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India gate, New Delhi : A memorial to over 90 000 Indian soldiers who died in world war I . The names of 13 516 soldiers are inscribed on it. The arch rising to a height of 42 m is surmounted by a stone bowl where since 1971 an eternal flame has been lit - Amar Jtoyhi - to honour the unknown soldier.
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Red fort Delhi : The fort is 2 km in circumference and has within its precints several beautiful edifices. Has beautiful marble palaces, Durball hall, garden etc. Built by Shah Jahan in 17 th century. The seat of Mughal power in India till 1857.
Prime Minister of India addresses the nation on the Independance day every year on 15 th August from Red fort.
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Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi : The official residence of the President of India, set in 330 acres of land. Formerly Viceregal palace,over looks a beautiful Mughal garden. It has 340 rooms, 37 salons, 74 lobbies and loggias, 1 km of corridor, 18 staircases and 37 fountains.
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1. Bhai house of worship, Delhi : The lotus shaped marvel in marble is referred to as the Taj Mahal of the 21 st century completed in 1986.
2. Qutab Minar, Delhi : Qutab Minar was built by Qutb ud din Aibak, the slave king in the 13 th century as a victory tower. The 72.5 m, five storied minar of red sandstone has ornamental filigree of Koranic inscriptions. In the centre of it's courtyard is an Iron pillar erected by king Chandra Verman which has remained rust free for more than 100 years.
3. Humayun's tomb, Delhi : To the east of Hazarath Nizamuddin's shrine, this memorial was built by Humayun's widow Haji Hamida Begum in 1565.
4. Jantar Mantar, Delhi : The oldest observatory of it's type, constructed by Maharaja Jai singh II of Jaipur in 1725. It is dominated by a huge sundial. A similar observatory exists in Jaipur, Rajastan.
5. Jama Masjid, Delhi : The largest mosque in India built by Shah Jahan, located near the Red fort. Over 20000 people can gather here at a time for prayers.
New Delhi photos
i think taj mahal... red fort and charminar are the most deserving to be heritage site...
Meenakshi Sundareswar temple, Madurai, Tamil Nadu : The temple gateways are among the most eleborately carved in south India. The 17 th century temple has about 30 million sculptures.
Meenakshi temple photos
Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh : One of the seven wonders of the world. Built of white marble by Emperor Shah Jahan to immortalize his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. Construction time 1630 to 1648 AD.
Taj Mahal is a matchless white marble monument of beauty and eternal love designed by Iranian architect Istad Usa. Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor built this in memory of his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took 22 years to complete this spectacular monument and 20 000 people were deployed to work on it. 1000 elephants transport the marble slabs to the site.
The emperor was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the great red fort for eight years but was buried in the Taj. During his imprisonment he had a view of the Taj. Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. It is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines.
Buland Darwaza, Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh : At 53.5 m, it is the highest gateway in India. Built by Emperor Akbar to commemorate his conquest of Khandesh in Gujrat.
Salim Chisti's tomb, Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh (1572) : Built after Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chisti's death. Tomb venerated by Hindus and Muslims.
Bada Imambara , Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh : Asia's largest vaulted hall.
Photos of Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, Bada Imambara
Gateway of India, Mumbai, Maharashtra : A triumphal arch built to commemorate viit of King George V and queen Mary in 1911. It is 26 ft tall.
Elephanta caves, Mumbai, Maharashtra : Situated on an island. Beleived to be built by Pulikesi II of the Chalukyas kingdom in 634 AD. Exquisite cavings depicting the myths of Shiva.
Mumbai photos
Daulatabad fort (13 km from Aurangabad) : The fort is on the way to Ellora - large fortress, victory tower and cannon, tomb of Aurangazeb at Khuldabad is near by. Bibi ka Maqbara : Tomb of Rabia Durani (w/o Emperor Aurangazeb) and Pan Chakki : Water mill (1695 AD) are the attractions in Aurangabad.
Ellora caves, 26 km from Aurangabad, Maharashtra : A world heritage centre. Dance festival in March. 34 caves consisting of Buddhist (1-12), Hindu (13-29), and Jain caves (30-34) of 500 to 1100 AD. Kailasha temple is the main attraction, which is carved out of a monolith, is the biggest cave temple in India : 84 m * 47 m. Built during the reign of
King Krishna I who ascended the throne in 760 AD. Grishneswar jyotirlinga temple is near by.
