Aspects of Indian Culture to know Cultural Heritage:

(i) Sculpture: The Mathura and Sarnath schools paid special attention to the physical charm of the statues and to the dignity of their poses. Statues of Vishnu, Shiva, Budda and other gods and goddesses were sculptured in minute details. All the statues found inside the temples of Orissa (Puri, Konark, Bhubaneswar etc.) are characterized by a highly developed sense of rhythm and beauty.

Modern India have maintained the sculpture of ancient and medieval India but there is no significant mark of advancement in sculpture in contemporary India.

(ii) Architecture: Ancient India was as rich in the domain of sculpture and architecture as in the field of art and literature. The Vishnu temple at Deogarh, the Sun temple at Konark, the famous temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri are admired as gems of ancient Indian architecture, Khajurajo temples in Bundelkhand built of buff-coloured sandstones are still standing as loud witness to the outstanding architecture of ancient India. The Jain Dilwara temples of Mount Abu exhibit sculptural decoration of most marvellous richness and delicacy. The temples of Orissa have special place in the field of Indian architecture. The Orissan temples are characterized by the absence of pillars in the halls, an adorned interior and a lavishly adorned exterior. Among the finest of these are Lingaraj temple. Mukteswara temple and Rajarani temple at Bhubaneswar besides the Sun temple of Konark and the Jagannath temple of Puri. The strong and magnificent forts of Chittorgarh, Gawalior, the grand fort of Jodhpur the Hawa Mahal, and Amar Palace of Jaipur, the palaces of Jaipur, Udaipur and Gawalior, and the towns like Jaisalmer, Kota and Udaipur are some of the examples of architectural skill of India.

With the advent of Mughals, Indian architecture entered a new phase in which the rugged and simple work of the earlier Sultans of Delhi is softened and beautified by Persian influence. Architecture under the Mughals attained a very high peak. Mughal architecture reveals a happy blending of Persian and Indian style. The Gol Gumbaz at Fatepur Sikri, the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Red- Fort, Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas and the Jama Masjid represent this style. The Mughals were famous for gardens. As per the Persian style, the gardens were to be geometrical in design containing, artificial lakes, channels, tanks, and water-falls, which were freely provided. Another important innovation was the making of terraces at different levels.

During British rule, the western architectural styles became popular and spread all over the country. In the beginning of 20th century, two distinct schools emerged in Indian architecture:

(a) Revivalist school which aimed at the revival of indigenous architecture. and

(b) The progressive and modern school which is inclined toward the western models. The latter had been more popular.

The constructions of Victoria Memorial in Kolkata and at New Delhi were designed by Engineers. In spite of the expansion of western architecture, many Indian Princes and Nawabs constructed a few structures in traditional Indian design. The modern magnificent buildings at Udaipur, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Mysore and other places are the best specimens of the art of Indian master-builders. The bathing Ghats of Haridwara, Ujjain, Varanasi and Maheshwar, the temples at Mathura, the Jain temple of glass at Indoor and the Birla temple at Delhi and the Vishnu temple at Nagda in Madhya Pradesh are those which were least influenced by the western ideas. They are brilliant examples of Indian architecture set in modern times.