ganga rising in the

Darjeeling hills. It joins the Ganga as its last left bank tributary in West Bengal.

• The Son is major right bank tributary of Ganga River. It is a large south bank
tributary of the Ganga, originating in the Amarkantak plateau. After forming a series
of waterfalls at the edge of the plateau, it reaches Arrah, west of Patna, to join the
Ganga.

Rivers of the peninsular India

The major river systems of the peninsular drainage are – the Mahanadi the Godavari,
the Krishna and the Kaveri, the Narmada, the Tapi and the Luni which is discussed
below:

• The Godavari: It is the largest peninsular river system due to this it is also called
the Dakshin Ganga. It rises in the Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its
water into the Bay of Bengal. Its tributaries run through the states of Maharashtra,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Orissa and Andhra Pradesh. The Penganga, the
Indravati, the Pranhita, and the Manjra are its principal tributaries. The Godavari is
subjected to heavy floods in its lower reaches to the south of Polavaram, where it
forms a picturesque gorge. It is navigable only in the deltaic stretch. The river after
Rajamundri splits into several branches forming a large delta.

• The Krishna: It is the second largest east flowing Peninsular River which rises near
Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri. Its total length is 1,401 km. The Koyna, the Tungbhadra
and the Bhima are its major tributaries.
• The Mahanadi: It rises near Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and runs
through Orissa to discharge its water into the Bay of Bengal. It is 851 km long and its
catchment area spreads over 1.42 lakh sq. km. Some navigation is carried on in the
lower course of this river. Fifty three per cent of the drainage basin of this river lies in
Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, while 47 per cent lies in Orissa.

• The Kaveri: It rises in Brahmagiri hills (1,341m) of Kogadu district in Karnataka. Its
length is 800 km and it drains an area of 81,155 sq. km. Since the upper catchment
area receives rainfall during the southwest monsoon season (summer) and the lower
part during the northeast monsoon season (winter), the river carries water throughout
the year with comparatively less fluctuation than the other Peninsular Rivers. It’s
important tributaries are the Kabini, the Bhavani and the Amravati.

• The Narmada: It originates on the western flank of the Amarkantak plateau at a

height of about 1,057 m. flowing in a rift valley between the Satpura in the south and
the Vindhyan range in the north; it forms a picturesque gorge in marble rocks and
Dhuandhar waterfall near Jabalpur. After flowing a distance of about 1,312 km, it
meets the Arabian sea south of Bharuch, forming a broad 27 km long estuary. Its
catchment area is about 98,796 sq. km. The Sardar Sarovar Project has been
constructed on this river.

• The Tapi: It is the other important westward flowing river. It originates from Multai
in the Betul district of Madhya Pradesh. It is 724 km long and drains an area of 65,145
sq. km. Nearly 79 per cent of its basin lies in Maharashtra, 15 per cent in Madhya
Pradesh and the remaining 6 per cent in Gujarat.

• The Luni: It is the largest river system of Rajasthan, west of Aravali. It originates
near Pushkar in two branches, i.e. the Saraswati and the Sabarmati, which join with
each other at Govindgarh. From here, the river comes out of Aravali and is known as
Luni. It flows towards the west till Telwara and then takes a southwest direction to join
the Rann of Kuchchh. The entire river system is ephemeral.

Statistics on Water
Water covers 70% of the earth’s surface but only 3% of this is fresh water. Of this, 2%
is in polar ice caps and only 1% is usable water in rivers, lakes and subsoil aquifers. Only
a fraction of this can be actually used. At a global level 70% of water is used for
agriculture about 25% for industry and only 5% for domestic use. However this varies
in different countries and industrialized countries use a greater percentage for industry. India
uses 90% for agriculture, 7% for industry and 3% for domestic use. The total annual
freshwater withdrawals today are estimated at 3800 cubic kilometers, twice as much
as just 50 years ago (World Commission on Dams, 2000). Studies indicate that a person
needs a minimum of 20 to 40 liters of water per day for drinking and sanitation. More
than one billion people worldwide have no access to clean water.

Valley Projects link with Indus River

Multipurpose river valley projects are constructed to fulfil the requirements of
irrigation for agriculture, electricity for industries and flood control. As J.L Nehru states
that, “the temples of modern India”. Bhakra Nangal, Indira Gandhi Project, Pong
Project Chamera Project, Thein Project, Nathpa Jhakri Project, Salal, Baglihar Project,
Dulhasti Project, Tulbul Project, and Uri Project are important river valley project links
with the Indus River System.

