Match List - I with List - II.
| List – I (Architectural element) | List – II (Meaning) |
| (a) Gopurams | (i) Hindu Suratrana |
| (b) Sultan | (ii) Pavilion |
| (c) Mandapa | (iii) Royal gateway |
| (d) Mahanavami Dibba | (iv) Ritual structure |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 1
The correct answer is Option (1) → (a) -(iii), (b) -(i), (c) -(ii), (d) -(iv)
(a) Gopurams — this matches (iii) Royal gateway. The raya gopurams or royal gateways often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines and signalled the presence of the temple from a great distance.
(b) Sultan — this matches (i) Hindu Suratrana. The Vijayanagara rulers used the title ‘Hindu Suratrana’, a Sanskritisation of the Arabic term Sultan, so it meant Hindu Sultan.
(c) Mandapa — this matches (ii) Pavilion. Other distinctive features of the temples were mandapas or pavilions and long, pillared corridors.
(d) Mahanavami Dibba — this matches (iv) Ritual structure. This massive platform in the royal centre was used for rituals that probably coincided with Mahanavami, the great ninth day of the autumn festival.
NCERT (2026-27): “5.1 Choosing a capital … Rulers also indicated their close links with the gods by using the title ‘Hindu Suratrana’. This was a Sanskritisation of the Arabic term Sultan, meaning king, so it literally meant Hindu Sultan.… 5.2. Gopurams and mandapas … In terms of temple architecture, by this period certain new features were in evidence. These included structures of immense scale that must have been a mark of imperial authority, best exemplified by the raya gopurams … or royal gateways that often dwarfed the towers on the central shrines, and signalled the presence of the temple from a great distance. They were also probably meant as reminders of the power of kings, able to command the resources, techniques and skills needed to construct these towering gateways. Other distinctive features include mandapas or pavilions and long, pillared corridors that often ran around the shrines within the temple complex.… 4.1 The mahanavami dibba … Located on one of the highest points in the city, the ‘mahanavami dibba’ is a massive platform rising from a base of about 11,000 sq. ft to a height of 40 ft. There is evidence that it supported a wooden structure. The base of the platform is covered with relief carvings …. Rituals associated with the structure probably coincided with Mahanavami (literally, the great ninth day) of the ten-day Hindu festival during the autumn months of September and October,…” |