Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal JaipurThe renowned 'Palace Of The Winds', or Hawa Mahal, is one of th
e prominent tourist attractions in Jaipur city. Located in the heart of Jaipur,
this beautiful five-storey palace was constructed in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Prat
ap Singh who belonged to Kachhwaha Rajput dynasty. The main architect of this pa
lace built of red and pink sandstone, is Lal Chand Ustad and the palace is belie
ved to have been constructed in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu god.
Considered as an embodiment of Rajputana architecture, the main highlight of Ha
wa Mahal is its pyramid shape and its 953 windows or 'Jharokhas' which are decor
ated with intricate designs. The main intention behind the construction of the M
ahal was to facilitate the royal women and provide them a view of everyday life
through the windows, as they never appeared in public. Read further to know more
about Hawa Mahal, its history, architecture and its visiting hours.
History
It was in 1799 that the Kachhwaha Rajput ruler, Sawai Pratap Singh, grandson of
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh who built Jaipur, constructed Hawa Mahal as a continuat
ion of the Royal City Palace. Sawai Pratap Singh's devotion to Lord Krishna is e
vident in the palace's construction as it resembles the lord's crown. Though man
y reasons are cited behind the construction of the fort, Purdah system followed
by the Rajputs is said to be one of the main causes. During those days, Rajput r
oyal women did not appear in public or in front of strangers. However, they were
keen to follow the day-to-day events and royal processions occurring on the str
eets. It is for their benefit that the Hawa Mahal was built, complete with small
windows and screened balconies. This gave the women a sense of freedom, without
appearing in public.
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Lotus Temple or Baha'i Temple, called in more traditional way, is a house of wor
ship completed in the year 1986 under the supervision of Persian architect Farib
orz Sahba.
Lotus being a symbol of peace and prosperity all around the world, the shape of
the temple personifies the purpose for which the foundation of this marvelous ma
n-made architectural was laid. Lotus temple is made of pristine marble blocks, c
ement, dolomite and sand and the entire ascetic value is coddled by the group of
nine pools filled with crystal clear water. In accord with the mores of Baha'i
religion, the temple is open to everyone from anywhere in the world who is looki
ng for inner peace and wants to break the shackles of trepidation.
The sanctum of "27 blooming petals" stands at 40 meters tall with a capacity of
accommodating more than 2000 people. Embodying equality, humanity and religious
unification, Lotus Temple, which is among seven Baha'i Houses of Worship around
the world has won laurels all around the world both for structural design value
and inherit rationale behind the construction.
Been an ideal place to meditate, pray and relax, this temple has much more in-de
pth allusion than one can see with his or her bare eyes. Lotus Temple highlights
the fact that every human holds a key for better future of the entire mankind a
nd with a combined effort, we, the human race, will be able to foster a new worl
d where parity will not depend upon cast, creed or religion.
The Lotus temple has the capacity to accommodate nearly 2500 people and has nine
doors that open in a central hall. The whole structure is made of white marble
that adds to the glory of the temple. It is about 40 meters tall surrounded by n
ine ponds and appears as if the temple is floating like a Lotus flower in water.
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History
Madurai s prime attraction is the Meenakshi-Sundereswerar Temple. Originally built b
y King Kulasekara Pandian in the 6th century BC, the temple achieved its near pe

rfect status under the Nayaka dynasty during the golden era of Tamil art and cul
ture (16th-18th centuries). More than a religious structure, it is a repository
of Tamil culture and played a pivotal role in the development of literature, art
, music and dance.
Tamil temple architecture achieved its absolute zenith in the Meenakshi-Sunderes
warar Temple at Madurai. Perfectly proportioned with four tall gopurams decorate
d with life size sculptures of gods and goddesses and detailed reliefs, the Meen
akshi Temple is best known for its famous thousand pillar hall. Each stone pilla
r is elaborately carved and surpasses the other in beauty and style. Those with
the patience to count the pillars will make the interesting discovery that there
are actually only 985 pillars, so what happened to the other 15?!