River Valley Projects of River Ganga

Multipurpose river valley projects in India were started with the basic aim of meeting
the critical requirements of irrigation for agriculture, electricity for industries and flood
control. The importance of the dams at that time can be inferred from the fact that
dams were regarded as “the temples of modern India” by J.L Nehru. Tehri Project,
Ramganga Project, Tanakpur Project, Gandak Project, Kosi Project, Rihand Project,
Bansagar, Matatila Project, Chambal Project, Damodar Valley and Mayurakshi Project
are the important river valley project link with Ganga River Basin.

Indian Cities /Towns situated on the Banks of River

Cities Rivers
Surat Tapti/Tapi
Vijaywada Krishna
Hyderabad Musi
Badrinath Alaknanda
Jabalpur. Narmada
Durgapur Damodar
Gwalior Chambal
Kota Chambal
Dhaulpur Chambal
Jhansi Betwa
Jamshedpur Subarnarekha
Nasik Godavari
Ujjan Kshipra
Ahmedabad Sabarmati
Kolkata (London of East) Hugli
Aurangabad Kauna
Agra Yamuna
Delhi Yamuna
Allahabad Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna,
Saraswati
Haridwar Ganga
Kanpur Ganga
 Patna Ganga
Srirangapatnam Kaveri
Tiruchirapalli Kaveri
Lucknow Gomti
Jaunpur. Gomti
Dibrugarh Brahmaputra
Guwahati Brahmaputra
Cuttack Mahanadi
Sambalpur Mahanadi
Sri nagar Jhelum
Madurai Vaigai
Panji Mandovi
Pune Mutha
Ayodhya Saryu (Ghaghra)

Major Industries
• Textiles Industry - Cotton, jute, silk, wool and synthetic are different varieties of
natural fibres providing raw material for the textile industry. The first modern cotton
textile industry was set up in India in Mumbai in 1854. It shares about 1/3rd of the
total export earnings.Rayon, nylon and terrene are examples of synthetic fibres. There
are over 1, 500 cotton man-made fibre mills. Most of them are in private sector. The
cotton and the man- made fiber industry are concentrated mainly in Gujarat,
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. A substantial production is also obtained from the
handloom sector.

• The Jute Industry - This is traditionally export-oriented. This industry is located

mostly in West Bengal on both sides of the river Hugli.

• The Wool and Silk Industries – These industries have comparatively small
percentage of share in the total output of fabrics. The wool textile mills are located in
Amritsar, Dhariwal Srinagar, Mumbai, Jamnagar, Kanpur and Bangalore. The silk
industry is located in Mysore, Kanchipuram, Murshidabad, Varanasi and Srinagar.
• Sugar Industry - The sugarcane is the raw material for this industry. Maharashtra
is an important producer of sugarcane. Here the cultivation of sugarcane and the
sugar industry are under co-operative sector. India is one of the major sugar
producers of the world.

• Iron and Steel Industry - The modern iron and steel industry was set up in Kulti,
West Bengal in 1870. However the first large scale plant got underway with the
establishment of Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in 1907 at Jamshedpur. Iron
and steel industries are also established at Burnpur, Bhadravati, Vijainagar, Durgapur,
Bhilai, Bokaro Rourkela, and Vishakhapatnam. Besides, there is an alloy steel plant at
Durgapur and stainless steel plant at Salem. Except for TISCO, all other steel plants
are owned and managed by the government.
• Engineering Industries - The HMT produces a large variety of big and small
machines. Its plants are located in Bangalore, Pinjore, Hyderabad, Kalamassery
(Kerala) and Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir).

• Oil refining – India imports crude oil from a number of West Asian countries. In
order to refine crude oil, several oil refineries have been set up in different parts of
the country. The oldest refinery is Digboi in Assam. Others are at Noonmati, Haldia,
Bongaigaon, Barauni, Mathura, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Cochin, Mumbai and Koyali
(Vadodara).

• Chemical industry – India produces a wide variety of chemicals such as sulphuric

acid, soda ash, caustic soda, phenol and dyes. It contributes about 12% of the total
export from India.

Human Development Index in India

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistics of life expectancy,
education, and income indices to rank countries into four tiers of human development.
It was created by economist Mahbub-ul-Haq, followed by economist Amartya Sen in
1990, and published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Country
rankings and values of the annual Human Development Index (HDI) are kept under
strict embargo until the global launch and worldwide electronic release of the Human
Development Report.

