List of Important Historical Monuments in India – Must-Know for SSC Exams
Famous Historical Monuments of India, Complete List for SSC
If you're preparing for competitive exams like SSC 2026, then learning about the famous monuments in India for SSC is a must. In this article, we have compiled a detailed list of the top 10 famous monuments in India for SSC, along with a PDF on famous monuments in India for SSC for your easy revision. You will also find the top 50 monuments of India, covering historical sites, forts, and important temples in India for SSC PDF format.Later we discuss Top 30 Static GK Questions on Indian Monuments for Competitive Exams which is important for understanding concept of High-Level Static GK Questions on Monuments for Exam Preparation.
Static General Knowledge on Monuments of India | SSC & Govt Exams
Whether you’re searching for famous monuments in India for SSC with names, famous monuments in India for SSC in Hindi, or just the top 30 historical monuments of India, this resource will help you remember the key facts and improve your general awareness section effectively also effective for Monuments in India: Static GK MCQs for SSC, UPSC & Other Exams
Top 30 Famous Historical Monuments in India with Names & Details
| Monument | Year | Location | Built By | Key Features & Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elephanta Caves | 5th–8th Century | Mumbai | Rashtrakuta Kings | Sculptures dedicated to Lord Shiva. Located on Elephanta Island. UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Ellora Caves | 600–1000 AD | Aurangabad, Maharashtra | Rashtrakutas & Yadavs | Rock-cut temples of Hinduism, Buddhism & Jainism. Kailasa Temple carved from a single rock. |
| Ajanta Caves | 2nd–6th Century | Aurangabad | Gupta Period | Frescoes & sculptures on Jataka tales. Buddhist monastery complex. UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Khajuraho Temples | 950–1050 AD | MP | Chandela Dynasty | Noted for erotic sculptures. Blend of Hinduism & Jainism. UNESCO Site. |
| Champaner-Pavagadh Park | 8th–14th Century | Gujarat | Mahmud Begada | Forts, palaces, religious buildings. Pre-Mughal Islamic architecture. |
| Jama Masjid | 1656 AD | Delhi | Shah Jahan | India’s largest mosque. Holds 25,000 worshippers at a time. |
| Gateway of India | 1924 | Mumbai | British (George Wittet) | Built to commemorate King George V’s visit. Landmark of Mumbai. |
| Lake Palace | 1743–1746 | Udaipur, Rajasthan | Maharana Jagat Singh II | Now a luxury hotel. Located on Lake Pichola. |
| Mysore Palace | 1897 | Mysore | Wodeyar Dynasty | Also called Amba Vilas Palace. Indo-Saracenic architecture. |
| Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus | 1888 | Mumbai | British | UNESCO World Heritage Site. Formerly Victoria Terminus. |
| Mehrangarh Fort | 1460 | Jodhpur | Rao Jodha | Massive fort on a rocky hill. Houses museums & palaces. |
| Bahai (Lotus) Temple | 1986 | Delhi | Bahai Faith, architect Fariborz Sahba | Open to all religions. Shaped like a lotus flower. |
| Jaisalmer Fort | 1156 AD | Jaisalmer | Rawal Jaisal | One of the largest living forts. Built in yellow sandstone. |
| Kumbhalgarh Fort | 15th Century | Rajasthan | Rana Kumbha | Second longest wall in the world (after Great Wall of China). UNESCO Heritage Site. |
| Bara Imambara | 1784 | Lucknow | Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula | Includes labyrinth (Bhul Bhulaiya). No beams support the central hall roof. |
| Golconda Fort | 1600 | Hyderabad | Kakatiya Dynasty | Famous for diamonds like Koh-i-Noor. Sound travels from gate to top of the fort. |
| Basilica of Bom Jesus | 1605 | Goa | Portuguese | Contains remains of St. Francis Xavier. UNESCO Site. |
| Rani ki Vav | 11th Century | Patan, Gujarat | Queen Udayamati | Stepwell with intricate carvings. Built in memory of King Bhimdev. UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| India Gate | 1921 | New Delhi (Rajpath Marg) | Sir Edwin Lutyens | War Memorial in honor of WWI soldiers. Eternal flame (Amar Jawan Jyoti) added later. |
| Red Fort | 1638–1648 | Old Delhi | Emperor Shah Jahan | Originally called Qila-e-Mubarak. UNESCO World Heritage Site. Made of red sandstone, originally white (limestone). |
| Taj Mahal | 1653 | Agra, Uttar Pradesh | Shah Jahan | A symbol of eternal love. One of the Seven Wonders of the World. UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Agra Fort | 11th Century (rebuilt by Akbar) | Agra, Uttar Pradesh | Mughals | Central Mughal seat of power. Also called Lal Qila of Agra. Originally held by Raja Badal Singh. |
| Buland Darwaza | 1576 | Fatehpur Sikri, UP | Akbar | Tallest gateway in the world (54 meters). Built to commemorate victory in Gujarat. |
| Charminar | 1591 | Hyderabad | Muhammad Quli Qutub Shah | Built to mark end of plague. Four grand minarets in Islamic style. |
| Fatehpur Sikri | 1569 | Near Agra | Akbar | Former Mughal capital. Abandoned due to water scarcity. Blend of Hindu & Islamic architecture. |
| Gol Gumbaz | 1626–1656 | Vijayapura, Karnataka | Md. Adil Shah | Mausoleum of Adil Shah. Famous whispering gallery with echo acoustics. |
| Hawa Mahal | 1799 | Jaipur, Rajasthan | Sawai Pratap Singh | 953 jharokhas (windows) for royal ladies. Famous for natural air cooling system. |
| Jantar Mantar | 1724–1736 | Jaipur, Delhi, Ujjain, Varanasi | Maharaja Jai Singh II | Series of astronomical observatories. Jaipur site has world’s largest stone sundial. |
| Qutub Minar | 1193 AD | Mehrauli, Delhi | Qutub-ud-din Aibak | Tallest brick minaret (73 m). 379 spiral stairs. UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
| Humayun’s Tomb | 1572 | Delhi | Haji Begum (Bega Begum) | India’s first garden tomb. Architectural inspiration for Taj Mahal. |