The tallest four gopurams form the outer square; the southern gopuram is the tal
lest at 50m. Open to visitors, the gopuram has a magnificent bird s eye view of Madu
rai, the temple complex, and especially the vimanas (roof of the sanctum) of the
two shrines dedicated to Shiva and his consort, Parvati in her avatar as Meenak
shi. The twin temples have four gopurams apiece, smaller than the four outer gop
urams but equally rich in ornamentation.
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Lal Quila also called the Red Fort is one of the most important monuments of In
dia. It stands on the bank of river Yamuna. The whole structure is made of Red s
tone. The fort was built by Shahjahan - the Mughal King who also built the famou
s Taj Mahal - in 1648. Shahjahan called it the Uru-Mu alla. Shahjahan shifted his ca
pital from Agra to Delhi and Red Fort was the new capital.
Construction of Delhi Red Fort started in 1639 and within a span of 9 years, the
colossal structure was built. It took more that 10 million rupees during the re
ign of Shah Jahan to create this structure in red sandstone. As you enter the Re
d Fort today, you will find a group of trained guides leaping towards you to ado
rn in a typically Indian manner to offer their cordiality. You will definitely d
iscover a haven of peace inside the fort after you leave the frantic streets of
Old Delhi.
Like most Islamic buildings in India, the Red Fort is octagonal in shape. The Re
d Fort is 900 meter by 550 meter. The height of its tower is about 33.5 meters.
Towards the north, you will find Salimgarh fort. A moat lays outside the Red for
t which was previously connected with the Yamuna River. The Red Fort is in fact
a daunting structure.
The Red Fort has some major attractions inside the fort.
They are as follows:
Mumtaz Mahal
The Rang Mahal
The Khas Mahal
The Diwan-i-Am
The Diwan-i-Khas
The Hamam
The Shah Burj
On 15th of August every year the National Flag of India is hoisted at the Red Fo
rt by the Prime Minister, celebrating India's independence.
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Jama Masjid of Delhi is the largest mosque in India. The Jama Masjid stands acro
ss the road in front of the Red Fort. Built between 1644 and 1658, Jama Masjid i
s one of the last architectural works of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The spac
ious courtyard of the Jama Masjid holds thousands of faithful. Jama Masjid is lo
cated on a mound in the heart of the old city and projects beautifully into the

Old-Delhi skyline. Jama Masjid Mosque was built in red sandstone and marble by m
ore than 5000 artisans. Originally called the Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa, or "mosque co
mmanding view of the world", the Jama Masjid stands at the center of the erstwhi
le capital city of the Mughals, Shahjahanbad.
The Jama Masjid was completed under the supervision of Saadullah Khan, the Prime
Minister of Shah Jahan. A sum of Rs 10 lakhs was spent on the construction of t
he Jama Masjid. The Jama Masjid is built on a red sandstone porch, about 30 feet
(10 m) from the level of the ground and is about 1400 square yards (1200 m) in ex
tent. The Jama Masjid has three gateways, four towers and two minarets. The gate
ways in the north and south are led by a fleet of steps. The main entrance is on
the eastern side facing the red fort. It was probably used by the emperors. The
tower of the Jama Masjid is made up of five distinctive storeys. Each one of th
e storeys has a projecting balcony. The adjoining edifices are beautifully done
with calligraphy.
The first three storeys of the Jama Masjid tower are made of red sandstone and t
he fourth one is made of marble, while the fifth is made of sandstone. The Jama
Masjid is covered with intricate carvings and has verses inscribed from the holy
Koran. The grand Red fort (Lal Qila) stands on the eastern side of the Jama Mas
jid. The main prayer hall of the Jama Masjid is made up of high cusped arches an
d marble domes. The cabinet in the north gate of the Jama Masjid contains a coll
ection of Muhammad's relics - the Koran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair of
the prophet, his sandals and his footprints, implanted in a marble block.
