India - Location

 India is located entirely in the northern hemisphere; specifically in the south-

central part of the continent of Asia.


 The mainland of India extends between latitudes 804’N and 3706’N and
longitudes 6807’E and 97025’E (as shown in the map given below). The
southern boundary extends up to 6°45' N latitude in the Bay of Bengal.

India - Size
 With an area of 3.28 million square km, India is the 7th largest country of the
world.

 The six largest countries of the world in decreasing order are Russia, Canada,
USA, China, Brazil, and Australia.

 India accounts for about 2.4 percent of the total geographical area of the world.

 India has a total land boundary of about 15,200 km.

 The coastline of India stretches along the Bay of Bengal in the east and the
Arabian Sea in the west (as shown in the map given above).

 From Gujarat (westernmost) to Arunachal Pradesh (easternmost), there is about 300

difference; hence, because of this difference, there is a time difference of two
hours between Gujarat and Arunachal Pradesh.

The sun rises in Arunachal Pradesh about two hours earlier as compared to Jaisalmer in Rajasthan

 The maximum length of the mainland from north to south is about 3214 km.

 The maximum length of the mainland from east to west is about 2933 km.

 India’s total length of coastline is 6,100 km of its mainland and after including
Andaman and Nicobar, and Lakshadweep islands, it is about 7,516 km.

 India’s territorial limit further extends towards the sea up to 12 nautical miles
(i.e. about 21.9 km) from the coast.

Indian Standard Meridian

 82030’E Meridian crossing through the Mirzapur city of Uttar Pradesh is taken
as India’s Standard Meridian.

 Indian Standard Time is ahead of Greenwich (00 or Prime Meridian) Mean Time
by 5 hours and 30 minutes.

 Tropic of cancer (23030’N) passes through Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh,

Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tripura, and Mizoram.
  The difference in latitudinal extent influences the duration of day and night.

India & Neighbors

 India has total 29 States, 6 Union Territories, and 1 National Capital
Territory.

 India is bounded by young fold mountains (the Great Himalaya) in the North
and North-East.

 Throughout the history, India’s connections with other parts of the world has
been heavily influenced by waterways and also the mountain passes.

 India shares its international boundaries with Afghanistan and Pakistan in the
North-West; China, Tibet (China), Nepal, and Bhutan in the North and North-
East; and Myanmar and Bangladesh in the East.

 Island countries Sri Lanka and Maldives are India’s neighbors across the sea.

 Sri Lanka is an island nation located off the southern coast of India in South
Asia and it is bordered by the Indian Ocean. India and Sri Lanka are separated
by a thin water body called the Palk Strait.

India - Evolution
 As per the estimation, the earth is approximately 460 million years old.

 The endogenic and exogenic forces played a significant role in giving shape
to various surface and subsurface features of the earth.

 The theory of Plate Tectonics defines the formation of physical aspects of the
earth.

 Initially, all continents were united (there was one landmass), and known as
Pangea or Super Continent
 The northern part of the ancient super continent Pangea was named as ‘Angara
Land’ or Laurasia and the southern part was named as ‘Gondwana Land.’.

 The Gondwana Land includes India, Australia, South Africa, South America,
and Antarctica.

India - Structure
 Based on geological history, India is divided into three regions. The regions are:

o The Peninsular Block;

o The Himalayas & other Peninsular Mountains; and

o Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain.
  The Peninsular Block is formed essentially by a great complex of very ancient
gneisses and granites.

 The Peninsular Block mostly consists of relicts and residual mountains like the
Aravali hills, the Nallamala hills, the Javadi hills, the Veliconda hills, the Palkonda
range, the Mahendragiri hills, etc.

 Unlike the rigid and stable Peninsular Block, the Himalayan Mountains are
young, weak, and flexible in their geological structure.

 Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain comprises the plains formed by the river

Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra.In fact, Indo-Ganga-Brahmaputra Plain
is a geo-synclinal depression, which attained its maximum development during
the third phase of the Himalayan mountain formation, approximately about 64
million years ago

Physiography
 India’s physiography is divided into six following regions:

o The Northern and Northeastern Mountains

o The Northern Plain

o The Peninsular Plateau

o The Indian Desert

o The Coastal Plains

o The Islands.

