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 Ilara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza at Lucknow. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is D. Both statements are wrong, and the reason is the material, not the style.

• Statement 1 is wrong: Buland Darwaza is built mainly in red sandstone, with white and black marble used only as inlay and decorative panels on its facade. The Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri is also in red sandstone. White marble is associated with Salim Chishti's tomb, a different structure in the same complex, so the statement mixes up the two.
• Statement 2 is wrong: The question's 'Ilara Imambara' is the Bara Imambara at Lucknow. It and the Rumi Darwaza are built of brick, lime and surkhi, finished with stucco plaster. Neither uses red sandstone or marble as its main material.

The core concept is Indo-Islamic architecture and the regional building materials used by Mughal and Awadhi patrons. This links to the Art and Culture section and to Mains questions on architectural regionalism. Buland Darwaza was raised by Akbar to commemorate his Gujarat campaign, which is why its design reflects Gujarat influence.

Trap: Aspirants see 'marble' and assume the whole monument is marble, or they confuse Salim Chishti's white marble tomb with the red sandstone gate and Khankah.