Architecture of India

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/architecture-of-india

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the earliest planned cities?Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2600–1900 BCE)
2. What is the notable rock-cut site?Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
3. What are some of the oldest buildings in India?The Indus Valley cities had grid layouts and advanced sanitation. Later, the Mauryan period built stupas and rock‑cut caves like the Barabar Caves.
4. Why do Indian temples look like tiny worlds?Temples are designed as microcosms of the universe, with their layout and decorations showing cosmological beliefs.

Shikhara: The towering spire or roof of a Hindu temple, often curvilinear or pyramidal.
Gopuram: A monumental entrance tower, typically ornate, found in South Indian temples.
Pietra Dura: An inlay technique using precisely cut, fitted, and highly polished colored stones.