Read the information given below and identify and name — CBSE Class 12 History 2020 PYQ

Question

Q. Read the information given below and identify and name the building of the Vijayanagara Empire : - The most beautiful building in the Royal Centre. - Named by British travellers in the nineteenth century. - Its name is romantic, but historians are not sure what the building was used for.

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2020Subjective· 1mImportance★★★★★

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Concept understanding — Mahanavami Dibba Significance

Imagine you are visiting a massive, ancient fort. At its very heart, you find a towering, stepped platform made of stone. It’s not a temple, not a palace, but a stage. This is the Mahanavami Dibba — the "Great Platform of the Nine Nights" — and it was the ceremonial and symbolic centre of the Vijayanagara Empire.

To understand its significance, you have to picture the empire at its peak, around the 15th–16th century. The king, Krishnadevaraya, ruled from the city of Vijayanagara (modern-day Hampi). The Mahanavami Dibba was not where he lived; it was where he appeared as a god-king. It was the stage for the most important festival of the year: the Mahanavami (the ninth and final night of the Navaratri festival, dedicated to the goddess Durga).

Note

The word "Dibba" literally means a "mound" or "platform" in Kannada. It is a massive, three-tiered granite structure, about 22 metres high, with carved reliefs running along its sides.

Why was this platform so important? It served three interlocking purposes, all of which you need to know for your exams.

1. The King’s Public Display of Power and Divinity

During the Mahanavami festival, the Vijayanagara emperor would sit on this platform, in full view of the entire court, foreign ambassadors, and the common people gathered below. This was a carefully choreographed spectacle. The king would review his army, receive tribute from defeated chiefs, and watch processions of horses, elephants, dancers, and musicians. By doing this on a raised, permanent stage, he was visually claiming that his authority came from the goddess Durga herself. He was not just a ruler; he was the earthly representative of divine power, and the Dibba was his throne.

2. The Centre of the "City of Victory"

The entire royal centre of Vijayanagara was designed around this platform. The king’s audience hall, the queen’s quarters, and the temple of Ramachandra were all nearby. The Dibba was the architectural anchor. It was the point from which the king could see and be seen. The relief carvings on the sides of the platform show scenes of hunting, dancing, and processions — a permanent record of the festival’s grandeur. This tells us that the empire’s identity was built on military might, ritual, and public celebration, all focused on this one spot.

3. A Symbol of Imperial Ideology …

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The building described is the Lotus Mahal, a stunning pavilion in the Royal Centre of Vijayanagara, named by 19th-century British travellers for its lotus-like shape, though its actual function remains uncertain.

The question asks you to identify a specific building from the Vijayanagara Empire based on three clues: it is the most beautiful building in the Royal Centre, it was named by British travellers in the nineteenth century, and its name is romantic but its purpose is unknown to historians. This is a classic identification problem from Indian history, specifically from the chapter on Vijayanagara (Hampi). The key is to match the description with a well-known structure that fits all three conditions.

Let’s break down the clues step by step.

"The most beautiful building in the Royal Centre"

The Royal Centre of Vijayanagara (in present-day Hampi, Karnataka) contains several impressive structures: the Mahanavami Dibba (a grand platform), the King’s Audience Hall, the Queen’s Bath, and the Lotus Mahal. Among these, the Lotus Mahal is consistently described by historians and travellers as the most elegant and aesthetically pleasing. Its design blends Indo-Islamic architecture with local Vijayanagara style, featuring arched openings, a pyramidal roof, and delicate stucco work. No other building in the Royal Centre is as consistently praised for its beauty.
"Named by British travellers in the nineteenth century"

The name "Lotus Mahal" was not the original Vijayanagara name. British travellers and antiquarians in the 19th century, such as Colonel Colin Mackenzie (who surveyed Hampi in 1800) and later Robert Sewell (author of A Forgotten Empire), gave it this name because the building’s dome and petals reminded them of a lotus flower. The original name and purpose were lost after the empire’s fall in 1565. This matches the clue perfectly — the British coined the romantic name.
"Its name is romantic, but historians are not sure what the building was used for" …

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Same / Similar Concept — real previous-year questions on the same or a closely similar concept, not this exact question.

CBSE 2020Set 61/3/11 mark
$Q. Read the information given below and identify and name the building of the Vijayanagara Empire : - The most beautiful building in the Royal Centre. - Named by British travellers in the nineteenth century. - Its name is romantic, but historians are not sure what the building was used for.$
›Reveal solutionSolution
The building described is the Lotus Mahal, a stunning pavilion in the Royal Centre of Vijayanagara, named by 19th-century British travellers for its lotus-like shape, though its actual function remains uncertain.

The question asks you to identify a specific building from the Vijayanagara Empire based on three clues: it is the most beautiful building in the Royal Centre, it was named by British travellers in the nineteenth century, and its name is romantic but its purpose is unknown to historians. This is a classic identification problem from Indian history, specifically from the chapter on Vijayanagara (Hampi). The key is to match the description with a well-known structure that fits all three conditions.

Let’s break down the clues step by step.

"The most beautiful building in the Royal Centre"

The Royal Centre of Vijayanagara (in present-day Hampi, Karnataka) contains several impressive structures: the Mahanavami Dibba (a grand platform), the King’s Audience Hall, the Queen’s Bath, and the Lotus Mahal. Among these, the Lotus Mahal is consistently described by historians and travellers as the most elegant and aesthetically pleasing. Its design blends Indo-Islamic architecture with local Vijayanagara style, featuring arched openings, a pyramidal roof, and delicate stucco work. No other building in the Royal Centre is as consistently praised for its beauty.

"Named by British travellers in the nineteenth century"

The name "Lotus Mahal" was not the original Vijayanagara name. British travellers and antiquarians in the 19th century, such as Colonel Colin Mackenzie (who surveyed Hampi in 1800) and later Robert Sewell (author of A Forgotten Empire), gave it this name because the building’s dome and petals reminded them of a lotus flower. The original name and purpose were lost after the empire’s fall in 1565. This matches the clue perfectly — the British coined the romantic name.

"Its name is romantic, but historians are not sure what the building was used for" …
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Q.Read the information given below and identify and name the building of the Vijayanagara Empire : - The most beautiful building in the Royal Centre. - Named by British travellers in the nineteenth century. - Its name is romantic, but historians are not sure what the building was used for.

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