Red Fort

The Delhi Fort, also known as the Red Fort, is one of the popular tourist destinations in Delhi. The Delhi Fort is located in Delhi, India. It is also known as Lal Qil'ah and the Red Fort.

History

Front View The Red Fort was the palace for Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan's new capital, Shahjahanabad, the seventh Muslim city in the Delhi site. He moved his capital from Agra in a move designed to bring prestige to his reign, and to provide ample opportunity to apply his ambitious building schemes and interests. The Red Fort stands at the eastern edge of Shahjahanabad, and gets its name from the massive wall of red sandstone that defines its eight sides. The wall is 1.5 miles (2.5 km) long, and varies in height from 60ft (16m) on the river side to 110 ft (33 m) towards the city. Measurements have shown that the plan was generated using a square grid of 82 m.
The fort lies along the Yamuna River, that fed the moats that surround most of the wall. The wall at its northeastern corner is adjacent to an older fort, the Salimgarh, a defense built by Islam Shah Sur in 1546.

The Red Fort was conceived as a whole, and subsequent modifications have not taken away from the overall unity of the scheme. In the 18th century, however, occupiers and looters damaged some sections of the palace. After the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857, when the Fort was used as a headquarters, the British army occupied and destroyed many of its pavilions and gardens. A program for restoring the surviving parts of the fort began in 1903.

 

India Gate

Situated on the Rajpath in New Delhi, India Gate (originally called the All India War Memorial) is a monument built by Edwin Lutyens to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died in the World War I and the Afghan Wars. The foundation stone was laid on 10 February 1921 by the Duke of Connaught. The names of the soldiers who died in these wars are inscribed on the walls. It was completed in 1931. Burning under it since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal warrior), which marks the Unknown Soldier's Tomb.

Inscribed on top of India Gate in capital letters is the line:
To the dead of the Indian armies who fell honoured in France and Flanders Mesopotamia and Persia East Africa Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east and in sacred memory also of those whose names are recorded and who fell in India or the north-west frontier and during the Third Afgan War.


The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior). This cenotaph is itself placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four flames that are perpetually kept alive.

The 42 metre tall India Gate is situated such that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous till the roads were closed to the public due to terrorist threats. The lawns around Rajpath are thronged by people during the night, when the India Gate is lit up.

Lotus Temple

Lotus of the most beautiful temples in India, the 40 m high Bahai Temple is also known as Lotus Temple as it is built in the shape of a half-opened Lotus flower. Completed in 1986, this pure white marble temple is also known as Taj of Modern India. Surrounded by carefully manicured lawns, it has been constructed using marble, cement, sand and dolomite. The temple structure has 27 giant white marble petals and nine pools indicative of the nine unifying spiritual paths of the Baha'i faith, which believes in oneness of all religions and mankind. The faith emphasizes on prayer, described as 'Conversation with God' and meditation, described as 'Key for opening the doors of mysteries'.
The temple represents the broad views and scientific ideas of Baha`i faith and signifies the purity and the universality of the lord. A perfect silence is maintained in the main hall of prayer to allow the devotees to meditate and pray peacefully and tranquilly without being disturbed. It is said that about four million people visit it daily. Situated on Bahapur Hills, it is the seventh Baha'i houses of worship in the world. The temple looks all the more divine in the night when the colored lights impart it a multihued look. One can visit the temple from Tuesday to Sunday between 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

Laxminarayan Temple (Birla Mandir)

Laxminarayan Temple as viewed from the street The Laxminarayan Temple, (also called the Birla Mandir), in Delhi, India, is a temple built in honor of the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, and of her consort, Lord Vishnu – the Preserver of the Hindu Trinity. It is a temple with many shrines, fountains, and a large garden . The temple attracts thousands of devotees on Janmashtami day, the birthday of Lord Krishna.
The famous Birla temple patronized by Mahatma Gandhi, who inaugurated this temple in 1938 after Raja Baldev Birla constructed it, is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. It is close to Connaught Place and is frequented by many devotees regularly. The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all strata of society be allowed to offer prayers there on account of the large scale prevalence of untouchability at that time. One of the most important festivals of the Hindus Janamashtami coinciding with the birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated with great fervour in the temple with more than lakh visitors. At the entrance is a plaque welcoming people of all faiths and religions.

