Fatehpur Sikri

    Listed among the World Heritage Sites, Fatehpur Sikri ranks among the mostly visited spots in India. Situated at an easy distance from the city of Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Fatehpur Sikri is an important specimen of the Mughal dynasty. By going for tours to this historical site, you can get a feel of the rich historical culture of medieval Mughal India.

    Fatehpur Sikri was made the political capital of the Mughal Empire by Emperor Akbar from the period of 1571 to 1585. The capital was later shifted to the city of Agra. There are majestic buildings built by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri. There is a fort in the site which is a blend of Mughal and Persian architecture. The ideal time for undertaking tours to Fatehpur Sikri is between the months of November and February. The weather is this part of the year is pleasant with sunny skies and little rainfall.

Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh

    Fatehpur Sikri is also well accessible as it is well connected with other parts of the country. The nearest airport is located in Agra. By roadways, Fatehpur Sikri is connected with Delhi, Jaipur and other places.

    Fatehpur Sikri is considered as one of the architectural legacies of Emperor Akbar. It consists of beautiful palaces, halls, and mosques. Some of the major monuments in Fatehpur Sikri are:

Buland Darwaza: It ranks among the important monuments in the place. This enormous gateway has a height of 54 meters and is largest gateway in the world. It was made in the year 1575 to celebrate Emperor Akbar's success in conquering Gujarat and is a fine blend of Persian and Mughal architecture.

Buland Darwaza

Diwan-i-Khas- Hall: Popularly known as the "Ekstambha Prasada", the Diwan-i-Khas served as the royal chamber of Emperor Akbar. It is designed according to the Persian style of architecture and is decorated with fine sculpture and precious stones. There are 4 kiosks which are located in the middle of the court.

Diwan-i-Khas

Panch Mahal: The Panch Mahal ranks among the most fascinating buildings in Fatehpur Sikri. It is a five storey building which was meant to be the shelter of the royal ladies and mistresses. The top story of the building offers a panoramic view of the surrounding area.

Panch Mahal

Tomb of Salim Chisti: The tomb of renowned Sufi saint Salim Chisti is located here. The tomb is well known for its delicate carvings and draws hundreds of pilgrims.

In addition to these, there are other important monuments in Fatehpur Sikri like the Palace of Jodha Bai, Birbal Bhawan, Diwan-i-Aam and Karawan Serai. These buildings are specimens of grand Mughal and Persian architecture.

Tomb Of Salim Chisti

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Madurai Meenakshi Temple

    Shri Meenakshi - Sundreswara Temple is one of the popular tourist attractions in Tamil Nadu. It is an ancient seat of ancient religious learning. Hundreds of tourists and pilgrims come to the Shri Meenakshi - Sundreswara Temple all over the year.

    The Shri Meenakshi - Sundreswara Temple in Tamil Nadu is located in the city of Madurai in the state of Tamil Nadu. The temple is known for its rich architecture and wonderful carvings. It is dedicated to Goddess Meenakshi. The temple is spread over a vast complex and is surrounded by a sprawling garden with fountains. It is made up of two shrines, around twelve Gopuras, numerous Mandapas and a giant pool.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple, Tamil Nadu

    Some of the important monuments that are present in the Shri Meenaksh- Sundreswara Temple, Tamil Nadu are:

Ashta Sakthi Mandapam: It is a huge structure and has an impressive hemispherical ceiling. It is around 14 meters in length and has a width of 5.5 meters. The whole mandapam is made up of bas-reliefs. The mandapam is dedicated to the marriage of Goddess Meenakshi with Lord Somasundara.

Meenakshi Nayakkar Mandapam: The hall of the temple is around 42.9m long and 33.5m wide. It is constructed out of 110 stone columns, all over which have beautiful carvings of a peculiar animal with a lion's body, and an elephant's head.

Potramaraukulam (Golden Lotus Tank): Potramaraukulam is an ancient tank where hundreds of devotees take bath in the holy waters. The corridors that surround the tanks are known as Chitra Mandapams. They are made of sculpture of the divine sports of the Lord. The area around the tank was a meeting place for the ancient academy of poets.

