Aspirant Academy
ENHI

RAS question

Consider the following statements about UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Rajasthan: 1. The Hill Forts of Rajasthan, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2013, include six forts — Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Amber, Jaisalmer, and Gagron. 2. Jantar Mantar, Jaipur — built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the early 18th century — was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010 as it is the largest of the five Jantar Mantars built by him. Which of the statements given above is/are CORRECT?

Correct answer: (C) Both 1 and 2.

The Hill Forts of Rajasthan were inscribed by UNESCO in 2013 as a six-fort serial property, and Jantar Mantar, Jaipur was inscribed in 2010 as the largest of Sawai Jai Singh II's five observatories.

  1. (A)

    1 only

  2. (B)

    2 only

  3. (C)

    Both 1 and 2

  4. (D)

    Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Statement 1 is right because the UNESCO entry for the Hill Forts of Rajasthan records a six-fort serial property in the state, linked to the fortified seats of Rajput princely power; the six forts named in the question are Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore, Amber, Jaisalmer and Gagron. Statement 2 is also right: UNESCO records Jantar Mantar, Jaipur as a 2010 inscription and describes it as an early-18th-century astronomical observation site associated with Jai Singh II's court. For the exam, the key distinction is that the Jaipur Jantar Mantar is identified as the largest and best-preserved of Sawai Jai Singh II's five observatories, with 19 architectural astronomical instruments.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) It accepts the Hill Forts statement but wrongly excludes statement 2, although Jantar Mantar, Jaipur was inscribed in 2010 and is identified as the largest of Sawai Jai Singh II's five observatories.
  • (B) It accepts the Jantar Mantar statement but wrongly excludes statement 1, although the Hill Forts of Rajasthan were inscribed in 2013 and comprise the six forts named in the question.
  • (D) It rejects both statements, although the Hill Forts entry supports the six-fort Rajasthan serial property and the Jantar Mantar entry supports the Jaipur site's 2010 UNESCO inscription.

Concept

This tests Rajasthan's cultural geography through UNESCO World Heritage Sites, especially inscription years, component locations and heritage significance. It recurs in RAS because forts, Jaipur's scientific heritage and tourism geography are compact, statement-friendly topics.

Source

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