Important Static GK Questions on Indian Monuments for SSC & Railways
1. India Gate was built in memory of soldiers who died in which war?
A) Second World War
B) First World War
C) Indo-China War
D) Kargil War
Answer: B
2. Which Mughal emperor built the Red Fort?
A) Akbar
B) Humayun
C) Shah Jahan
D) Aurangzeb
Answer: C
3. The Taj Mahal is located in which city?
A) Delhi
B) Jaipur
C) Agra
D) Lucknow
Answer: C
4. Buland Darwaza was built to commemorate victory in which region?
A) Bengal
B) Gujarat
C) Deccan
D) Punjab
Answer: B
5. Which monument is known for its whispering gallery?
A) Qutub Minar
B) Gol Gumbaz
C) Charminar
D) Jantar Mantar
Answer: B
6. Who built the Hawa Mahal in Jaipur?
A) Jai Singh II
B) Maharaja Ranjit Singh
C) Sawai Pratap Singh
D) Bhupal Singh
Answer: C
7. Which ruler is credited with building Fatehpur Sikri?
A) Babur
B) Aurangzeb
C) Akbar
D) Shah Jahan
Answer: C
8. In which year was the Bahai (Lotus) Temple completed?
A) 1980
B) 1986
C) 1990
D) 1975
Answer: B
9. Where is the Rani ki Vav located?
A) Rajasthan
B) Madhya Pradesh
C) Gujarat
D) Maharashtra
Answer: C
10. Charminar was built to mark the end of which event?
A) Victory in war
B) Plague
C) Famine
D) Earthquake
Answer: B
11. Which monument is considered India’s first garden tomb?
A) Humayun’s Tomb
B) Taj Mahal
C) Jama Masjid
D) Red Fort
Answer: A
12. Qutub Minar has how many spiral steps?
A) 250
B) 300
C) 379
D) 410
Answer: C
13. The Khajuraho Temples were built by which dynasty?
A) Solanki
B) Chalukya
C) Chandela
D) Rashtrakuta
Answer: C
14. Which fort is also known as the Great Wall of India?
A) Golconda Fort
B) Jaisalmer Fort
C) Kumbhalgarh Fort
D) Agra Fort
Answer: C
15. The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the visit of which British monarch?
A) King Edward VII
B) Queen Victoria
C) King George V
D) Prince Charles
Answer: C
16. Who built the Ellora Caves’ Jain section?
A) Chalukyas
B) Yadavs
C) Rashtrakutas
D) Mauryas
Answer: B
17. Basilica of Bom Jesus is located in which state?
A) Kerala
B) Tamil Nadu
C) Goa
D) Maharashtra
Answer: C
18. Which monument is located on an island near Mumbai?
A) Gateway of India
B) Elephanta Caves
C) Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus
D) Haji Ali Dargah
Answer: B
19. Mehrangarh Fort is situated in which city?
A) Jaipur
B) Jaisalmer
C) Udaipur
D) Jodhpur
Answer: D
20. What is the historical name of Agra Fort before Mughal reign?
A) Gwaliorgarh
B) Badalgarh
C) Rajgarh
D) Fatehgarh
Answer: B
21. Which dynasty is credited with the construction of the Kailasa Temple in Ellora Caves, carved entirely out of a single rock?
A. Gupta
B. Pallava
C. Rashtrakuta
D. Chalukya
Answer: C. Rashtrakuta