Pillars Inside The Temple

    In addition to these, there are also some other religious monuments and structures in the temples which are worth admiring for their beautiful carvings and sculptures. Some of them are:

The Thousand Pillar Mandapam
Vasantha Mandapam
Oonjal Mandapam
Swami Sundareswarar Shrine
Unjal And Kilikatti Mandapas

    Tourists can easily come to Madurai by a number of transport options. The city is served by a domestic airport which is well connected with various parts of the country. Well developed rail and road transport is also available between Madurai and other parts of South India and other places across the country.

Madurai Meenakshi Temple

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Jantar Mantar

Built in the year of 1734, Jantar Mantar was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. This observatory is a collection of the architectural astronomical instruments, which is built in the city of Jaipur. Maharaja Jai Singh built similar observatories at different locations. Total of five such laboratories were built. But the largest one of all the observatories is located at Jaipur.

The name Jantar Mantar literally means a calculation instrument. The observatories had great religious significance and the Indian astronomers considered Jantar Mantar as a very important place. The observatory houses numerous instruments related to astronomy and is a great work of creation. The various instruments that are kept inside the Jantar Mantar of Jaipur are used to trace the path of the astronomical bodies.
Thousands of travelers from all over the world come to see this imposing astronomical observatory. Here, you can find a number of instruments, which include the following:

Samrat Yantra
Jai Prakash
Ram Yantra
Niyati Chakra
Misra Yantra

Inside the Jantar Mantar, you will find several geometric devices for measuring time, ascertaining the declinations of planets, tracking stars in their orbits, predicting eclipses and determining the celestial altitudes. All of these tools are fixed and static. These can not be moved. The largest of them is the Samrat Jantar, which is 90 feet high. It is a sun dial, which can read time with great accuracy. To know the time of the day, this instrument is used. There is a Hindu chhatri, which is used for broadcast the arrival of the monsoons and the time of eclipses. The instruments are built of local stone and marbles.

The architecture of Jantar Mantar is in itself a marvel. In the year of 1948, Jantar Mantar was declared as the national monument. You will come across several astronomical systems in the campus of the Jantar Mantar. The huge instruments within the observatory are created to give accurate readings. Over the years, Jantar Mantar has become one of the most important tourist attractions. Counted as one of the most important monuments in India, you can find Jantar Mantar in Delhi as well, which was built I the 1724.

CST - Mumbai

    CST - Mumbai or Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was earlier known as Victoria Terminus.  This historic railway station in Mumbai serves as the headquarters of the Central Railways.  CST - Mumbai in Maharashtra, one of the busiest railway stations in the country, serves Central Railway trains terminating in Mumbai and the Mumbai suburban railway.

CST - Mumbai, Maharashtra

    CST - Mumbai in Maharashtra India was designed by Frederick William Stevens.  He was a consulting architect in 1887-1888.  He earned a sum of 16.14 lakh rupees to build the terminus and the commission to construct the station.  William Stevens went on a t trip to Europe and made a detailed study of the stations for 10 months.  The final design of CST - Mumbai bears some similarity to St Pancras station in London.

Interior Of CST -  Mumbai

    The terminus at Mumbai was completed in ten years and was named "Victoria Terminus" in honour of the Queen and Empress Victoria.  It was made headquarter of the great Indian Peninsular Railway from 1878.

    In 1996, Bombay VT was renamed as Chhatrapati Shivaji, after the name of the 17th century Maratha king.  During that time, the Shiv Sena, in keeping with the policy of renaming locations with Indian names, made the state government change its name.  Later on July 2, 2004 Bombay VT was nominated a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO.

Full View Of CST - Mumbai

    CST - Mumbai is a must visit for those travelling to Mumbai. One should not miss to witness the Victorian Gothic style of architecture.  You can witness the splendid fusion of influences from Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and traditional Indian architecture.  The students at the Bombay School of Art have marvellously displayed their ornamental iron and brass railings, wood carving, tiles, grills for the ticket offices, the balustrades for the grand staircases and other ornaments.