Northern and Northeastern Mountains

The Northern and the Northeastern Mountains consist of the Himalayas and the Northeastern hills

 The Himalayan Ranges include the Greater Himalaya, Lesser/Middle

Himalaya, and the Siwalik Range.

 Based on relief, alignment of ranges and other geomorphological features, the

Himalayas can be divided into the following sub-divisions:

o Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas

o Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas

o Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas

o Arunachal Himalayas
 o Eastern Hills and Mountains.

Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas

 Kashmir or Northwestern Himalayas consist of a series of ranges such as the
Karakoram, Ladakh, Zanskar, and
Pir Panjal.

 Important glaciers of South Asia, i.e., the Baltoro and Siachen are found in the
Northwestern Himalayan region.
 The Kashmir Himalayas are also popular for the Karewa formations, which are
useful for the cultivation of Zafran, a local variety of saffron.

 Karewas are the thick deposits of glacial clay and other materials embedded
with moraines.

 Important passes of the Northwestern Himalayas are Zoji La on the Great

Himalayas, Banihal on the Pir Panjal, and Khardung La on the Ladakh range.

 Important fresh lakes are Dal and Wular and salt water lakes are Pangong Tso
and Tso Moriri.

 The southernmost part of the Northwestern Himalayas consists of longitudinal

valleys locally known as duns.

Himachal and Uttaranchal Himalayas

 The Himachal and Uttarakhand Himalayas are located approximately between
the rivers Ravi in the west and the Kali (a tributary of Ghaghara) in the east.

Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas

 The Darjeeling and Sikkim Himalayas are flanked by the Nepal Himalayas in
the west and the Bhutan Himalayas in the east.

Arunachal Himalayas
 The Arunachal Himalayas extend from the east of the Bhutan Himalayas up to
the Diphu pass in the east.

 Some of the prominent tribes of Arunachal Himalayas from west to east are the
Monpa, Abor, Mishmi, Nyishi, and the Nagas.

Eastern Hills and Mountains

 Located in the northeast India, the Eastern Hills i.e. parts of the Himalayan
mountains are known by different local names. They are known as Patkai Bum,
Naga hills, the Manipur hills in the North, and Mizo or Lushai hills in the
 South.

Northern Plains
 The northern plains are formed by the alluvial deposits brought by the rivers
– the Indus, the Ganga, and the Brahmaputra.

Indian Desert
 The Great Indian Desert, also known as the Thar Desert, lies in the northwest
of the Aravalli hills.
 The Aravali Hills lie on the western and north western margins of the
peninsular plateau. These are highly eroded hills and are found as broken hills
between Gujarat and Delhi.

Coastal Plains
 The Indian coastal plains are divided as the western coastal plains and the
eastern coastal plains.

 The western coastal plains are an example of submerged coastal plain.

 The western coast may be divided into the following divisions – the Kachchh
and Kathiawar coast in Gujarat; Konkan coast in Maharashtra; Goan coast in
Karnataka, and the Malabar coast in Kerala respectively.

 The Malabar Coast has certain distinctive features such as Kayals (backwaters),
which are used for fishing, inland navigation, and these backwaters hold a
special attraction for the tourists.

 In comparison to the western coastal plains, the eastern coastal plain is broader
and is an example of an Emergent coast.

 The Eastern Coast is named as the Northern Circar (in the north part i.e. part of
West Bengal, Odisha, etc.) and the southern part is known as the Coromandel
Coast (part of Southern Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu). The eastern
coastal plain is known as the Northern Circars in the region between Krishna
and Mahanadi rivers (West Bengal, Odisha, etc.) and as the Coromandel Coast
in southern part between Krishna and Kaveri rivers (Andhra Pradesh and Tamil
Nadu).

Islands
 There are two major island groups in India, i.e., one in the Bay of Bengal
(Andaman and Nicobar) and the other in the Arabian Sea (Lakshadweep).

 The Bay of Bengal island group consists of about 572 islands/islets.

 The two principal groups of islets include the Ritchie’s archipelago and the
 Labyrinth Islands.