Ajanta caves, 110 km from Aurangabad, Maharashtra : A world heritage centre of 200 BC. 29 caves containing numerous images of Buddha and painting on walls. The caves are located in the hills in horse shoe shape. Rock cut caves set deep in the Sahydri hills. It has a large relief depicting the death of the Buddha lying on a bed.
Ajanta Ellora cave photos
Charminar, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh : A majestic monument of four minarets, to commemorate the cessation of plague in the city, according to the chronicles. Char Minar (55 m, 1591 to 1612, built by Mohamad Quli Qutb Shah).
Andhra Pradesh photos
Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur, Karnataka : The 17 th century dome and the whispering gallery within is so called because even the gentlest whisper echoes acrosss it's great length. Gol Gumbaz - world's fourth largest dome (37.92 m in diameter, 51 m in height and 3 m thick walls, A single minute whisper will be echoed 9 times.
Gol Gumbaz photos
Se Cathedral, Velha, Goa : World heritage centre, the largest church in Asia, having a 80 m long aisle and 134 altars (1652). Of it's five bells, one is the famous golden bell, one of the best in the world.
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Velha, Goa : The 17 th century church - a world heritage centre - houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier.
Goa photos
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, Rajastan : Palace of winds of 18 th century. The five storied facade of 953 windows was built for the women of the harem to look out without being seen themselves.
Dilwara temples, Abu, Rajastan : A major jain Pilgrim centre with two intricately carved shrines viz. Adinath temple of 1031 AD and Neminath temple of 1230 AD. Hill resort, Nakki lake, Adha devi temple, Gaumuk temple, Raghunathji temple, Sunset point, Honey moon point, Achalgargh fort (8 km) - temple.
Rajastan photos
1. Dakshinaarka Temple at Gaya, Bihar
2. Suryanaar Koyil in Tamilnadu
3. Suryanarayana Temple at Arasavilli
4. Surya Pahar Temple in Assam
5. Bhramanya Dev Temple at Unao
6. Sun Temple at Modhera - Gujarat
7. The Grand Konark Sun Temple
Mahabodh temple, BodhGaya, Bihar : The 7 th c temple is erected to mark the spot of the Buddha's enlightenment. Mahabodhini temple (52 m tower crowned by a bell like stupa) - World heritage centre, most sacred Buddhist pilgrim centre with Bodhi tree, stupas, museum.
Nalanda, Gaya, Bihar : Ruins of ancient university (500 BC of the Gupta period, Hieun Tsang also studied here) , Buddhist research centre, Archaeological museum.
St Thomas Cathedral : It is the oldest English building standing in Mumbai. Construction began in 1672, but remained unfinished until 1718. The church has recently been restored (winning a UNESCO world heritage award in the process) and its airy, whitewashed interior is full of colonial memorials and ornately carved gravestones.
St Thomas Cathedral photos
Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus (CST): a World heritage centre earlier known as Victoria terminus (V.T.), Bruhat Mumbai mahanagar palika building is near by. Both buildings are of British era, which reflects the blend of Anglo Indian architecture.
Chatrapati Shivaji terminus & Mahanagar Palika building photos
Basilica of Bom Jesus, Goa : This church is a fine example of Jesuit architecture, is one of the richest churches in Goa and is carpeted with a marble flooring and inlaid with precious stones. The church of Bom Jesus 'Good' or 'infant Jesus' is well known originally for the tomb of St. Francis Xavier and also holds his paintings. The mortal remains of St. Xavier remin here almost 150 years after his death. The interior is entered beneath the choir, supprted by columns. The main altar, extravagently decorated in gold, depicts the infant Jesus under the protection of St. Ignatius Loyola; to each side are subsidiary altars to Our Lady of Hope and St. Michael. In the southern transept, lavishly decorated with twisted
gilded columns and floriated carvings, stands the chapel and tomb of St. Xavier. It was a gift by Medici, Cosimo III who was the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The church is frequented by a large number of tourists. An ornate domed reliquary in silver contains his remains. On his feast day, Dec 3, the saint's finger is displayed to devotees.