CST - Mumbai At Night

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The Golden Temple

    The Golden Temple is one of the famous pilgrimage spots in India.  It is also known as Harmandir Sahib and is a scared place for the Sikh community.  Thousands of tourists and pilgrims come to the Golden Temple all over the year.  The temple is located in the city of Amritsar in the state of Punjab.
 Sikhs consider the Golden Temple in Amritsar as a very holy site because the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal Guru of the Sikhs is located inside the temple.  The temple is surrounded by a beautiful lake.  People wash their hands in the waters of the lake, which is considered to be a sacred ritual.  The religious site was initially built around 1574 A.D.  In addition to the Sikhs, people of other religions and communities also come here to pay their homage.

The Golden Temple, Amritsar, Punjab

    The Golden Temple, Amritsar is famous for the architectural beauty and charm.  Hari Mandir or Darbar Sahib is the most sacred part of the temple.  This part of the temple is famous for the exquisite golden structure at the centre.  There are golden plates to cover the exterior walls of the upper floor and the dome.  There are also elegant marble sculptures.

Full View Of Golden Temple

    The lake that surrounds the Golden Temple is also considered to be very holy and is known as the "Pool of Nectar".  There is a marble walkway, known as the Guru's Bridge, which leads to the pavilion of the temple.  The doorway of the bridge consists of exquisitely carved silver doors.  Another unique feature of the Golden Temple is the dining hall, known as the Guru-ka-Langar.  The hall can accommodate around 35,000 devotees who are served meal by the temple authorities.

Top View Of Golden Temple

    The Golden Temple in Amritsar is also famous for the celebrations.  The main festival that is celebrated in the temple is Vaisakhi.  It is held in the second week of April and is celebrated to commemorate the founding of the Khalsa cult.  To celebrate the festival, the whole temple is illuminated with lights which are a great spectacle.   There are also numerous shops and dining hubs where travellers can go after making a visit to the Golden Temple.  The dining hubs serve a wide range of mouth watering local and Punjabi delicacies.  The local shops offer woodcarvings, woollen garments, and phulkaries and so on.

Golden Temple At Night

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Charminar

    One of the prime attractions of the tech city Hyderabad is the Charminar.  Over the years, Charminar - Hyderabad has earned huge popularity and has become a major landmark of the city.  The very name of Hyderabad associates Charminar with it.  It stands as structure that tells us about the glory and the rich cultural heritage of the Hyderabad city.  You can not imagine Hyderabad without Charminar- it has become an integral part of the city.

Charminar, Hyderabad

    Charminar in Hyderabad was constructed by the eminent architect named Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in the year of 1591.  This magnificent edifice of granite, lime, mortar or pulverised marble was built as soon as he shifted his capital to this city.  The monument oozes out sense of aesthetics of the architects of the time.  It reflects the great architectural eminence of the time.  You can site Charminar - Hyderabad at the heart of the city.

Side View of Charminar

    This architectural splendour is squarish in structure and has four tall pillars and hence the name Charminar, meaning four pillars.  Each of the pillars measure 20 meters in length from the side.  The minarets rise up to 24 meters from the Charminar roof.  But from the ground, the whole structure measures 48.7 meters.  All the pillars have arches, which opens into a plaza.  These grand minarets are the major draw of the Hyderabad city.  The minarets are divided into four distinct storeys.  The minarets open to balconies that circle them.  The dome of the Charminar is equally striking.

Interior of Charminar

It is a popular belief that the four minarets stand for the first four khalifs of Islam religion.  Visit the oldest mosque in Hyderabad at the western end of Charminar- Hyderabad.  The Islamic structure of Charminar has spiral staircase that flights of 149 steps, which leads to the apex of the tower.
 Colourful and bustling markets surround the structure of Charminar.  The main draws of these markets are the bangles, traditional Muslim gear, pearls and Mughlai delicacies.  In the neighbourhood, you can visit the Jamay masjid, Mecca masjid, Char Kamaan, and Miya Mishk mosque. Purani Haveli and Chhata bazaar are other attraction near Charminar.  This Indo Islamic structure, one of the major monuments of Hyderabad is a must visit destination during your tour.

Charminar In Night

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Taj Mahal

    Taj Mahal is located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.  Considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal is the grandest structure ever built  in India.  Spread for more than 42 acres, this mausoleum is located in the banks of Yamuna.  Taj Mahal in Agra is called the epitome of love and was built by the great Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife.  This edifice was built during 1631 to 1653.  The grandeur of the mausoleum earned it recognised of a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the year 1983.