Vedic culture
The Vedic Age was between 1500 BC and 600 BC. This is the next major civilization that occurred
in ancient India after the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization by 1400 BC. The Vedas were
composed in this period and this gives this age the name. The Vedas are also the chief source of
information about this era. The Vedic Age started with the coming of the Aryans or Indo-Aryans.

Indo-Aryan Migration to Vedic Civilization

 The Aryans were a semi-nomadic pastoral people.
 The original homeland of the Aryans is a matter of debate with different experts suggesting
different regions from where they originated.
 Some say they came from the area around the Caspian Sea in Central Asia (Max Muller),
while others think they originated from the Russian Steppes. Bal Gangadhar Tilak was of
the opinion that the Aryans came from the Arctic region.
 The Vedic Age started with the Aryan occupation of the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
 Meaning of the word Arya: Noble.
 They spoke Sanskrit, an Indo-European language.
 They led a rural, semi-nomadic life as compared to the Indus Valley people who were
urbanised.
 It is believed that they entered India through the Khyber Pass.

Early Vedic Period or Rig Vedic Period (1500 BC – 1000 BC)

Initially, the Aryans lived in the land known as “Sapta Sindhu” (Land of the Seven Rivers). These
seven rivers were: Sindhu (Indus), Vipash (Beas), Vitasta (Jhelum), Parushni (Ravi), Asikni
(Chenab), Shutudri (Satluj) and Saraswati.
Political structure:

 Monarchical form of government with a king known as Rajan.

 Patriarchal families. Jana was the largest social unit in Rig Vedic times.
 Social grouping: kula (family) – grama – visu – jana.
 Tribal assemblies were called Sabhas and Samitis. Examples of tribal kingdoms: Bharatas,
Matsyas, Yadus and Purus.
Social structure:

 Women enjoyed a respectable position. They were allowed to take part in Sabhas and
Samitis. There were women poets too (Apala, Lopamudra, Viswavara and Ghosa).
 Cattle especially cows became very important.
 Monogamy was practised but polygamy was observed among royalty and noble families.
 There was no child marriage.
 Social distinctions existed but were not rigid and hereditary.
Economic structure:

 They were pastoral and cattle-rearing people.

 They practised agriculture.
 They had horse chariots.
 Rivers were used for transport.
 Cotton and woollen fabrics were spun and used.
 Initially, trade was conducted through the barter system but later on, coins called ‘nishka’
were in use.
Religion:

 They worshipped natural forces like earth, fire, wind, rain, thunder, etc. by personifying
them into deities.
 Indra (thunder) was the most important deity. Other deities were Prithvi (earth), Agni (fire),
Varuna (rain) and Vayu (wind).
 Female deities were Ushas and Aditi.
 There were no temples and no idol worship.
Later Vedic Period or Painted Grey Ware Phase (1000 BC – 600 BC)
During this time, the Aryans moved eastwards and occupied western and eastern UP (Kosala) and
Bihar.
Political structure:

 Kingdoms like Mahajanapadas were formed by amalgamating smaller kingdoms.

 King’s power increased and various sacrifices were performed by him to enhance his
position.
 Sacrifices were Rajasuya (consecration ceremony), Vajapeya (chariot race) and
Ashwamedha (horse sacrifice).
 The Sabhas and Samitis diminished in importance.
Social structure:

 The Varna system of social distinction became more distinct. This became less based on
occupation and more hereditary.
  The four divisions of society in decreasing social ranking were: Brahmanas (priests),
Kshatriyas (rulers), Vaishyas (agriculturists, traders and artisans), and Shudras (servers of
the upper three classes).
 Women were not permitted to attend public assemblies like Sabhas and Samitis. Their
position in society diminished.
 Child marriages became common.
 Sub-castes based on occupation also emerged. Gotras were institutionalised.
Economic structure:

 Agriculture was the chief occupation.

 Industrial work like metalwork, pottery and carpentry work also was there.
 There was foreign trade with far off regions like Babylon and Sumeria.
Religion:

 Prajapati (creator) and Vishnu (preserver) became important gods.