 However, the entire group of islands is divided into two broad categories – the
Andaman in the north and the Nicobar in the south and they are separated by
Ten Degree Channel.

 Situated in the Nicobar Islands, Barren Island is the only active volcano in
India.

 Located on the North Andaman, Saddle peak (738 m) is the highest peak of the
region.

 Lakshadweep and Minicoy are the islands of the Arabian Sea.

 The entire island group of Lakshadweep is built of coral deposits.

 There are approximately 36 islands, among which, 11 are inhabited.

 The entire group of islands is broadly divided by the Eleventh-degree channel.

The Amini Island lies to the north and the Cannanore Island lies to the south of
the channel.

Peninsular River System

 The Peninsular drainage system is older than the Himalayan Rivers.

 The Mahanadi originates from Sihawa in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh and

runs through Madhya Pradesh and Odisha and finally discharges its water into
the Bay of Bengal.

 The total length of Mahanadi is 851 km.

 Popularly known as the Dakshin Ganga, the Godavari is the largest peninsular
river system.

 The Godavari originates from Nasik district of Maharashtra and discharges its
water into the Bay of Bengal.

 With total 1,465 km length, Godavari covers the areas of Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh.

 The Penganga, the Indravati, the Pranhita, and the Manjra are the major
tributaries of Godavari.

 Originating from Mahabaleshwar in Sahyadri, the Krishna is the second largest

east flowing Peninsular River.
 Indian climate

Introduction
 Weather is the temporary state of the atmosphere, while climate refers to the
average of the weather conditions over a longer period of time.

Weather changes quickly, may be within a day or week, but climate changes in
imperceptivity and may be noted after 50, 100 years, or even more

Factors Influencing Climate

 Major factors that determine the climate of India are:

a. Latitude

b. The Himalayan Mountains

c. Distribution of land and water

d. Distance from the sea

e. Altitude

f. Relief

Winter
 During the winter, north of the Himalayas develops a high pressure center.

 This high pressure center gives rise to the flow of air at the low level from the
north towards the Indian subcontinent (i.e. south of the mountain range).

 All of Western and Central Asia remains under the influence of westerly winds
(known as Jet Stream) along the altitude of 9-13 km from west to east.

 These winds blow across the Asian continent at the latitudes, north of the
Himalayas, roughly parallel to the Tibetan highlands.

 However, Tibetan highlands act as a barrier in the path of these jet streams, as a
result of this, the jet streams get bifurcated into two branches.

 One branch is located to the south of the Himalayas, while the second branch is
positioned to the north of Tibetan Plateau.

 The western cyclonic disturbances, which enter the Indian subcontinent from
the west and the northwest during the winter months, originate over the
Mediterranean Sea and are brought into India by the westerly jet stream.
 Summer
 During the Summer, the wind circulation over the subcontinent undergoes a
complete reversal at both, the lower as well as at the upper levels.

By the middle of July, the low pressure belt nearer the surface [termed as Inter
Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ)] moves northwards, roughly parallel to
the Himalayas between 20° N and 25° N

Monsoon
 The maritime tropical air mass (mT) from the southern hemisphere crosses the
equator and rushes towards the low pressure area; in general, the southwesterly
direction.

 This moist air current causing rainfall in India is popularly known as the
southwe
st
monsoo
n.

 Simultaneously, an easterly jet stream flows over the southern part of the
Peninsula in June with a maximum speed of 90 km per hour.

The easterly jet stream steers the tropical depressions into India and these depressions play a significant role in determining the
distribution of monsoon rainfall over the Indian subcontinent

INDIAN SOIL
Introduction
 Soil is very important and a valuable resource for every human being.

 Soil is the mixture of rock debris and organic materials, which develop on the
earth’s surface.

 The major factors that determine soils’ characteristics are parent material,
climate, relief, vegetation, time, and some other life-forms.

 Major constituents of the soil are mineral particles, humus, water, and air.

 A soil horizon is a layer generally parallel to the soil crust, whose physical
characteristics differ from the layers above and beneath.

Soil Profile
 Soil Horizon is classified into three categories — Horizon A, Horizon B, and
 Horizon C; collectively known as Soil Profile (i.e. the arrangement of soil
layers).