Taj Mahal, Agra

    Taj was built by this great ruler to immortalise his love for his beloved Queen Mumtaz Mahal.  It was built after the death of his wife.  This phenomenal monument is a great architecture built of sparkling white marble.  This Islamic tomb is said to involve about 20,000 workers for the construction of this grand and impressive edifice.

    Taj Mahal is a great example of the brilliance of Mughal architecture.  It combines the architectural style of Turkish, Islamic, Persian and Indian.  Millions of tourists from all over the world come to Agra to behold this architectural marvel.  The tomb of the Taj Mahal has a large dome, vaulted archway and beautifully sculpted pillars.  The brilliant architectural splendour shows a  distinct form of Mughal architectural.

Top View of Taj Mahal

    Beautiful sculptures and precious stones adorn the walls of the Taj Mahal.  There are four minarets, which are divided equally into three parts.  Each of them has balconies that divide the minarets in to three equal parts.  The exterior part of Taj Mahal is decorated with beautiful calligraphy and carvings.  You can find inscription from Quran carved all over the mausoleum.  The motifs of flowers and vines and engravings of precious stones put forward a great form of art.  You can capture the beauty of Taj Mahal at its best during the full moon night.

Taj Mahal During Sunset

    The sprawling Mughal garden in front of the Taj Mahal is wonderfully maintained.  Pathways divide the 300 meter square charbagh into four quarters.  The fountains enhance the beauty of this enchanting mausoleum.  To get to Taj Mahal, you can avail the Agra airport.  The luxury trains, along with general trains, will take you to Agra.  You can avail bus service as well to reach the city of Agra.

    Taj Mahal, one of the most important monuments of India remains closed on Fridays.  On other days, it remains open between 6:00 am to 7:30 pm.  Do not miss the Taj Mahal during your visit to Agra.  It is better to visit Taj Mahal during the full moon night.

Top View of Taj Mahal

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Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park

    Champaner - Pavagadh Archaeological Park is one of the must visit monuments in India.  Located in the district of Panchmahal in the state of Gujarat, this archaeological park park was inscribed in the year of 2004.  This archaeological structure has been recognised as the World - Heritage Site by UNESCO.  At the Champaner Pavagadh Archaeological Park, you will get to see large number of historical and heritage properties, which dates back to the prehistoric period.  It strives to retain the richness of the Indian heritage.

Sahar ki Masjid, Champaner, Gujarat

    You can also witness remains of the ancient buildings, palaces, fortifications, ancient relics, religious edifices, residential areas, structures related to agricultural and water installations.  All these structures have been estimated to go back to the 8th to the 14th centuries.  At the top of the Pavagadh Hill, make sure to visit the famous Kalikamata Temple, which is visited by thousands of pilgrims all through the year.  The  Champaner - Pavagadh Archaeological Park in Gujarat reminds one of the Islamic pre - Mughal City, which still retains its charm.

Jama Masjid in Champaner

    The structures that are found at the Archaeological Park is said to reflect the typical prehistorical Hindu and Jain Architectural style.  The ancient cultural significance of India is very well captured at the Champaner - Pavagadh Archaeological Park.  You can find perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim style in this archaeological park.  The Jama Masjid largely reflects this style.  The park has long been a place for workship for the Hindu pilgrims.

Jain Temple in Pavagadh

    The Champaner - Pavagadh Archaeological Park will introduce to the richness of the cultural heritage of the country.  The various inscriptions also say a lot about the prehistoric period.  This archaeological park has always been a tourist's paradise and a major tourist site.  It is one of the oldest stone formations found in India and has a reddish yellow shade to it.  There are more than 100 edifices located within this park.

    For the public, the Champaner - Pavagadh Archaeological Park remains open from sunrise to sunset.  Pay a visit to this great and enriching historical site and make your tour a worthwhile experience.  The best time to visit the Champaner - Pavagadh Archaeological Park is during October to June.  You will get several accommodation unit  to put up a stay during your visit.

Ruined Tomb at Champaner, 1893

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