Q. Identify the following places marked on the map and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Answer sheet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim: [2.5×6= 15 Marks]

(i) Mesolithic site

Bhimbetka

• Rock shelters in the Raisen District in Madhya Pradesh.
• Mainly Paleolithic and Mesolithic period.
• A World Heritage site.
• Tools:
  • Earlier (Palaeolithic) tools were largely made of quartzite and sandstone and were of large size.
  • Mesolithic tools were most often of chalcedony and of smaller size.
• Floors paved with flat stone slabs found.
• No bones have been found so far.
• Rock cave paintings:
  • A natural art gallery with rock cave paintings.
  • Numerous layers (Paleolithic-Mesolithic) of paintings with themes like hunting by men, dancing, children paying, women working, sign of proto-family set up etc.

(ii) Harappan site

Mohenjodaro

• In Sindh, Pakistan, on bank of Indus river.
• Early Harappan and mature Harappan phase.
• UNESCO World Heritage site.
• The city into two parts, the Citadel and the Lower City.
  • Citadel:
    • Great Bath
    • a large residential structure,
    • Great Granary,
    • two halls of assembly.
  • Lower town:
    • courtyard houses.
• Grid pattern.
• A large central well.
• Houses:
  • smaller wells,
  • small bathrooms and, like the streets, were provided with drains and sanitation.
  • Brick stairs indicate at least an upper story.
• Suffered more than once from floods due to the encroaching Indus and tectonic uplifts.
• Artefacts:

  • A bronze dancing girl.

  • A few stone sculptures of seated male figures and Priest King.

  • Pashupati seal interpreted as proto-Shiva.
  • Seven-stranded necklace.

  • Ivory, lapis, carnelian, and gold beads, as well as the baked-brick city structures.

(iii) World heritage Site

Elephanta Caves

• On a small island of Mumbai.
• It was known as Gharapuri (literally “the city of Caves”) in ancient time.
• Two groups of caves:
  • Five Hindu caves
    • Rock cut stone sculptures dedicated Shiva
    • from basalt rock.
  • Two Buddhist caves.
• No inscription found.
• Few Kshatrapa coins (4^th century AD).
• Chalukyas and mostly the Rashtrakutas were the main creators of the caves, (7^th and 8^th century).
• During Rshtrakutas:
  • Trimurti of Elephanta showing the three faces of Shiva
  • Nataraja and Ardhanarishvara sculptures.
• Gujarat Sultanate surrendered Elephanta to the Portuguese in 1534 who named the island “Elephanta Island” in honour of a huge rock-cut black stone statue of an elephant that was then installed on a mound.

(iv) Capital of a Mahajanapada

Kaushambi    

• In Kashambi district, Uttar Pradesh.
• Capital of Vatsa, a Mahajanapada of the 6^th century B.C.
• Ashokan Pillars found here.
• Centre of trade.
• Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang visited.
• Excavations reveal settlements dating back to 2^nd millinum B.C.
• PGW pottery, trace of iron etc pointing to a later Vedic settlement.

(v) Ancient Cave site

Bagh Caves

• In Dhar district (north-west of Ajanta), Madhya Pradesh.
• Buddhist rock cut caves used as Viharas.
• Architecture:
  • Plan related to the Ajanta caves.
  • All the caves are ‘viharas’ with quadrangular plan.
  • A chamber at the back, forms the ‘chaitya’, the prayer hall.
• Mural paintings:
  • On wall, pillars and ceiling.
  • Related to the Buddhist and Jataka stories.
• A copper plate inscription of Maharaja Subandhu, recording his donation for the repair of the vihara was found.

(vi) Ancient terracotta temple

Bhitargaon Temple

• In Kanpur district, UP.
• A terraced brick building fronted with a terracotta panel.
• Built in the 5th century during the Gupta period.
• Oldest remaining brick/terracotta Hindu shrine with a roof and a high Shikhara, though its upper chamber did sustain some damage in the 18th century.
• Built on a square plan with double-recessed corners and faces east.
• There tall pyramidal spire over the garbhagriha.
• The walls are decorated with terracotta panels depicting aquatic monsters, Shiva and Vishnu etc.

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