 On the basis of genesis, color, composition, and location, the soils of India have
been classified as:

o Alluvial soils

o Black soils

o Red and Yellow soils

o Laterite soils

o Arid soils

o Forest soils

o Saline soils

o Peaty soils.

INDIA LAND

India: Land ResIntroduction

 Land use record is maintained by the Land Revenue Department.

 The Survey of India is accountable for measuring geographical area of

administrative units in India.

 There is difference between the actual forest area and the forest area defined
by the Government.

Categories of Land
 Land under settlements (i.e. rural and urban), infrastructure (i.e. roads, canals,
industries, shops, etc.) are kept under the category of Non-Agricultural Land.

 Barren hilly terrains, desert lands, ravines, etc. normally are not suitable for
cultivation, hence, they are known as Barren and Wastelands.

 The land owned by the village panchayat comes under ‘Common Property

10. India: Agriculture

Resources’.
  Any land, which is left fallow (uncultivated) for more than five years is
categorized as Cultivable land.

ources

Introduction
 There are three distinct cropping seasons in the northern and interior parts of
India, namely kharif, rabi, and zaid.

Major Crops Cultivated

Cropping Season
Northern States Southern States

Kharif Rice, Cotton, Bajra, Maize, Rice, Maize, Ragi, Jowar,

(June-September) Jowar, Toor Groundnut

Rabi Wheat, Gram, Rapeseeds, and Rice, Maize, Ragi,

(October – March) Mustard, Barley Groundnut, Jowar

Zaid
Vegetables, Fruits, Fodder Rice, Vegetables, Fodder
(April–June)

 Dryland farming is largely restricted to the regions having annual rainfall less
than 75 cm. Major crops are ragi, bajra, moong, gram, and guar (fodder crops).

 The regions, which have rainfall in excess of soil moisture requirement of

plants during the rainy season is known as wetland farming. Major crops are
rice, jute, and sugarcane.

 The cereals occupy about 54% of total cropped area in India.

 India produces about 11% cereals of the world and ranks 3rd in production after
China and U.S.A.

 Indian cereals are classified as fine grains (e.g. rice, wheat, etc.) and coarse
grains (e.g. jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, etc.).

Types of Farming
 On the basis of main source of moisture for crops, the farming can be
classified as irrigated and rainfed..

On the basis of adequacy of soil moisture during cropping season, rainfed farming is further classified as dryland and
wetland farming
 Major Crops
 In southern states and West Bengal, the climatic conditions facilitate the
cultivation of two or three crops of rice in an agricultural year.

In West Bengal farmers grow three crops of rice called ‘aus’, ‘aman,’

 India contributes more than 20% to world’s rice production and ranks 2nd after
China.

 About one-fourth of the total cropped area of India is under rice cultivation.

 West Bengal, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh are the leading rice producing states.

 India produces about 12% of total wheat production of the world.

 About 85% of total area under this crop is concentrated in north and central
regions of the country, i.e., the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Malwa Plateau, and the
Himalayan regions especially up to 2,700 m altitude.

 About 14% of the total cropped area in the country is under wheat cultivation.

 Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Madhya Pradesh are wheat
producing states.

 The coarse cereals together occupy about 16.50% of total cropped area in the
country.

 Maharashtra alone contributes to more than half of the total jowar production
of the country.

 Bajra occupies about 5.2% of total cropped area in the country.

 Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Haryana are the leading
Bajra
producer
states.

Maize is a food as well as fodder crop grown under the semi-arid climatic conditions and over inferior soils
13. India: Industry

Introduction
On the basis of size, capital investment, and labor force employed, industries are classified as large, medium,
small scale, and cottage industries

On the basis of ownership, industries come under public sector, private sector, joint,
and cooperative sector.

 Industries of strategic and national importance are usually in the public sector.

 Industries are also classified on the basis of the use of their products such as
basic goods industries, capital goods industries, intermediate goods industries,
and consumer goods industries.

 On the basis of raw materials used by the industries – industries are categorized
as agriculture-based industries, forest-based industries, mineral-based
industries, and industrially processed raw material-based industries.

 Location of industries is influenced by several factors like access to raw

materials, power, market, capital, transport, and labor, etc.