St. Francis Xavier is known as the Apostle of the Indies. It was he who introduced Christianity in Inida and the Far East. Born in Spain, he was one of the first seven members of the Jesuit order and began his missionary work in Goa in 1542. He ws canonized in 1622.
Goa photo gallery
Victoria Memorial : The splendid example of British architecture, this building in Kolkotta, West Bengal, was built in memory of Queen Victoria. The Prince of Wales, later known as King George V, laid the foundation stone on 4 January, 1906. It took 15 years before the Duke of Windsor officially inagurated it on 21 December 1921. Designed by Sir William Emerson, this 61 metre structure of white marble stands on 26 hectares of land. Inspired by the Taj Mahal, its splendid form combines British architecture and Moghul artistry.
The wrought iron gates , the lamp posts, the brass cannons and the statue of then Queen at the entrance - everything spells the magic of British monarchy and its grandeur. A bronze statue of an angel tops the domed memorial. The memorial today treasures many paintings, attires and other items used by he British during their rule in India. This building can also be termed as British Museum. Around 3500 items related to Queen Victoria are kept in 25 rooms of the memorial. In the evenings, the light and sound show is a major attraction for the tourists. The fountain of Joy on the
premises of the memorial presents an atmosphere of memorable charm. At the southern end of the maidan, this memorial was built with the contributions made by the public, even the poor contributed their mite. It was conceived by Lord Curzon. Dancing fountain is near by.
Borra caves : About 90 km from Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, are the one million year old Borra caves spread over the Eastern ghats and occupying an area of 2 sq km. These breathtakingly beautiful and the natural formation of these caves is a unique feature. The limestone caves were formed as a result of the action of the Gosthani river on the mineral deposits, thus dissolving the limestone. The dissolved limestone trickled down drop by drop by on the floor of the cave, which solidified to form the irregularly shaped stalagmites. Simultaneously, some of the water drops from the roof solidified to form stalactites.
The entire region surrounding Borra caves is inhabited by tribals for whom the place has enormous religious significance. According to a popular legend, a cowherd was the first person to trace these caves by mistake. When he saw the deposits accumulated in the form of a Shivlinga, the cowherd thought that God has saved his cow. Since then it has become a place of worship for the tribals. Several interesting structures inside the caves include a mushroom formation, a temple, a mosque, a church and many more. The Borra caves are brightly illuminated by 63 lamps of
mercury, halogen and sodium vapour, which make the interior of the caves colurful and spectacular.
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Deeg was the first capital of the Jat People with Badam singh as its ruler in 1722. He was responsible for constructing the royal palace on the southern side of the garden, now called Purana Mahal. Near Bharatpur bird sanctuary in Rajasthan lies another extraordinary tourist complex, consisting of a mini lake, a palace, a fort, and an intricate fountain system. The rustic palce does not have the romantic lure of Udaipaur or Jaipur. In 1730, crown prince Surajmal was reported to have errected the strong fortress with towering walls and a deep water moat with high ramparts about 6 metres wide in the southern portion of the town. Although the Surajmal shifted his capital to Bharatpur, he lavished attention on Deeg. He built elegant palaces in the form of a quadrangle.
At its cenre is a well laid garden with walkways, decorative flowerbeds, shrubs, trees and numerous fountains, which keep the place cool. The building to the north is called Nand Bhavan. One of the palaces Suraj Bhawan, is built entirely of marble and is ornamented with stones of different colours. Another palace built with grey stone is called Kishan Bhawan. A massive water tank on the terrace of Kishan Bhawan feeds the fountain in the middle of the garden. The gigantic water tank is capable of holding 6 to 7 lakh gallons of water.
This garden citadel at Deeg is strictly Mughal in its layout and style. An atmosphere of mystery and romance pervades the whole place. The beautful marble swing of Gopal Bhawan is a war trophy brought from the Mughal court at Delhi by Raja Surajmal. Deeg is well connected by road with Alwar, Bharatpur and Mathura.
Golghar granary, Patna : It is built in 1786 by Captain John Garstin of British Army at Patna in Bihar. The state experienced severe famine in 1770. The structure is 29 m high and 3.6 m wide at the base. A spiral stairway winding over the dome to top, which has a breathtaking view of the city. The spiral staircase was designed to facilitate the passage of the coolies, who had to carry grain bags up one flight, deliver their load through a hole at the top and descend the other stairs.