 Indra and Agni lost their significance.
 Importance of prayers diminished and rituals and sacrifices became more elaborate.
 The priestly class became very powerful and they dictated the rules of the rites and rituals.
Because of this orthodoxy, Buddhism and Jainism emerged towards the end of this period.
Vedic Literature

 The word ‘Veda’ originated from the root ‘vid’ which means spiritual knowledge/subject of
knowledge/means of acquiring knowledge.
 The four Vedas are: Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva.
 Rig Veda was composed during the Early Vedic Age. The other three were written in the
Later Vedic Age.
 Rig Veda – this is the oldest religious text in the world. It contains 1028 hymns and is
classified into 10 mandalas.
 Yajur Veda – this deals with the ways to perform rituals.
 Sama Veda – deals with music. Indian music is said to be originated from Sama Veda.
 Atharva Veda – contains spells and magical formula.
 Other Vedic texts were the Brahmanas (explains the meaning of sacrifices); Upanishads
(also called Vedantas, 108 in number, source of Indian philosophy); and Aranyakas (books
of instructions).
 The great Indian epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana were also composed during this
period.

List of Famous Temples in India

Temples called ‘Mandira’ in Sanskrit reflect the history of a place and cultural glory. Below given is
the list of famous temples, the states and the prominent feature or fact associated with it.

Famous Temples in India

Temples in India State Features/facts

Lord Venkateswara Andhra  The temple on Tirumala hills is also known as Tirupathi
Temple Pradesh Balaji temple. It is also called a temple of seven hills.
 The temple is in Dravidian Architecture style.
Mahabodhi Temple Bihar  It is a Buddhist temple.
 The Central Tower Of Mahabodhi is 180 feet tall i.e. 54
metres.
 It is one of the oldest brick structures. The brickwork
depicts the life of Buddha.
 It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Somnath Temple Gujarat  It is lso known as Deo Patan.

 It is one of the 12 jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva.
 There is no land in between seashores from Somnath
temple to Antarctica.
 Constructed in Chalukyan style.
 1947 – Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel ordered the
reconstruction of the temple that completed in 1951.

Dwarkadhish Temple Gujarat  It is also known as Jagat Mandir.

 It is one of the four Hindu pilgrimages (Char Dham).
 The original structure was destroyed by Mahmud Brgada
in 1472.
 Presently, in the Chalukya architecture style.

Vaishno Devi Temple Jammu &  It is 5200 feet above sea level atop Trikuta Hills.
Kashmir  It is a Cave temple.

Amarnath Temple Jammu &  A cave temple situated at an altitude of 3888 metres.
Kashmir  It is one of the 51 Shakti Peeths.
 It is believed that Bhrigu Muni (A great sage) was the first
to have discovered Amarnath.

Virupaksha Temple Karnataka  Built by Lakkana Dandesha, a chieftain under the ruler
Deva Raya II of the Vijayanagara Empire.
 It forms a part of Group of Monuments at Hampi that is
designated as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Gomateshwara Karnataka  It is also known as Bahubali temple.

Temple  The tallest monolithic statue (Of Gomateshwara) in the
world carved out of a single block of granite.
 It is a Jain temple that is 57 feet high.
 Bahubali statue is one of the largest free-standing statues
in the world depicting the prolonged meditation of
Bahubali.

Padmanabhaswamy Kerala  The architecture is the fusion of Chera and Dravidian

Temple styles.

Khajuraho Temple Madhya  They are a group of temples built by the rulers of
Pradesh Chandela Dynasty.
  There were 85 temples scattered over an area of 9 square
miles, of which only 25 temples are remaining.
 Famous for nagara style architecture and known for
extensive erotic sculptures.

Siddhivinayak Temple Maharashtra  It is one of the richest temples in India.

 It was constructed by Laxman Vithu & Dubai Patil in 1801.

Konark Sun Temple Odisha  Build in the 13th century by King Narasimhadeva I (AD
1238-1264) during the Ganga Empire.
 It is conceived as a gigantic chariot of the Sun God built in
Kalinga architecture (Odisha style of architecture).

Jagannath Temple Odisha  It is also called Yamanika Tirtha.

 This temple in Puri is famous for its annual chariot festival,
Ratha Yatra.
 The first Jagannath temple was commissioned by King
Indradyumna.
 Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are a trio of deities
worshipped at the temple.

Golden Temple Punjab  It is a gurudwara, built in the 15th century. It is also

known as Harmindar Sahib.
 Temple was plated in Gold in 1980 from the wealth and
material donated by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Ramanathaswamy Tamil Nadu  One of the twelve Jyotirlinga temples built in the 12th
Temple Century.
 It has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in
India.
 It is built in the Dravidian style of architecture.
 Creators – Pandyas and Jaffna Kings
 There are 64 Tīrthas i.e. holy water bodies in and around
the island of Rameswaram.
 It is also one of the Char Dhams.