Establishment of iron and steel industry in Bhilai (Chhattisgarh) and Rourkela (Odisha) were based on decision to
develop backward tribal areas of the country

Iron and Steel Industry

 The major raw materials for the iron and steel industries are iron ore, coking
coal, limestone, dolomite, manganese, and fire clay.

 Major iron and steel industries in India are:

o The Tata Iron and Steel plant (TISCO);

o The Indian Iron and Steel Company (IISCO);

o Visvesvaraiya Iron and Steel Works Ltd. (VISL);

o Rourkela Steel Plant;

o Bhilai Steel Plant;

o Durgapur Steel Plant; and

 o Bokaro Steel Plant.

 Some other major iron and steel industries are:

o Vizag Steel Plant, in Vishakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh is the first

port based plant which started operating in 1992.

o The Vijaynagar Steel Plant at Hosapete in Karnataka was developed

by using indigenous technology.

o The Salem Steel Plant in Tamil Nadu was commissioned in 1982.

 The Rourkela Steel plant was set up in the year 1959 in the Sundargarh
district of Odisha in collaboration with Germany.

 The Bhilai Steel Plant was established in 1959 with Russian collaboration in
Durg District of Chhattisgarh.

 Durgapur Steel Plant was established in 1962 in West Bengal, in

collaboration with the government of the United Kingdom.

 Bokaro steel plant was set up in 1964 at Bokaro with Russian collaboration.

Cotton Industry
 India was famous worldwide for the production of muslin, a very fine variety of
cotton cloth, calicos, chintz, and other different varieties of fine cotton cloth.

 In 1854, the first modern cotton mill was established in Mumbai.

At present, the major centers of the cotton textile industry are Ahmedabad, Bhiwandi, Solapur, Kolhapur, Nagpur,
Indore, and Ujjain

 Tamil Nadu has the largest number of mills; however, most of them produce
yarn rather than cloth.

 Davangere, Hubballi, Ballari, Mysuru, and Bengaluru are important cotton

growing regions in Karnataka.

Sugar Industry
 With more than one-third of the total production, Maharashtra has emerged as a
leading sugar producer in the country.

 Uttar Pradesh is the second largest producer of sugar.

 Petrochemical Industry
 Many items are derived from crude petroleum, which provide raw materials for
many new industries; hence, these are collectively known as petrochemical
industries.

 Petrochemical industries are categorized as polymers, synthetic fibers,

elastomers, and surfactant intermediate industries.

 Mumbai is the hub of petrochemical industries.

 Three organizations, which are working in the petrochemical sector under the
administrative control of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals
are:

o The Indian Petrochemical Corporation Limited (IPCL);

o The Petrofils Cooperative Limited (PCL);

o The Central Institute of Plastic Engineering and Technology (CIPET).

o The National Organic Chemicals Industries

Limited (NOCIL), established as private sector in 1961.

Information Technology
 The Information Technology (IT) revolution opened up new possibilities of
economic and social transformation.

The IT software and services industry account for almost 2% of India’s GDP

15. India: Communication

Radio
 Radio broadcasting was started in India in 1923 by the Radio Club of Bombay.

 Government took control over radio broadcasting in 1930 and established the
Indian Broadcasting System.
  All India Radio was constituted in 1936 and it came to be known as
Akashwani from 1957.

 Over a period of time, All India Radio started broadcasting a variety of

programs related to information, education, and entertainment.

 Among all programs, news bulletins were also broadcasted at specific occasions
like the session of parliament and state legislatures.

Television
 Television first went on air in 1959.

 Television broadcasting has emerged as an effective audio-visual medium for

disseminating information as well as educating masses.

 By 1972, many Television broadcasting centers became operational throughout

the country.

 In 1976, TV was separated from All India Radio (AIR) and got a separate
identity as Doordarshan (DD).

Indian Satellites
 With the advent of satellites, the Indian Communication System has
revolutionized the mode of communication.

 After INSAT-IA (National Television-DD1) became operational, Common

National Programs (CNP) were started for the entire network. Services were
also extended to the backward and rural areas of the country.

