Since time immemorial Delhi has been the Capital of many rulers. There were the Maurya dynasty, the Tomars and Chauhans, Mamluk (Slave), Khilji, Tughlaq, Lodi and Sayyid dynasties and the Mughals. Each dynasty created its own buildings and monuments as per their needs and to promote their art and culture. This gave Delhi an assorted range of historic forts and monuments like Red Fort, Old Fort, Humayun’s tomb, Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid etc that added [...]Read More
India’s iconic architectural splendour is a fine exemplar of its golden past. The emperors of history left an imprint of their reign in the form of these spectacular vestiges which speak greatly about their king. The architectural heritage of our country is our ancestral property which needs to be preserved with utmost care so as to be passed on to the future generations. There is a plethora of known and unknown monuments in India, [...]Read More
Location: Kalu Sarai Village near IIT, New Delhi Deciphering the archaeological history of Delhi is really a hard task to do! You never know what is camouflaged in those silently standing mystical structures which were built centuries ago. Recently, I somehow stumbled upon a similar puzzling structure of which no one had any clear knowledge about. After having researched for hours, I found out that it was the “thousand pillared” palace of the most eccentric [...]Read More
Location: South of Tughlaqabad Fort, New Delhi Had the rulers of the medieval period not been so fond of architecture, Delhi would not have been the same heritage kernel as it is today! One such architecture enthusiast was Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, the first Tughlaq ruler of India. As soon as he was coroneted to the throne, he embarked on a construction programme to fortify Tughlaqabad. Being a ruler of architectural affinity, how could he not have [...]Read More
Location: Sector 1, Chandigarh, Punjab Every time I dropped by Chandigarh, I remember to have seen a unique hand-like structure turning round and round with the wind. Inquisitive to know what this structure stood for, I inquired and was amazed to know that such a small monument had a very big meaning attached to it. Standing at a height of 26 metres from the ground, the Open Hand Monument is located in the Capitol Complex [...]Read More
Location: 11, Rani Rashmoni Avenue, Kolkata Maidaan, West Bengal Built in the year 1828, Shaheed Minar or Ochterlony Monument happens to be one of the oldest monuments in Kolkata. This magnificent structure was originally constructed to commemorate the achievements of Major-General Sir David Ochterlony, the Commander of the British East India Company. A heroic victory in the Anglo-Nepalese War and the defence of Delhi from the Marathas were the two main reasons for honoring Sir [...]Read More
Lal Kot, literally ‘red fort’, is a walled bastion or military garrison located in South Delhi. It was the first Delhi fort to be constructed of red stone. One must visit the fort to get a glimpse of the city’s historical majesty. Lal Kot History The Lal Kot was the first defensive construction of its time, erected by Anangpal I, the Tomar ruler in, AD 731. It has been built in oblong shape, and [...]Read More
Location: Raisen District, Sanchi, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh One of the oldest stone structures in India, the Great Stupa at Sanchi is an important Buddhist monument. Built by Emperor Ashoka to honor Lord Buddha, the stupa stands proud as an icon of Sanchi, though there are other architectural marvels in the vicinity. UNESCO has listed it among the world heritage sites. A hemispherical brick structure, the Stupa is surrounded by four gateways called Toranas, each representing [...]Read More
Located in the Delhi, Nizamuddin Dargah is the mausoleum of Nizamuddin Auliya who is counted among the world’s most renowned Sufi saints. It is among the popular attractions of Delhi and is therefore visited by hundreds of people daily. The grand Hazrat Nizamuddin tomb has lattice screens called jalis, marble arches and courtyards. Devotees tie red threads to these screens with a belief that their wishes would be granted. Inside the tomb, the shrine is [...]Read More
Location: Rangpur, near Sivasagar, Assam Largest among all Ahom monuments, the Talatal Ghar in Assam was initially built as an army base. It is located near Rang Ghar (yet another specimen of Ahom architecture) and was built by Rajeswara Singha. Talatal Ghar has three storeys that are underground (closed for tourists) and four above the ground. The ground floor had store rooms, stables and servant quarters, while the upper floors were for the royal family. [...]Read More
