Cultural Heritage of India: Sculpture and Architecture Class 10 GSEB Solutions Social Science Chapter 3

Gujarat Board Class 10 Social Science Cultural Heritage of India: Sculpture and Architecture Textbook Questions and Answers

I. Answer the following questions in detail.
Question 1. Explain town planning of ancient India?
Answer:
During excavating several sites, our architects learnt about the ancient architecture and skills of people in those days. In ancient time, the towns were divided into three sections:

1. Fort of rulers (Citadel)
2. Houses of administrative officers situated on the upper part of town
3. Residences of common people situated on the lower part of town.

upper part of town (3) Residences of common people situated in the lower part of town. Upper part of the town was elevated and safe with double-storeyed houses having two to five rooms. Houses on the lower part of the town were single-storeyed mainly constructed with hand-made bricks. Roads in the towns were straight and long, intersecting one another at right angles. The roads were wide enough for a number of vehicles to pass at a time. People of Indus Valley Civilization had developed many more beautiful and systematic towns compared to other civilizations of the world from the architectural point of view.

Question 2. Give information about roadways and drainage system of town planning of Mohenjodaro.
Answer:
Roads: These are the main feature of town planning of Mohenjodaro. The roads were 9.75 metres wide. Roads in the towns were straight and long. They were built from north to south and east to west intersecting each other at right angles. The roads were wide enough for a number of vehicles to pass at a time. Pits on the roadside suggest that there might have been lamp posts. The comers were rounded off to make it easy for the movement of heavy carts. Drainage system: It is a unique feature of town planning Mohenjodaro.

This system was built to drain dirty water out from the town. Such a drainage system was found nowhere except in island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea. Drains were built alongside the roads and the waste and water from kitchens and bathrooms emptied directly into the main drains. Drains were usually covered with stone slabs. Each and every house had a cesspit. There were manholes at regular intervals to aid cleaning.

Public baths: A hugh bath was excavated at Mohenjodaro. It was a large complex having six entrances from the sides, a central bathing pool, dressing room and a well nearby. Fresh water from a nearby well was used to fill the pool through an inlet and the outlet in a corner allowed the used water to drain out. It seems that there might have been a facility for hot water too. These public baths might have been used on festivals and religious ceremonies.

Question 3. Give information about the caves of Gujarat.
Answer:
(1) Caves of Junagadh: There are three groups of caves in Junagadh. Each group is discussed below:
(a) Group of Bava Pyara Caves: They are in the three lines intersecting each other at right angles. There are total sixteen caves. Out of them four are in first line, seven in second and five in third line. It is believed that these caves were carved during first to second century i.e. in the beginning of AD.
(b) Caves of Khapra and Kediya: They are double storeyed. On observing their remains, one can say that they might have been carved during the end of second century and the beginning of fourth century.
(c) Caves of Kund: These caves had floors. Which might have been carved in the third century. Ruin of twenty pillars can be seen row.

(2) Khambhalida Caves: These caves were discovered in 1959 AD. They are situated at Khambhalida near Gondal, 70 km from Rajkot. Three of them are remarkable. The cave at the middle consists of Chaitya Gruha with stupa. We can find figures of Boddhi sattvas and statues of devotees standing and supported by these on both sides of entrance gate. The caves are believed to be of second or third century.

(3) Talaja Cave: There is a mountain called the Talaja Mountain near the mouth of Shetrunji River in Bhavnagar district. Shri Talaji Teerth (Taldhwajgiri Teerth) is a famous pilgrim of Talaja. There are 30 beautiful caves carved from the stones. The caves also consist of a huge gate. Mandap (Sabhakhand) and Chaitya Gruha are the best examples of sculpture and protection point of view. These caves are belived to be of third century AD.

(4) Sana Cave: This group of caves is situated on the top of Sana hill in Vankiya village, Una taluka in Gir- Somnath district. These 62 caves are spread on Sana hill like beehives.

Dhank Cave: Dhank giri is situated in Dhank village of Upleta taluka at Rajkot district. It is believed that these caves might have been built in the beginning of fourth century.

(5) Zinzurizar: In the west of Dhank, about 7 km from Siddhsar, is the valley of Zinzurizar. There are many Buddhist caves in this valley. It is considered that they have been built in the second century.

(6) Khapra-Kodiya Caves at Kachchh: There are two caves on the top of mountain near old Paatgadh, in Lakhpat taluka of Kachchh. These caves were discovered by K.K. Shastri in 1967 AD.