 On the basis of configuration and purposes, satellite system in India can be

grouped as:
Geography
o Indian National Satellite System (INSAT) and

o Indian Remote Sensing satellite system (IRS).

WORLD GEOGRAPHY
 The term geography was first coined by a Greek scholar Eratosthenes.

 The word geography carries basically two Greek terms i.e. ‘geo’ (meaning
earth) and ‘graphos’ (meaning description), and the meaning of geography is
‘description of the earth.’

 Geography is an interdisciplinary subject as well as it is a discipline of ‘spatial

synthesis.’
  Richard Hartshorne defines Geography as “Geography is concerned with the
description and explanation of the areal differentiation of the earth’s surface.”

 Hettner defines Geography as “Geography studies the differences of

phenomena usually related in different parts of the earth’s surface.”

 Further, the following diagram summarizes the concept of Geography as:

Approaches to Study Geography

 The major approaches to study geography are:
o Systematic Approach and
o Regional Approach.

 The systematic approach was introduced by a German geographer Alexander

Von Humboldt.

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
The temple on
Tirumala hills is also
Lord known as Tirupathi
Venkateswar Andhra Balaji. It is the richest
a Temple Pradesh Hindu temple in the
world.
The temple is in
Dravidian Architecture
style.
It is a buddhist Stupa,
discovered in 260 BC
situated in bodhgaya.
The Central Tower Of
Mahabodhi Temple Bihar Mahabodhi is 180 feet
tall
i.e. 54 metres.
The brickwork depicts
the life of Buddha.
Also known as
Prabhas patan and
Deo Patan. It is one
of the 12 jyotirlinga
shrines of Lord Shiva.
There is no land in
between seashores
Somnath Temple Gujarat from Somnath temple
to Antarctica.
1947 - sardar
vallabhbhai Patel
renovated the temple.
Constructed in
chalukya style
Also known as Jagat
mandir. It is one of the
four hindu pilgrimage
(Char Dham).
Dwarkadhish Gujarat Original structure was
Temple destroyed by Mahmud
Brgada in 1472.
Presently, in Chalukya
architecture style.
Jammu 5200 feet above
Vaishno Devi & sea level atop
Temple Kashmir Trikuta Hills. It is a
 Cave temple.
A cave temple
situated at altitude of
Jammu 3888 metres.
Amarnath Temple & One of the 51 Shakti
Kashmir Peeth and Bhrigu
Muni was the first to
have discovered
Amarnath.
IT is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site in Hampi,
Bellari district.
Built by Lakkana
Virupaksha Karnataka Dandesha, a chieftain
Temple under the ruler Deva
Raya II of the
Vijayanagara Empire.
 The tallest
monolithic
statue in the
world, carved
out of a single
Gomateshwara Temple Karnataka block of
granite.
It is a Jain
temple that is
57 feet high.
One of the
largest free
standing
statues in the
world depicting
the prolonged
meditation of
Bahubali.
Padmanabhaswam Built in fusion
y Temple Kerala of Chera and
Dravidian style
of architecture.
They are a
group of
temples built
by the rulers
of Chandela
Madhya Dynasty.
Khajuraho Temple Prades There were 85
h 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.
Commissione
d by emperor
Ashoka, it is
the finest
example of
Mauryan
 sculpture.
Madhya It is the oldest
Sanchi Stupa Prades stone structure
h in India.
The famous
Ashoka pillar
i.e. four lions
like that of
Sarnath is
found in Sanchi
as well and are
constructed in
a Greco-
Buddhist style.
Symbolises
Buddha, ie.e a
symbol of his
final release
from the cycle
of birth and
rebirth called
the Parinirvana
or ‘Final Dying.
The richest
Siddhivinayak Temple Maharashtra Temple in India
was
constructed by
Laxman Vithu
& Dubai Patil in
1801.
Built in the
13th century
by King
Konark Sun Temple Odisha Narasimhadeva
I (AD 1238-
1264) during
the Ganga
Empire.
It is conceived
as a gigantic
chariot of the
Sun God built
in Kalinga
architecture.
Called
Yamanika
Tirtha.
This temple in
Puri is famous
for its annual
 Jagannath Temple Odisha 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.
Built in the
15th century
the temple is
also known as
Golden Temple Punjab Harmindar
Sahib.
Temple was
plated in Gold
in 1980 from
the wealth and
material
donated by
Maharaja Ranjit
Singh.