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The Harmandir Sahib (or Hari Mandir) in Amritsar, Punjab, is the holiest shrine
in Sikhism. Previously (and still more commonly) known as the Golden Temple, it
was officially renamed Harmandir Sahib in March 2005. The temple (or gurdwara) i
s a major pilgrimage destination for Sikhs from all over the world, as well as a
n increasingly popular tourist attraction.
Unlike many historical sacred sites, the Golden Temple of Amritsar is still full
y alive with religious fervor and sacredness, and visitors are welcomed to join
in the experience. Although the building itself has great historical and archite
ctural interest, it is the Golden Temple's great spiritual meaning for Sikh beli
evers (and others) that is most memorable to visitors. In a country that is exce
ptionally rich with vibrant devotion, Frommer's rates the Golden Temple "the mos
t tangibly spiritual place in the country."
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Konark is also known as Konaditya. The name Konark is derived form the words Kon
a - Corner and Arka - Sun; it is situated on the north eastern corner of Puri or
the Chakrakshetra. Konark is also known as Arkakshetra.
This temple built in 1278 CE by the Ganga King Narasimha Deva is one of the gr
andest temples of India and was referred to as the Black Pagoda. The ruins of th
is temple were excavated in late 19th century. The tower over the Garbagriha is
missing, however the Jagmohana is intact, and even in this state, it is awe insp
iring.
Legend has it that Samba, the king of Krishna and Jambavati entered the bathing
chamber of Krishna's wifes, and was cursed by Krishna with leprosy. It was decre
ed that he would be relieved of the curse by worshipping the sun God on the sea
coast north east of Puri. Accordingly Samba reached Konaditya Kshetra and discov
ered an image of Surya seated on the lotus, worshipped him and was relieved of h
is curse.
It is said that the temple was not completed as conceived because the foundation
was not strong enough to bear the weight of the heavy dome. Local beleif has it
that it was constructed in entirety, however its magnetic dome caused ships to

crash near the seashore, and that the dome was removed and destroyed and that th
e image of the Sun God was taken to Puri.
The Temple: The Konark temple is widely known not only for its architectural gra
ndeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. The entire te
mple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each about 1
0 feet in diameter, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings. Seven horses dr
ag the temple. Two lions guard the entrance, crushing elephants. A flight of ste
ps lead to the main entrance.
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In the year 1847, the wealthy widow Rani Rasmani prepared to make a pilgrimage t
o the sacred city of Banaras to express her devotions to the Divine Mother. In t
hose days there were no railway lines between Calcutta and Banaras and it was mo
re comfortable for rich persons to make the journey by boat rather than by road.
The convoy of Rani Rasmani consisted of twenty-four boats carrying relatives, s
ervants, and supplies. But the night before the pilgrimage began, the Divine Mot
her, in the form of the goddess Kali, intervened. Appearing to the Rani in a dre
am, she said, "There is not need to go to Banaras. Install my statue in a beauti
ful temple on the banks of the Ganges River and arrange for my worship there. Th
en I shall manifest myself in the image and accept worship at that place." Profo
undly affected by the dream, the Rani immediately looked for and purchased land,
and promptly began construction of the temple. The large temple complex, built
between 1847 and 1855, had as its centerpiece a shrine of the goddess Kali, and
there were also temples dedicated to the deities Shiva and Radha-Krishna. A scho
larly, elderly sage was chosen as the head priest and the temple was consecrated
in 1855. Within the year the priest died and his responsibilities passed to his
younger brother, Ramakrishna, who over the next thirty years would bring great
fame to the Dakshineswar temple.
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Somnath Temple is a significant temple, comprising one of the twelve Jyotirlinga
s of Lord Shiva. Located in Prabhas Kshetra near Veraval, Somnath Mandir falls i
n Saurashtra region that lies on the western coast of Gujarat. The temple of Som
nath can be easily reached from anywhere in Gujarat. Bus services to Somnath are
available from all the cities and towns of Gujarat. To ensure a comfortable jou
rney, one can also opt for taxis that can be hired throughout the state of Gujar
at.
