With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements:
- 1.White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri.
- 2.Red sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Neither statement is correct. Fatehpur Sikri's buildings are mainly of red sandstone with little marble, and the Nawabs of Awadh built Lucknow's Rumi Darwaza of lime-coated brick instead of the red sandstone the Mughals favoured.
- ✗ 1. UNESCO describes Fatehpur Sikri's buildings as constructed in red sandstone with little use of marble, and ASI says its palaces were built of red sandstone. White marble is not the material of Buland Darwaza or the Khankah.
- ✗ 2. The Rumi Darwaza (Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula's gateway of the 1780s) is made of bricks coated in lime, not red sandstone and marble. Nawabi Lucknow moved away from the Mughal use of red sandstone.
Remember · Fatehpur Sikri (Akbar) = red sandstone; Awadhi Lucknow (Bara Imambara, Rumi Darwaza) = lime-plastered brick.
Sources
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fatehpur Sikri ↗ “The buildings are constructed in red sandstone with little use of marble.”
- Ministry of Culture, Government of India: Fatehpur Sikri (World Heritage) ↗ “The site is a stunning blend of Persian, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles, unified by its red sandstone construction.”
- Agra District, Government of Uttar Pradesh: Fatehpur Sikri ↗ “survives as a remarkably complete red-sandstone city. Its monuments include the 54-metre Buland Darwaza”
- Incredible India (Ministry of Tourism): Rumi Darwaza, Lucknow ↗ “Unlike the red sandstone often favoured by the Mughals, the Nawabs opted for bricks coated in lime.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·