A Trip4India
> Monuments in India
Monuments in India
Ajanta Ellora
Way back in1819, a party of British army officers on a tiger hunt in the
forest of western Deccan, suddenly spotted their prey, on the far side of
a loop in the Waghora river. High up on the horseshoe- shaped cliff, the
hunting party saw the tiger, silhouetted against the carved façade
of a cave.
Charminar,
Hyderabad
The Charminar in Hyderabad, at the capital city of Andhra Pradesh, is a
massive arch built by Mohammed Quli Qutab Shah, in 1591 to commemorate the
end of the plague in the city. The symbol of the city, the Charminar, is
an impressive square monument with four minarets. The arch is illuminated
daily in the evening, an unforgettable sight indeed.
Fatehpur Sikri,
Agra
A royal city perfectly preserved, Fatehpur Sikri provides a marvellous escape
into the past. Akbar embarked on the construction of a new capital here
when a prophecy of the birth of a male royal heir, by the Sufi Saint Salim
Chisti of Sikri, came true.
Gateway of
India, Mumbai
Mumbai's most famous monument, this is the starting point for most tourists
who want to explore the city. It was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate
the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, complete with four turrets and
intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone.
Humayun's Tomb,
Delhi
The mughals brought with them a love for gardens, fountains and water. The
first mature example of Mughal architecture in India, Humayun's Tomb was
built by the emperor's grieving widow, Haji Begum, in 1565 AD.
India Gate, Delhi
Built as a memorial to commemorate the 70,000 India soldiers killed in World
War I, India Gate was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and completed in 1931.
Khajuraho Temples
The temples of Khajuraho are India's unique gift to the world, representing,
as they do, a paean to life, to love, to joy; perfect in execution and sublime
in expression. Life, in every form and mood, has been capured in stone,
testifying not only to the craftsman's artistry but also to the extraordinary
breadth of vision of the Chandela Rajputs under whose rule the temples were
conceived and constructed.
Konark Temple
The crowning glory of Oriya temple architecture, the 13th century Sun temple
also known as ' the Black Pagoda', comes with a baggage of centuries - old
myths and legends. Legends say that Samba, the son of Lord Krishna, was
afflicted by leprosy, brought about by his father's curse on him. After
12 years of penance, he was cured by Surya, the Sun God, in whose honour
he built this temple.
Lake Palace, Udaipur
The Lake Palace is located on the Jag Niwas Island and covers the whole
of 1.5 hectare of the island in the middle of the Pichola Lake. Built by
Maharana Jagat Singh in 1743 it was meant as a royal summer palace and now
converted in to a five star palace hotel.
Qutub Minar, Delhi
The origins of Qutab Minar are shrouded in controversy. Some believe it
was erected as a tower of victory to signify the beginning of the Muslim
rule in India. Others say it served as a minaret to the muezzins to call
the faithful to prayer. No one can, however, dispute that the tower is not
only one of the finest monuments in India, but also in the world.
Taj Mahal, Agra
Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal and once the capital of the Mughal empire,
has several monuments which display the splendour of Mughal architecture.
It was here that Babar, the founder of the dynasty, had the first formal
Persian garden laid out on the banks of the river Yamuna. Akbar, his grandson,
raised the towering ramparts of the great Red Fort, within whose walls Jahangir
built rose-red palaces, courts and gardens, and which Shahajahan embellished
with marble mosques, palaces and pavilions of gem-inlaid white marble.
Umaid Bhawan Palace,
Jodhpur
Maharaja Umaid Singhji who built this palace was fascinated with western
lifestyles so he marshalled the services of a well-known Edwardian architect,
Henry Vaughan Lanchester, a creditable equal of Edward Lutyens (architect
of New Delhi) to construct a three hundred and forty seven roomed Umaid
Palace.