Meenakshi Temple Tamil Nadu  It has Dravidian Architecture and over 40 inscriptions.
 There are 985 richly carved pillars that depict scenes from
the wedding of Meenakshi (Parvati) and Sundareswarar
(Shiva).
 It is famous for its 3 storied Gopuram at the main
entrance.

Ranganathaswamy Tamil Nadu  One of the most important of 108 (Divya Desam )Vishnu
Temple Temples.
 It is built in Dravidian style, constructed in Vijayanagar
Period.
 It is located on the island formed by twin river- Cauvery &
 Coleroon.
 1st temple to be awarded by the UN Body for protecting
and conserving cultural heritage.
 Its Gopuram is the biggest Gopuram in Asia. Also, it is the
largest functioning Hindu temple in the world.

Brihadeeswara Temple Tamil Nadu  Also known as Raja Rajeswara Temple located at
Thanjavur.
 This Dravidian style temple was built by the Chola
emperor Raja Raja Chola I.
 One of the tallest temples in India that is completely
made of Granite.
 It is one of the Great Living Chola Temples, along with
Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple and Airavatesvara
temple.
 It is also called Dakshin Meru and is situated on the bank
of Cauvery river.
 It is a part of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Rajagopalaswamy Tamil Nadu  It is created in Dravidian style, it is also called Dakshina

Temple Dwaraka.
 It has one of the largest temple tanks in India called
Haridra Nadhi.

Nataraja Temple Tamil Nadu  The temple wall carvings display all the 108 karanas from
the Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni; these postures form
the foundation of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian
dance.
 It was built in the 10th century when Chidambaram was
the capital of the Chola dynasty.
 It is one of the oldest surviving active temple complexes in
South India.

Kashi Vishwanath Uttar Pradesh  The original Vishwanath temple was destroyed by the
Temple army of Qutb-Uddin Aibak in 1194 CE when he defeated
the Raja of Kannauj.
 There is a small well in the temple called the Jnana Vapi
also spelt as Gyaan Vapi
 In 1669 CE, Emperor Aurangzeb destroyed the temple and
built the Gyanvapi Mosque in its place.
 In 1780, Malhar Rao’s daughter-in-law Ahilyabai Holkar
constructed the present temple adjacent to the mosque
 It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas.

Badrinath Temple Uttarakhand  It is located in Garhwal hill along the banks of Alaknanda
River.
 It is at an elevation of 3,133 metres i.e. 10,279 ft above
the mean sea level.
  The temple is mentioned in ancient religious texts like
Vishnu Purana and Skanda Purana.

Yamunotri Temple Uttarakhand  Situated at an altitude of 3,291 metres i.e. 10,797 ft.
 It is located on the backdrop of Bandarpunch
 It is dedicated to goddess Yamuna.

Gangotri Temple Uttarakhand  It is located on the banks of the river Bhagirathi at an

altitude of 3,415 m (11,204 ft).

Year/
Place Indian Monument Built by
Century

Agra Fort Akbar 1573 AD

Agra city Sikandar Lodi -

Aram Bagh Babur 1528 AD

Tomb of Itmad-Ud-
NoorJahan 1628 AD
Daula

Jama Masjid Jehanara Begum 1648 AD

Agra (Uttar Shish Mahal Shahjahan 1632 AD
Pradesh)
Taj Mahal Shahjahan 1653 AD

Fatehpur Sikri
Jodha Bai Palace
16th
Birbal Palace Akbar
century
Panch Mahal
Buland Darwaza

Sikandra, Agra
Akbar and his son
(Uttar Akbar’s Tomb 1613 AD
Jahangir
Pradesh)

Agra Fort, Deewan-E- Khas Shahjahan -

Agra (Uttar
Pradesh) Moti Masjid Shahjahan 1635 AD

Allahabad,
(Uttar Anand Bhawan Motilal Nehru 1930 AD
Pradesh)

Lucknow Bada Imambara Asaf-ud-daula 1785 AD

(Uttar Muhammad Ali
Pradesh) Chhota Imambara -
Shah
Mathura (Uttar Maharaja Sawai 1724-1738
Jantar Mantar
Pradesh) Jai Singh II AD

Varanasi
Maharaja Sawai 1724-1739
(Uttar Jantar Mantar
Jai Singh II AD
Pradesh)

Mahendravarman
Rock cut temple 8th century
Mamallapuram -I
(Tamil Nadu) Narasimhavarma
Shore temple 8th century
n-II