The bizarre Golghar or silo was constructed at the behest of Warren Hastings. It is also noted for its echo. But it is doubtful if it was ever used for the purpose for which it was built.
Ashoka edicts of Dhauli : Around 8 km south of Bhubaneshwar in Orissa is the site of a set of rock edicts left by the Indian emperor Ashoka in about 260 BC. Emperor Ashoka wanted to annex Kalinga, a powerful kingdom. After a lot of bloodshed he could take over the kingdom. But Ashoka was filled with remorse and he turned to Buddhism. This is the historical Dhauli on the banks of the river Daya. These rock edicts mark the spot the bloody Kalinga war was fought. Above the inscription, an elephant emerges from the rock. The peace pagoda is another main tourist attraction.
Elephanta caves, Mumbai : The 3rd c. caves are in an island one hour away from Mumbai. Inside the cave it is a large hall, with nine sculptured panels representing Shiva in different moods. Later the Portuguese took possession of the island and as they found a monolith elephant, the island was named Elephanta. The body of the caves is a square of about 28 m eachway, supported by six rows of columns. Temples in the caves and the carvings on the walls show Shiva in different moods and shapes. The most striking of these sculptures is the famous colossal Trimurti at the back of the cave facing the entrance. This is a representtion of the Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
The place is 9 km way by sea and approachable by launch from Gateway of India. Higher up on the island can be seen two British coastal guns of 7.5 m calibre.
Ajanta & Ellora caves : Ellora caves are located near Aurangabad (22 km) in Maharashtra. The caves are chiselled out from 2 to 10 th century AD. Ellora's best and largest cave temple is Kailash temple, which is carved out of one solid rock, took over 30 years of construction. The caves are numbered from North to South and can be divided into three
distinct sections. The first 16 caves carry Buddhist descriptions while 13 have mostly Hindu gods and goddesses. The rest are dedicated to Jain Thirthankaras. Daulatabad fortress is on the way worth a visit.
Unlike the Ellora caves, the 30 Ajanta caves are dedicated solely to Buddhism. Ajanta caves (100 km from Aurangabad) were hidden for a long time under the thick undergrowth till the 19 th century, when a company of British soldiers accidentially discovered them. While the Ajanta caves are noted for their paintings, the Ellora caves are famous for their sculptures. Chronologically the Ellora caves start where the Ajanta caves finish.
Ajanta Ellora cave photos
Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad : It means 'star of heaven', is a magnificent palace built by Nawab Vikar ul Ulmara, the then Prime minister of the Hyderabad state, now Andhra Pradesh. The palace is a rare blend of Italian and Tudor architecture. Located 5 km south of Charminar in Hyderabad, on a hill above 62 m, it took 9 years to complete the construction. It is totally made with Italian marble and covers a total area of 939 712 sq m. The splendour of Falaknuma Palace and lavish hospitality became famous throughout India.
The palace looks like a scorpion with two stings spread out as wings on the north. It has one of the most lavishly decorated interiors. The Jade collection of the palace is considered to be unique in the world. The palace has priceless collection of paintings, statues and English furniture. It also houses the largest Venetian chandeliers. Its glass stained windows throw a spectrum of colours into the rooms. The walls are artistically painted and decorated. The staircase leading to the upper floor is supported with carved balustrades and marble figures. The dining hall in the palace can accomodate atleast 100 guests at a time. The furniture is also very aesthetic. The palace has a library with a walnut carved roof, a replica of the Windsor castle.
Fatehpur Sikri, Agra : It is city built in red sandstone by Mughal emperor Akbar in 1585 AD, 37 km from Agra in Uttar Pradesh. Today this deserted city with a population of about 30 000 has many old structures. Fatehpur Sikri mosque is a copy of Mecca masjid and has designs derived from Persian and Hindu architecture. The prime locations to visit are Diwan Khana i Khaas, Diwan i am, Turkish Sultana's house, Palace of Jodha Bai, Daulat Khana i Khaas, Sunehra Makan, Panch Mahal, Hawa mahal, Nagina masjid, Birbal's palacem, Dargah of Sheikh Salim Chisti and the Buland Darwaza. Here once lives Sheikh Salim Chishti, a mystic saint who bestowed an heir in Akbar. When blessed with a son, Akbar named his son Salim and shifted his capital to Fatehpur Sikri. The shortage of the plannede capial city later comelled him to abandon it.