Somnath Temple stands as a symbol of rich cultural heritage of India. The mentio
n of this ancient temple has been made in the scriptures like 'Rig Veda' of the
Hindu origin. The term Somnath suggests 'the protector of Moon God'. Lord Shiva
is depicted here in the form of a Jyotirlinga (linga of light), as the protector
. The incredible temple of Somnath is called as 'the Shrine Eternal' since, the
temple has been shattered for not less than six times and every time, it has bee
n reconstructed.
Legend
Somnath Temple has a legend behind its establishment. It is believed that Lord C
handra (Moon God) was very proud of his beauty. Due to this reason, he was curse
d by his father-in-law Daksha, to get smaller. In order to get rid of this curse
, Moon God prayed to Lord Shiva at Prabhas. Lord Shiva became happy with the pen
ance of the Moon and reduced the curse to an extent. This incident led to the pe
riodic waning of moon.
History
Maintaining the original site, the present temple is said to have built for the
seventh time. The first temple of Somnath is regarded as a structure in Gold, ma
de by Moon God himself. In the 7th century, Somnath Temple was reconstructed by
Maitraka kings of Vallabhi in Gujarat. The second structure was destroyed by the
Arab governor of Sind by the name of Junayad in 725. Again in 815, the third st
ructure was built by Nagabhata II, who was a Pratihara King.

This structure was erected out of red sandstone. In 1024, the temple was raided
by Mahmud Ghazni, who took camel-loads of jewels and valuables from here. The Pa
ramara King Bhoj of Malwa and the Solanki King Bhima of Gujarat (Anhilwara) took
the initiative to rebuild the temple during 1026-1042. For the fifth time, the
wooden structure was replaced with a stone structure by Kumarpal.
Consequently, the temple was destroyed in 1297 by the Sutanat of Delhi and once
again in 1394. The last attack was made by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb in 1706
. The present temple was built in 1995 by Shree Somnath Trust in the company of
the Government of India. Today, Somnath Temple is under the maintenance of Shree
Somnath Trust.
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The Victoria Memorial was built to commemorate the peak of the British Empire in
India. The Victoria Memorial, conceived by Lord Curzon, represents the architec
tural climax of Kolkata city. Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy specified its classi
cal style but the actual plan of Victoria Memorial was laid down by the well-kno
wn architect, Sir William Emerson. The Victoria Memorial blends the best of the
British and Mughal architecture. The Victoria Memorial hall was built with white
Makrana marbles. The Prince of Wales laid the foundation stone of Victoria Memo
rial in 1906 and it was inaugurated in 1921 in memory of Queen Victoria. The Vic
toria Memorial is 338 by 228 feet and a height of 184 feet.
Today the Victoria Memorial Hall is a museum having an assortment of Victoria me
morabilia, British Raj paintings and other displays. As night descends on Calcut
ta, the Victoria Memorial Hall is illuminated, giving it a fairy tale look. It i
s interesting to note that the Victoria Memorial was built without British gover
nment funds. The money required for the construction of the stately building, su
rrounded by beautiful gardens over 64 acres and costing more than 10 million was
contributed by British Indian states and individuals who wanted favors with the
British government. At the top of the Victoria Memorial is a sixteen foot tall
bronze statue of victory, mounted on ball bearings. It rotates with wind.
At present the Victoria Memorial has notable collection of weapons, sculptors, p
aintings, maps, coins, stamps, artifacts, textiles etc. The Royal gallery in Vic
toria Memorial has portraits of the Queen and Prince Albert. There are numerous
paintings, illustrating events from Victoria's life. Another remarkable peace in
Victoria Memorial is a painting by the Russian artist Vasseli Verestchagin, por
traying the state entry of the Prince of Wales in Jaipur in the year 1876. In th
e post independence period a new addition was made to the Victoria Memorial. It
was the addition of the National leaders' gallery with the portraits and relics
of the freedom fighters.
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