Interesting Tourist places and things

[minisoji]

Ajanta Caves

[minisoji]

Daulatabad Fort



Daulatabad Fort is a magnificent fort situated in Maharashtra, at a distance of around 13 km from the Aurangabad city. It forms a part of the Daulatabad city, which was earlier known as 'Devigiri'. The fort, perched at a height of approximately 60 ft, dates back to the 12th century. It has been constructed on the top of a hill and is amongst the best preserved forts in the world that date back to the medieval times. Daulatabad Fort is also one of the forts in Maharashtra that can be called as impregnable.



The excellent architecture of the fort, combined with its massive size, is what attracts visitors. Some information can be found on the history of the Daulatabad Fort. Devigiri city, now Daulatabad, was founded in 1187 AD, by Bhillamraja of the Yadava dynasty. In the years that ensued, the city passed into the hands of several dynasties of the Deccan. It also became the capital of India, under the rule of Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq. Infact, he was the one who gave Devigiri, the name of 'Daulatabad', meaning 'City of
Fortune'.



Even till 800 years ago, the city was one of the flourishing destinations of the country. Daulatabad Fort stands bounded within thick walls, which are almost 5 km long, and is entered through spiked gates. Its slide ways are quite steep and trench very deep, making it almost unassailable. To facilitate escape in extreme crisis, the architects of the fort developed a maze of secret, subsurface passages inside its premises. Infact, Daulatabad Fort was made so sound and secure that it never fell to marching forces. It was conquered by its enemies only by the means of treachery.

[minisoji]

Aiguille du Midi - The French Alps

The Aiguille du Midi is a mountain in the Mont Blanc Massif in the French Alps. The name "Aiguille du Midi" translates literally as "needle of midday". It is so called as the sun sits directly over the peak at noon, when viewed from Chamonix. The Aiguille summit contains a panoramic viewing platform, a cafe and a gift shop.

[minisoji]

Sheikh Chehli Mausoleum - Haryana India


Sheikh Chehli Mausoleum is an popular tourist spot in India. Sheikh Chehli Mausoleum is located in the Thanesar district of Haryana. This mausoleum is very near to the ancient mounds of Thanesar. This protected monument is supposed to be built by Sher Shah Suri. The mausoleum is an example of magnificent architecture.



The mausoleum is noted for its architectural splendor, particularly its dome resembling that of Taj Mahal in Agra. Built of buff sandstone and white marbles, it stands on an artificial terrace and has an octagonal shape.



The madarsa section is a building with nine arched openings and a stone tank, is attached to the tomb which is a repository of excavated items revealed from in and around Thanesar. The mausoleum is also inclusive of a fort in ruins. There are three mounds covering an area of about five kilometers within the precincts of this fort.

[minisoji]

Poor Man's Taj Mahal



Bibi Ka Maqbara is situated 5 km away from Aurangabad. Aurangazeb's son, Prince Azam Shah built it in 1678 in the memory of his mother Begum Rabia Durani. This mausoleum is a replica of the famous Taj Mahal.

Despite the layout and surrounding of the tomb is very much similar to Taj Mahal, somehow the architecture fails to produce the magic of the Taj. Hence, it is considered to be a poor imitation of the Taj Mahal. It is nicknamed as Poor Man's Taj Mahal it is also known as Mini Taj Mahal.



The chief architect of the monument is a Persian called Ustad - Ata - Ullah. The inscription on the walls of the tomb reveals that it cost precisely Rs. 665,283 and 7 Annas to build this monument.



Bibi Ka Maqbara has four towering minarets like Taj Mahal. An octagonal lattice-screen of white marble surrounds the raised plinth supporting Rabia Daurani's grave inside the tomb. The tips of its pillars are made of red stone. The monument becomes so beauty when its reflection falls on the water as soon as the sun's first rays fall on it.



MTDC organizes a fair every October as the Bibi Ka Maqbara festival. Aurangabad is well connected through air, train and road. Accommodation facilities are available at various hotels at Aurangabad.

[minisoji]

The Golden Fort of India


Jaisalmer Fort is one of the largest forts in the world. It is situated in Jaisalmer city, Rajasthan India. It was built in 1156 AD by the Bhati Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, from where it derives it name.



The fort stands proudly amidst the golden stretches of the great Thar Desert, on Trikuta Hill, and has been the scene of many battles. Its massive yellow sandstone walls are a tawny lion color during the day, fading to honey-gold as the sun sets, thereby camouflaging the fort in the yellow desert. For this reason, it is also known as the Golden Fort.

[minisoji]

Burma’s Golden Rock



The Golden Rock (Kyaik-htiyo or Kyaiktiyo), perched atop a cliff near Yangon, is one of the most sacred sites in Burma. The great boulder precariously balances on the edge of a cliff and is topped by a small stupa. An endless stream of pilgrims come to admire the sight and add squares of gold leaf to its surface.



Myth and Mystery

With its great weight balanced so precariously on the cliff edge, the Golden Rock is a truly extraordinary natural feature. It is little wonder it is regarded with such sacred awe. According to legend, it is kept in place by a single hair of the Buddha.
The main legend of the Golden Rock begins with a hermit bringing a hair of the Buddha to his king. The hermit instructed that his gift be enshrined under a rock shaped like the hermit's head. (The name Kyaik-htiyo means "Pagoda on a Hermit's Head.")
Fortunately the king was the son of a zagwi (a hermit reborn as a powerful, magical being) and a naga (sea dragon) so he was able to find and retrieve the rock from the bottom of the ocean.
The king built a ship to carry the rock to the mountain. After the rock was in place, balanced on the hair of the Buddha, the boat turned to stone. A stone that looks a bit like a ship is enshrined in the complex.
Another legend explains that the rock actually hovers in the air above the cliff. Originally there was enough room between for a chicken to walk under it, then it sunk a bit and only a partridge could walk through, and finally only a sparrow could walk through. Today it still hovers, but the space is so narrow that it can't be seen.



What to See

The Golden Rock is a great boulder about 25 feet high, which looks like it could crash down the hill at any moment. Its area of contact with the cliff is extremely small. The gilded boulder is topped with an 18-foot tall pagoda.



The great rock suddenly and spectacularly comes into view from the steep path up the hill, and can then be approached and touched (by men only) from the shrine complex that spreads out behind it on the cliff.



The Kyaiktiyo shrine complex consists of several viewing platforms, pagodas, Buddha shrines and nat spirit shrines. Worshipers gather in the area behind therock to pray and make offerings, and nearly all apply a square of gold leaf to the rock as an offering and act of merit.
Away from the main shrine complex is a circle of eight gongs with four statues of nats and angels in the center.
The views from the Golden Rock are spectacular and many visitors stay to watch the sunset.