Several caves were hollowed out the hills in the earlier times.
(i) Most of these were monasteries for Buddhist monks and some of them were decorated with paintings
(ii) As the caves were dark inside, most of these paintings were done in the light of torches.
(iii) The colours, which are glowing even after 1500 years, were made of plants and minerals.

The iron pillar at Mehrauli in Delhi is a remarkable example of the skills of Indian craftspersons :
(i) It is made of iron, 7.2.m high and weighs over 3 tonnes.
(ii) It was made about 1500years ago.
(iii) There is an inscription on the pillar mentioning a ruler named Chandra, who probably belonged to the Gupta dynasty.
(iv) The pillar has not rusted in all these years.

(i) Arthashastra,
(ii) Kalidasa's plays,
(iii) Harsha Charita,
(iv) Sangam Literature,
(v) Works by foreign travellers.

Indian mythology consists of tales of Gods, the devas and the asuras. However, there are only two famous epics - Mahabharata and Ramayana. Epics are grand, long compositions about heroic men and women and include stories about Gods.

The artisians of the ancient period excelled in making sculptures. The stoneworkers of the Mauryan period mastered the art of polishing stones. The Gandhara and Mathura schools of art, which excelled in sculpture flourished during the Kushana period.

(i) 'Purana' literally means 'old'. The Puranas contain stories about Gods and Goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Durga or Parvati.
(ii) They contain details of how Gods and Goddesses were to be worshipped.
(iii) There are accounts about the creation of the world and about kings.
(iv) The Puranas were written in simple Sanskrit and were meant to be heard by everybody, including women and Shudras, who were not allowed to study the Vedas.
(v) They were probably recited in temples by priests, and people came to listen to them.

(i) The word Stupa means a mound. There are several kinds of stupas, round and tall, big and small which can be found.
(ii) There is a small box known as a relic casket, placed at the centre or heart of the Stupa. This may contain bodily remains (such as teeth, bone or ashes) of Buddha or his followers or the things which they used, as well as precious stones and coins. This box was covered with earth. Later, a layer of mud brick or baked brick was added on top. And then, the dome like structure was sometimes covered with carved stone slabs.
(iii) Often, a path known as the Pradakshina Patha was laid around the Stupa. This was surrounded with railings.
(iv) Entrance to the path was through gateways. Devotees walked around the stupa in a clockwise direction, as a mark of devotion.
(v) Both railings and gateways were often decorated with sculptures.

(i) Some of the earliest Hindu temples were also built. Deities such as Vishnu, Shiva, and Durga were worshipped in these shrines.
(ii) The most important part of the temple was the room known as the Garbhagriha, where the image of the chief deity was placed. It was here that priests performed religious rituals, and devotees offered worship to the deity.
(iii)A tower, known as the Shikhara, was built on top of the Garbhagriha, to mark this out as a sacred place
(iv) Most temples also had a space known as the Mandapa. It was a hall where people could assemble.

(i) Aryabhatta was a mathematician and astronomer who wrote a book in Sanskrit known as the Aryabhatiyam.
(ii) He stated that day and night were caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis, even though it seems as if the sun is rising and setting every day.
(iii) He developed a scientific explanation for eclipses as well.
(iv) He also found a way of calculating the circumference of a circle, which is nearly as accurate as the formula we use today.

India has a rich and varied culture. Every dynasty that ruled India added something to its heritage
Different Literatures:
(i) The Vedas and associated texts: The Vedas are the earliest literary works that we have. The word 'Veda' means knowledge. There are four Vedas - Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. They contain hymns in praise of different Gods and Goddesses. Along with the Vedas, there are a series of texts called the Brahmanas. There are also 108Upanishads:
Puranas are scared literature. There are 18 surviving puranas.
(ii) The Epics: The Mahabharata was composed by sage Ved Vyasa. It is a story of two families of cousins-the Kauravas and the Pandavas. The Mahabharata also includes the Bhagvat Gita. The Ramayana was composed by sage Valmiki. It is the story of Rama, a prince of Ayodhya and his war with Ravana, the king of Lanka.
(iii) Secular literature: The Arthashastra, Indika, Harshachrita, stories from the Jatakas and the Panchtantra, the works of Kalidasa and the accounts of foreign travellers are important secular works written during this period. There are many poems and plays in Sanskrit.
(iv) Foreign travelers: Many travellers and pilgrims came to India. Fa Hein came during the reign of Chandragupta II. He spent six years in India, visiting Buddhist monasteries. When he went back, he wrote an account of his stay. His account gives a detailed description of the life of the people under the Gupta kings.
Two centuries later, Hiuen Tsang came to India. He wrote about the conditions in those times. The ruler in the North was Harshavardhana. I-Tsing was another Chinese traveller who came to India.
(v) The Sangam texts: The Sangam literature was written in Tamil. It mentions about the kingdoms of South India. The Silappadikaram and Manimekalai are the famous Tamil epics.