Gateway of India, Mumbai : Built to commemorate the first ever visit of the British monarch, King George V and queen Mary in 1911, was a white plaster arch, which was later changed to the carved yellow basalt gateway. Noted architect George Wittet built the gateway on the 16 th century Gujrat style. One can travel to Elephanta caves by launch from here. Nearby is the Prince of Wales museum built in the Indo - Saracenic style.
Gateway of India
Golconda fort, Hyderabad : One of the most magnificent fort complexes in India. Crenulated ramparts constructed of large masonary rocks surround the citadel, built on a 120 m high granite hill. The fort's accoustics are remarkable : the sound of hands clapping in the Grand Portico can be heard in the Durbar hall at the top of the hill. An hour long light and sound show is held daily except on Mondays. Kakatiya kings built the fort and ruled the nearby places. The fort is 11 km in perimeter and its walls are 4.5 to 5.5 m high. The whole fort is built of granite and flanked by 70 ramparts and eight huge gates. Previously the whole fort was surrounded by deep moat but slowly this was filled up.
About 8 km west of Hyderabad, the Golconda fort remained invincible for Emperor Aurangazeb despite his huge imperial army and seven months seige, but then he succeeded by stratagem and treachery. The Kohinoor diamond, which still adorns the British crown, came from here. Tomb of Qutb Shahi kings, a huge hollow tree are nearby and worth a visit.
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Gol Gumbaz, Bijapur : The tomb of Mohammad Adil Shah is the landmark of Bijapur. The tomb is made of Persian architecture with a dome, different types of well formed arches and use of Islamic motifs. Externally, the tomb is a massive cube, with octagonal seven storeyed towers topped by small rounded domes, projecting at the corners.
Internally, there is only one square chamber of majestic proportions, each side of which is 41.5 m high, the walls over 3 m thick and 34 m high. The dome has a diameter of 38.5 m internally with its apex over 61.5 m high.
BIJAPUR (100 km from Solapur) - Archaeological museum, Gol Gumbaz - world's fourth largest dome (37.92 m in diameter, 51 m in height and 3 m thick walls, A single minute whisper will be echoed 9 times), fort, Jami masjid, Asar Mahal, Gagan Mahal, Upli Buruj (Watch tower), Mallik e Maidan (a 55 tonne, 14 feet cannon), Bara Kaman, Ibrahim Roza tomb.
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Gwalior fort, Madhya Pradesh : The fort is having a thousand year old history and is known as 'the perl amongst fortresses in India'. It passed through many hands, right from Man singh of the Tomar dynasty to Ibrahim Lodhi, from the mighty Mughals to the valorous Marathas and finally to the British. During the Mutiny in 1857, Tantia Tope was defeated and the heroine of the Mutiny, the Rani of Jhansi was killed here. There is a memorial to her here.
Situated on a hill, 100 m above the town and being 3 km in length, it has earned the reputation of being the most impregnable fort in north and in central India. The width is varying between 200 m to one km. The walls, which encircle the fort are solid and nearly 10 m high. In places the cliff overhangs and elsewhere it has been clipped to make it steep and hence unscalable. The fort also enjoys the advantage of an unlimited water supply, as there are many water tanks on the palteau. It offers a panoramic view of the town and the plains below. There are many monuments in and around the fort. Within the fort itself are temples, pools, palace and a museum. The Gujari Mahal was built here by Raja Man
Singh in 15 th century for his favourite queen Mriganayanee.
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Sas Bahu mandir : Shrines of mother in law and daughter in law temple (meaning in Hindi). Located south of Hathia Paur in Gwalior fort. The 11 th centruy temple is dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva. The shrine ios in the shape of a cross 31 m long and 20 m wide. The central hall has four massive pillars bearing the pyramidal roof of the upper storey. The
temples have exquisite carvings of human figures, as well as plant and animal motifs. The Suraj kund, the pool from which king Suraj Pal drank and got cured of his leprosy.