One of the twelve

Jyotirlinga temples
built in 12th
Centuary.
It has the longest
corridor among all
Hindu temples in
Ramanathaswam India.
y Temple Tamil Nadu Built in
Dravidian
Architecture
Creators -
Pandyas
and Jaffina
Kings
There are 64 Tīrthas
i.e. holy water
bodies in and
around the island of
Rameswaram.
One of the Char
 Dhams.
Built by King
Kulasekara Pandya
-12-13 Century.
Dravidian
Architecture and
have over 40
inscriptions.
There are 985 richly
Meenakshi Temple Tamil Nadu 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.
One of the most
important of 108
(divya Desam
)Vishnu Temple.
Built in Dravidian
Style, constructed in
Vijayanagar Period.
Ranganathaswam Located on island
y Temple Tamil Nadu 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 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
Brihadeeswara Temple Tamil Nadu 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.
Created in Dravidian
style, it is also called
Rajagopalaswam Dakshina Dwaraka.
y Temple Tamil Nadu It has one of the
largest Temple tanks
in India called
Haridra Nadhi.
The temple wall
Nataraja Temple Tamil Nadu carvings display all
the 108 karanas from
the Natya Shastra by
Bharata
 Muni; these postures form the foundation
of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian
dance.
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
The original Vishwanath temple was
destroyed by the army of Qutb-ud-din
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
Vishwan Uttar Pradesh temple adjacent to the mosque
ath One of the 12 Jyotirlingas.
Temple
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
Badrinat Uttarakhand in ancient religious texts like Vishnu
h Purana and Skanda Purana.
Temple
Situated at an altitude of 3,291 metres
i.e. 10,797 ft
It is located on the backdrop of
Yamuno Uttarakhand Bandarpunch Dedicated to goddess
tri Yamuna
Temple
on the banks of the river Bhagirathi at
Gangotri Uttarakhand an altitude of 3,415 m (11,204 ft)
Temple

List of Monuments in India

S Monument Place Built by

ta
te
Bi Golghar Patna British Govt.
h
a Pathar Ki Masjid Patna Pervez Shah
r
Sher Shah’s Tomb Sasaram Sher Shah’s son

Vishnupad Temple Gaya Rani Ahilyabai

Feroz Shah Kotla Delhi Ferozshan Tughlaq

D Hauz Khas Delhi Alauddin Khilji

el
hi
Humayun Tomb Delhi Empress Bega
Begum
Jama Masjid Delhi Shahjahan

Jantar-Mantar Delhi Sawai Jai Singh

Khirki Masjid Delhi Ghyasuddin Tughlaq

Lakshmi Delhi Birla Family

Narayan
Temple
Moti Masjid Delhi Aurangzeb

President House Delhi British Govt.

Purana Qila Delhi Sher Shah Suri

Qutub Minar Delhi Qutubuddin Aibak

Red Fort Delhi Shahjahan

Safdarjung Tomb Delhi Shuja-ud-daula

 G Sabarmati Ashram Ahmadabad Mahatma Gandhi
uj
ar
at
Charar-E- Sharif Budgam Zainul Abedin

Nishat Garden Srinagar Asaf Ali

Jammu and
Kashmir Shalimar Garden Srinagar Jahangir

Ka Gol Gumbaz Bijapur Yaqut of Dabul

rn
at
ak
a
Ajanta- Ellora Caves Aurangabad Gupta rulers

Maharas Bibi Ka Maqbara Aurangabad Aurangzeb

htra

Elephanta Cave Mumbai Rashtrakuta rulers

Gateway Of India Mumbai British Govt.