Kanchipuram Narasimhavarma
Kailasanathar Temple 685-705 AD
(Tamil Nadu) n-II

Darasuram 12th
Airavatesvara temple Rajaraja I
(Tamil Nadu) century

Tanjore (Tamil
Brihadeshwara Rajaraja chola I 1010 AD
Nadu)

Gangaikonda
Gangaikondacholapur 12th
cholapuram Rajendra I
am century
(Tamil Nadu)

Chennai (Tamil East India

Saint George Fort 1644 AD
Nadu) Company

Madurai, Tamil
Meenakshi Temple - -
Nadu

Adhai Din Ka Jhopra Qutubuddin Aibak 1192 AD

Ajmer
(Rajasthan) Sultan
Dargah Ajmer Sharif -
Shyasuddin

Maharaja Pratap
Hawa Mahal 1799 AD
Singh

Maharaja Sawai
Jaipur Nahargarh Fort 1734 AD
Jai Singh II
(Rajasthan)
Maharaja Sawai
Jaigarh Fort 1726 AD
Jai Singh II

Chittorgarh Maharana
Vijaya Stambha 1448 AD
(Rajasthan) Kumbha

Mount Abu
Dilwara Jain Temple Vimal Shah 1582 AD
(Rajasthan)
Bharatpur Raja Surajmal 19th
Bharatpur Fort
(Rajasthan) Singh century

Amber Fort Man Singh I 1592 AD

Jaipur
(Rajasthan) Maharaja Sawai 1724-1736
Jantar Mantar
Jai Singh II AD

Jodhpur
Mehrangarh Fort Rao Jodha 1460 AD
(Rajasthan)

Ujjain (Madhya Maharaja Sawai 1724-1737

Jantar Mantar
Pradesh) Jai Singh II AD

Madhya 950-1050
Khajuraho Temples Chandellas
Pradesh AD

Char- Minar Quli Qutub Shah 1591 AD

Hyderabad Macca Masjid Quli Qutub Shah 1694 AD

(Telangana)
Qutub Shahi 16th
Golconda Fort
rulers century

Andhra Shri Venkateswara

- -
Pradesh Temple

4-10th
Aurangabad Ajanta Caves Gupta rulers
century
(Maharashtra)
Bibi Ka Maqbara Azam Shah 1661 AD

Rashtrakuta 6-10th
Maharashtra Ellora Caves
rulers century

Rashtrakuta
Elephanta Caves 5-9 century
Mumbai rulers
(Maharashtra) 20th
Gateway Of India British Govt.
century

Vikramasila Monastery Dharma Pala 8th century

Bihar
Nalanda University Kumargupta I -

Sasaram
Shershah’s Tomb Shershah’s son 1545 AD
(Bihar)

16th
Purana Qila Shershah Suri
century
Delhi
Safdar Jung Tomb Shuja-ud-daula 1754 AD
 Qutub Minar Qutubuddin Aibak 1193 AD

Alai darwaza Alauddin Khiliji 1311 AD

Hauz Khas Alauddin Khilji -

Ferozshan
Ferozshah Kotla -
Tughlaq

Ghyasuddin
Khirki Masjid 1354 AD
Tughlaq

Humayun’s Tomb Humayun’s wife 1533 AD

Jama Masjid Shahjahan 1656 AD

Red Fort Shahjahan 1639 AD

Delhi Fort,
Moti Masjid Aurangzeb 1660 AD
Delhi

Maharaja Sawai 1724-1735

Jantar Mantar
Jai Singh II AD
New Delhi Edwin Lutyens
India Gate -
(Architect)

Bangaluru
Lal Bagh Hyder Ali 1760 AD
(Karnataka)

Bijapur, Gol Gumbaz (largest Muhammad Adil

1656 AD
Karnataka dome in India) Shah

Karnataka Hampi Monuments - -

Guru Ram
Amritsar Swarna Mandir
Das with the 1577 AD
(Punjab) (Golden Temple)
fifth, Guru Arjan

Rabindra Nath 19th

West Bengal Shantiniketan
Tagore century

Kolkata (West
Victoria Memorial British Govt. 1921 AD
Bengal)

Konark
Sun Temple Narsimhadeva I 1250 AD
(Odisha)

Anantvarman
Puri (Odisha) Jagannath Temple 1161 AD
Ganga

Srinagar Shalimar Garden Jahangir 1619 AD

(Jammu and
Kashmir)