Teli Ka Mandir, Gwalior : The 31 m high 9 th century temple is in the Gwalior fort. King Suraj Pal, founder of the fort, was said to be cured of leprosy upon bathing at the nearby Suraj Kund. The temple roof is of a ridge type found on the vaulted roof of a Buddhist chaitya hall. Tomb of tansen (the famous singer at Akbar's court) is nearby.
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur : It is a multi layered palace built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The palace is famous for its beehive like structure, the Mahal is an interplay of red and pink sandstone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. 'The palace of winds' is a fantasia of 953 ornate windows set in a rose coloured five storied facade. The palace is tier upon tier of curved arch surmounting fairy casements with 'jali' (lattice work) that screened the ladies from common people. From here the ladies of the court could look out at festive processions without jeopardising their modest seclusion.
Jantar Mantar Observatory and City palace are nearby. Jantar Mantar is a famous observatory built by Maharaja Jai Singh which best reflects the passion of its founder for astronomy and his scientific genius. In the city palace is housed a rich and rare collection of ornaments, arms, royal costumes, carpets and decorative objects.
Humayun's tomb, Delhi : Built by Humayun's senior widow Bega Begum, nine years after his death in 1565. It is a garden tomb with high arches and a double dome. Two lofty double storeyed gateways, one on the west and the other on the east leads to the monument. A baradari (pavilion) occupies the center of the eastern wall of the enclosure and a bath chamber that of the northern wall. Several rulers of the Mughal dynasty lie buried in the mausoleum, though it is not possible to identify their graves. The last Mughal emperor of Delhi had taken shelter in this tomb with the three princes during the mutiny and was captured here in 1857 by Lieutenanat Hodson.
Not far from here are Purana Qila and Nizamuddin Aulia's Dargah. The dargah lies opposite to the Mausoleum. It is the shrine of the Nizamuddin Chisthi, a fourth in the line of Chisthi saints. It is a Muslim pilgrim centre.
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India Gate, New Delhi : The 42 m high gateway in the middle of a crossraod commemorates the 70 000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British army during the first world war and bears the names of more than 13 516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the north western frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.
The foundation stone was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught, in 1921 and was designed by Edwin Lutyens. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added much later after India got its independence. It is in the form of a flame that burns day and night under the arch to remind the nation of the soldiers who laid down their lives in the Indo - Pakistan war in 1971. The entire arch stands on a low base of red Bharatpur stone.
Opposite to the Inida Gate, at the other end of Raj Path, stands the magnificent residence of the President of India on Raisina hill. The palace like spacious building was designed by Edwin Lutyens and Herbert Baker in 1929.
Jahaz Mahal or the Ship palace was built at Mandu in Madhya Pradesh by Sultan Ghias ud din Khilji to maintain his large harem, a place where the ladies of the rulers lived. This palace is 120 m long and 15 m wide and is in the shape of a ship, located between Munj Talao and Kapur Talao (pond).
Jahaz Mahal is a double storeyed structure with domes and turrets. The balconies hanging over the water and the open terraced appear as a royal pleasure craft. The hidden motive of building this palace might have been to carve out a pleasure ship from stone. Another beautiful palace with sloping side walls in the same enclave - Hindola Mahal or the swinging palace - is worth a visit.
Jantar Mantar, one of the several observatories raised by Maharaja Jai Singh II of jaipur, is a unique structure raised in 1724 in the heart of Delhi's comercioal centre near Connaught place. The various abstract structures within are, in fact, instruments that were used for keeping track of celestial bodies. The monument is dominat3ed by a huge sundial known as Samrat Yantra or 'Prince of Dials', meant to measure acurate time of the day. The two pillars on the south west of Mishra Yantra are meant to dermine the shortest and longest days of the year. Interestingly, in December one pillar completely covers the other with its shadow while in June it does not cast any such shadow at all.
After completion of the first Jantar Mantar and with a view to verifying astronomical observations made at Delhi, Jai Singh built similar observatories at other important cities like Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. ai Singh himself was a noted scholar of mathematics and astronomy.