Explanation: The Kailasa Temple at Ellora was built by King Krishna I of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
22. Which monument is known for having the second-longest continuous wall in the world, after the Great Wall of China?
A. Jaisalmer Fort
B. Kumbhalgarh Fort
C. Chittorgarh Fort
D. Red Fort
Answer: B. Kumbhalgarh Fort
Explanation: The wall of Kumbhalgarh Fort stretches over 36 km, making it the second longest.
23. The Elephanta Caves are primarily dedicated to which Hindu deity?
A. Vishnu
B. Shiva
C. Brahma
D. Indra
Answer: B. Shiva
Explanation: The Elephanta Caves house rock-cut sculptures predominantly depicting Lord Shiva.
24. Which of the following monuments was built by Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula and features a central hall with no supporting beams?
A. Bara Imambara
B. Charminar
C. Rumi Darwaza
D. Jama Masjid
Answer: A. Bara Imambara
Explanation: The central hall of Bara Imambara in Lucknow is an engineering marvel with no beams.
25. Which historical monument in India contains the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier?
A. Se Cathedral
B. Basilica of Bom Jesus
C. Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception
D. St. Augustine Tower
Answer: B. Basilica of Bom Jesus
Explanation: Located in Goa, this church enshrines the body of St. Francis Xavier.
26. Which of the following monuments is also known as Amba Vilas Palace?
A. Mysore Palace
B. Jaipur City Palace
C. Ujjain Palace
D. Gwalior Palace
Answer: A. Mysore Palace
Explanation: The Mysore Palace is also called Amba Vilas Palace and is located in Karnataka.
27. The frescoes in Ajanta Caves primarily depict stories from which ancient Indian literature?
A. Ramayana
B. Jataka Tales
C. Mahabharata
D. Arthashastra
Answer: B. Jataka Tales
Explanation: The Ajanta frescoes illustrate tales from the life of Buddha found in Jataka stories.
28. Who commissioned the Gateway of India in Mumbai?
A. Lord Curzon
B. Lord Irwin
C. King George V
D. George Wittet
Answer: D. George Wittet
Explanation: Designed by British architect George Wittet to commemorate King George V’s 1911 visit.
29. Rani ki Vav, a stepwell in Gujarat, was built in memory of which king?
A. Bhimdev I
B. Kumarapala
C. Dantivarman
D. Harshavardhana
Answer: A. Bhimdev I
Explanation: Rani ki Vav was commissioned by Queen Udayamati in memory of her husband King Bhimdev I.
30. Which fort is renowned for its acoustic system where sound from the entrance gate can be heard clearly at the topmost point?
A. Daulatabad Fort
B. Golconda Fort
C. Amber Fort
D. Bidar Fort
Answer: B. Golconda Fort
Explanation: The acoustic design allows sound from the entrance to travel to the top pavilion.