Kanheri Fort Mumbai Buddhists

Jagannath Temple Puri Anantavarman

Ganga
O Sun Temple Konark Narasimhadeva I
di
sh
a
Pu Golden Temple Amritsar Guru Ramdas
nj
ab
Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra Ajmer Qutubuddin Aibak

Bharatpur Fort Bharatpur Raja Surajmal Singh

Ajmer Sharif Dargah Ajmer Sultan Shyasuddin

Rajasth
an Dilwara Jain Temple Mount Abu Siddharaja

Hawa Mahal Jaipur Maharaja Pratap

Singh
Jaigarh Fort Jaipur Sawai Jai Singh

Jodhpur Fort Jodhpur Rao Jodha

 Nahargarh Fort Jaipur Sawai Jai Singh

Vijaya Stambha Chittorgarh Maharana Kumbha

Tamil Saint George Fort Chennai East India Company

Nadu
Char- Minar Hyderabad Quli Qutub Shah

Telega
na Makka Masjid Hyderabad Quli Qutub Shah

Agra Fort Agra Akbar

Uttar Akbar Rsquo Tomb Sikandra Akbar

Pradesh

Anand Bhawan Allahabad Motilal Nehru

Aram Bagh Agra Babur

Bada Imambara Lucknow Asaf-ud-daula

Chhota Imambara Lucknow Muhammad Ali Shah

Deewan-E- Khas Agra Fort Shahjahan

Fatehpur Sikri Agra Akbar

Tomb of Itmad-Ud- Agra Nurjahan

Daula
Jama Masjid Agra Shahjahan

Moti Masjid Agra Shahjahan

Sati Burj Mathura Raja Bhagwan Das

Shish Mahal Agra Shahjahan

Taj Mahal Agra Shahjahan

 Shantiniketan West Rabindranath Tagore
Bengal
Belur Math Kolkata Swami Vivekananda
West
Bengal Victoria Memorial Kolkata British Govt.

Contribution of Indian continents to world

India is a country in South Asia whose name comes from the Indus River. The name 'Bharata' is used as a designation for
the country in their constitution referencing the ancient mythological emperor, Bharata, whose story is told, in part, in the
Indian epic Mahabharata.
According to the writings known as the Puranas (religious/historical texts written down in the 5th century CE), Bharata
conquered the whole subcontinent of India and ruled the land in peace and harmony. The land was, therefore, known as
Bharatavarsha (`the subcontinent of Bharata'). Hominid activity in the Indian subcontinent stretches back over 250,000 years,
and it is, therefore, one of the oldest inhabited regions on the planet.
Archaeological excavations have discovered artifacts used by early humans, including stone tools, which suggest an
extremely early date for human habitation and technology in the area. While the civilizations
of Mesopotamia and Egypt have long been recognized for their celebrated contributions to civilization, India has often
been overlooked, especially in the West, though its history and culture is just as rich. The Indus Valley Civilization (c.
7000-c. 600 BCE) was among the greatest of the ancient world, covering more territory than either Egypt or Mesopotamia
and producing an equally vibrant and progressive culture.
It is the birthplace of four great world religions - Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism - as well as the philosophical
school of Charvaka which influenced the development of scientific thought and inquiry. The inventions and innovations of
the people of ancient India include many aspects of modern life taken for granted today including the flush toilet, drainage
and sewer systems, public pools, mathematics, veterinary science, plastic surgery, board games, yoga and meditation, as
well as many

The Great Empires of Ancient India

Persia held dominance in northern India until the conquest of Alexander the Great in 330 BCE who marched on India after
Persia had fallen. Again, foreign influences were brought to bear on the region giving rise to the Greco-Buddhist culture
which impacted all areas of culture in northern India from art to religion to dress. Statues and reliefs from this period depict
Buddha, and other figures, as distinctly Hellenic in dress and pose (known as the Gandhara School of Art).
Following Alexander's departure from India, the Mauryan Empire (322-185 BCE) rose under the reign of Chandragupta
Maurya (r. c. 321-297 BCE) until, by the end of the third century BCE, it ruled over almost all of northern India.
Chandragupta's son, Bindusara (r. 298-272 BCE) extended the empire throughout almost the whole of India. His son
was Ashoka the Great (r. 268-232 BCE) under whose rule the empire flourished at its height. Eight years into his
reign, Ashoka conquered the eastern city-state of Kalinga which resulted in a death toll numbering over 100,000. Shocked at
the destruction and death, Ashoka embraced the teachings of the Buddha and embarked on a systematic program
advocating Buddhist thought and principles.