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Junagadh fort, Bikaner : Raja Rai Singh, one of the most trusted Generals of Akbar, constructed Junagadh fort at Bikaner in 1587. One of the finest of Rajput monuments, the fort has a 986 m long wall with 37 bastions and two entrances. The palaces with in the fort are on the southern side and make a picturesque ensemble of courtyards, balconies, towers and windows.
Junagadh is one of the few forts in India, which has been never been conquered, though it was often attacked. Thirty seven palces, pavilions and temples built by various kings stand protected by massive ramparts and round towers. The Suraj Pol or the Sun gate is the main gateway. Anoop Mahal or the Unique palace and the Rang Mahal or the palace of colours have slender massive coloumns, cusped arches and delicate stone screens. Chandra Mahal or the Moon palace and Phool Mahal or the Flower palace are distingushed by their fascinating mirror work, carvings and paintings.
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Mehrangarh fort, Jodhpur : It is a majestic fort (of 1806) with three gates, each built to commemorate a particular victory as well as to reinforce the fort. Carved panels and porches, elaborately adorned walls and windows of Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana seem to make the medieval magnificence come alive. The
palaces in the fort have their own peculiar style, with narrow staircases, serving as the only means to access to the royal residences within.
A collection of musical instruments, palanquins, furniture and cannons on the fort's ramparts are perserved. Mehrangarh appears impenetrable with its battlements soaring 123 m above a hill that rises sharply from the surrounding countryside. Mehrangarh has its own architectural appeal such as brilliant stained glass that creates vibrant mosaics on the floors, with the passage of the sun through the day. A serpentine road leads up to the entrance of the fort which then passes through six more gates. Close to the Raj Mahal, on the banks of the Gulab sagar, stand the Kunj Behari and Chamunda temples. Chamunda, the goddess Kali, is the presiding deity of the royal house of Jodhpur.
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Mysore palace is a treasure house of exqusite carvings and works of art from all over the world. It is built in Indo - Saracenic style with domes, turrets, arches and colonnades. The tastefully decorated and intricately carved doors open into luxuriously decorated rooms. Tha palace has been now converted into a museum, which treasures the paintings, jewellery, roayal costumes and other items once possessed by the Wodeyar kings.
The palace is said to display the largest collection of gold iems. The Durbar hall of the palace has an ornate ceiling and many sculpted pillars, which are said to have been painted with gold. The walls of the palace are covered with pictures of Dussehra processions and these paintings are done in such a manner that from any angle you can see the procession.
This palace complex, is one of the biggest of its kind in India, is a marvel in construction and ornamentation. Only the four segments of the complex are open to the public. They include Gombi Totti, Kalyan Mandap, Durbar hall and Amba Vilas. On festive occasions the palace is illuminated and then it is transformed into a veritable fairy land.
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Qutb Minar, Delhi : The 13 th century red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high, tapering from 2.75 m in diameter at its peak to 14.32 m at its base. The founde of the slave dynasty, Qutb ud din Aibak started the construction of this huge tower but unfortunately didnot live to complete it. The sultan's successor and son in law, Altmash, complete it.
The surrounding archelogical area contains funeral buildings, notably the magnificent Alai Darwaza, the masterpiece of Indo - Muslim art built in 1311, and two mosques including, Quwwat ul Islam, the oldest in Northern India. The tower has striking carvings and is inscribed with verses from the Holy Koran. Qutb Minar is still the highest stone tower in India and is the recognised landmark of Delhi. Aibak began building this mosque in 1192 and was completed in 1198 by using the stones of the 27 Hindu and Jain temples demolished here.
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Sri Virupaksha temple, Hampi : Hampi is a world heritage centre by UNESCO. The ruined temple city has this temple dedicated to Shiva, known here as Virupaksha. The Tungabhadra river is known as the Pambanadi. The Pambapati temple is located north of Hemkuta hill. The temple is in a long rectangular enclosure with a 50 m high gateway. The
main entrance to the temple is a nine storeyed 52 m high made with brick. The Pampapati and Vitthala temples are two architectural wonders which testify the glory of the Vijayanagar empire founded by Harihatra and Bukka in 136 which reached its zenith under he reign of Krishnadeva Raya. Hampi is near Hospet, which is on the Guntakkal - Gadag road,
in Karnataka.
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