(7) Caves at Kaliya Dungar: There are three caves in Kaliya Dungar at Jhagadiya taluka in Bharuch district. These are the best old architectural specimens of Buddhist religion. Architecture of these caves is marvelous. The caves contain an 11 feet high pillar in the form of a statue of a lion. The lion statue has two bodies and one mouth. The pillar has been cut from a single rock.

II. Answer the following questions point-wise.
Question 1. Give information about Dholaveera.
Answer:
In 1990, Archeological Survey of India surveyed the heap of ruins of a huge and a systematic ancient town. The town was contemporary to Harappan Civilization and was found 2 km away from Dholaveera village at Khadirbet, in vast desert of Bhachau taluka about 140 km. away from Bhuj.

• Special task of excavation was carried out under the guidance of Ravindra Singh Bisht.

Salient features of Dholaveera:

• It is one of the five largest Harappan sites and most prominent archaeological sites in India belonging to the Indus Valley Civilization. It had very big cities.
• The most striking feature of the city is that all city buildings were built of stone, whereas most other Harappan sites, including Harappa itself and Mohenjodaro, were almost exclusively built of brick.
• The remains found here like the palaces and main walls of town were painted with white color. Such fortified walls made of clay, stone and bricks, encircling town suggest strong security measures that the people of these civilizations took.
• The sites also had provision for potable water and a proper purification system.

Question 2. Lothal was an important port of Gujarat. Explain.
Answer:
Lothal is situated in Dholka taluka which is 18 km from the Gulf of Khambhat.

• A huge dockyard was constructed facilitates ships in the time of high tides at the lower eastern part of the town.
• Such dockyard, warehouses, etc. prove that exports and imports used to take place at Lothal.
• This suggests that Lothal might have been a rich and prosperous port of Gujarat as well as India.

Question 3. Write about the art of pillar inscriptions.
Answer:
King Ashoka has been the most influential king of the Mauryan period.

• He got prepared various inscriptions on pillars and rocks. These inscriptions were his edicts which depict Ashoka’s belief and faith in Buddhist philosophy.
• The pillars, especially of King Ashoka provided to be excellent sources and are the best examples of Mauryan architecture.
• Each pillar is made of a single piece of sandstone.
• The script used on the inscription was Brahmi script.
• Such pillars were situated in Ambala, Meerut, Allahabad, Sarnath, and Loriya near Nandangadh, Sanchi, Kashi, Patna and Bodhivruksha near Bodh Gaye.

III. Answer the following questions in short.
Question 1. What is sculpture?
Answer:
The art of shaping figures or design with facial expression in round or in relief professionally performed by a sculpture with the help of chisel and hammer is known as sculpture.

Question 2. What is architecture?
Answer:
Simple architecture means art of construction. In this reference art, of constructing buildings, houses, towns, well, forts, minarets, temples, mosque and tombs is called architecture.

Question 3. Explain the meaning of Mohenjodaro and write about its roadways.
Answer:
Mohenjodaro means ‘the mound of the dead men’.
Roadways: Roads are the main features of this town planning. The roads were 9.75 meters wide. Roads in the towns were straight and long. They were built from north to south and east to west, intersecting each other at right angles. The roads were wide enough for a number of vehicles to pass at a time. Pits on the road side suggest that there might have been lamp posts. The comers were rounded off to make it easy for the movement of heavy carts.

Question 4. Write the meaning of Stupa.
Answer:
A stupa is a ‘dome-like structure made of stone or bricks’. The purpose of a stupa was to honor a sacred spot, or a particular even or to enshrine the relics of Buddha or those who were Buddhist saint.

IV. Choose the correct option from those given below.
Question 1. What is another word used for architecture in Sanskrit language?
(a) Vastu
(b) Carving
(c) Temple
(d) Ruins
Answer:
(a) Vastu

Question 2. What was built in Lothal to facilitate the ships?
(a) Hail
(b) Pillar
(c) Dockyard
(d) Grill
Answer:
(c) Dockyard

Question 3. In which language are stone inscriptions engraved?
(a) Hindi
(b) Brahmi
(c) Urdu
(d) Odia
Answer:
(b) Brahmi

Question 4. The Sun temple of Gujarat is situated at
(a) Modhera
(b) Vadnagar
(c) Kheralu
(d) Vijapur
Answer:
(a) Modhera

Question 5. Which mosque is situated near Teen Darwaza in Ahmedabad?
(a) Jama Masjid
(b) Jumma Masjid
(c) Masjid of Sipri
(d) Masjid-e-Nageena
Answer:
(a) Jama Masjid