About Birla Mandir
Overlooking the Tank Bund, in Hyderabad, this magnificent shrine dedicated to Lord Venkateshwara offers a fantastic panoramic view of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. Built entirely out of marble this magnificent structure stands atop the Kala Pahad presenting a colorful spectacular sight when illuminated at night.

Beauty of the temple
Built over a span of ten years, by a Birla Foundation, the Birla Mandir is a beautiful modern temple overlooking the south end of Hussain Sagar, providing an excellent view over the city from the summit. One gets to view the intricate carvings of the temple, the ceiling and the mythological figures, which are a standing testimony to the dexterity and sculptural excellence of the craftsmen. This magnificent structure is a blend Of Orissan & South Indian Temple Art where a Rajagopuram built in the South Indian style greets the visitors. The tower over the main shrine of Lord Venkateswara called the "Jagadananda Vimanam" is built in the Orissan style, while the towers over the shrines of the consorts are built in the South Indian style. The consorts of Venkateswara, 'Padmavati' and 'Andal' are housed in separate shrines. Beautiful scenes from the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharatha are finely sculpted in marble. A number of lofty steps lead the visitor to the sanctum sanctorum. Along the winding path are many marble statues of Gods and Goddesses of Hindu mythology located in the midst of some gardens, full of blossoms. The granite image of the presiding deity is about 11 ft. tall and a carved lotus forms an umbrella for this image. The brass flagstaff rises to a height of 42 ft.
 

ISKCON Temple

Built as recently as 1998, the ISKCON temple complex at Hari Krishna Hill in East of Kailash is one of the most lavish and grand temples of Delhi. A fine example of architecture, it sports 'Shikharas' rising to a height of 90-ft above ground level and centrally air-conditioned hall that can hold as many as 1,500 people at once.

The fine art paintings by Russian artists here depict lives and events related to Hindu mythological characters such as Radha-Krishna, Sita-Ram, Laxman, Hanuman and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Special sermons and prayer meeting are held in the temple, every Sunday afternoon. Dedicated mainly to Lord Krishna, the elegant temple was built by the followers of 'Hare-Rama Hare-Krishna' cult. One of the largest temple complexes in India, it also boasts of a Robot, which was built especially to enact and preach 'Gita'. The temple remains opened every day from 4.30 am to noontime and from 4.00 pm to 9.00 pm.

Swaminarayan Akshardham Temple

Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India’s ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. The Akshardham experience is an enlightening journey through India’s glorious art, values and contributions for the progress, happiness and harmony of mankind.

The grand, ancient-styled Swaminarayan Akshardham complex was built in only five years through the blessings of HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) and the colossal devotional efforts of 11,000 artisans and BAPS volunteers. The complex was inaugurated on 6 November, 2005.

Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the supreme God, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as defined in the Vedas and Upanishads where divine bhakti, purity and peace forever pervades.

Monuments
Swaminarayan Akshardham reflects the essence and magnitude of India's ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spirituality.

The beautiful monument built without steel, consists of 234 ornately carved pillars, 9 ornate domes, 20 quadrangled shikhars, a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants) and 20,000 murtis and statues of India’s great sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine personalities.

The monument is a fusion of pink stone and pure white marble, where pink stone symbolizes bhakti in eternal bloom and white marble that of absolute purity and eternal peace. Akshardham was created by HDH Pramukh Swami Maharaj in fulfillment to the wish of his guru, Brahmaswarup Yogiji Maharaj, the fourth successor in the spiritual hierarchy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. In only a short timespan of five years Swaminarayan Akshardham became a reality through the blessings of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, 300 million man hours of epic services rendered by 11,000 volunteers, sadhus and artisans and the immense sacrifice, austerities, prayers of hundreds of thousands of young and old devotees of BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.
 

Jama Masjid

The Masjid-i-Jahan NumaThe Masjid-i-Jahan Numa, commonly known as Jama Masjid of Delhi is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is one of the largest and best known mosques in India. It was built after demolition of a very ancient Hindu temple known as Jamna Devi temple dedicated to the Yamuna river. (There are also Jama Masjids in many other cities with a history of Islamic rule, or large Muslim populations.)

Masjid-i-Jahan Numa means "the mosque commanding a view of the world", and the name Jama Masjid is a reference to the weekly congregation observed on Friday (the yaum al-jum`a) at the mosque. The courtyard of the mosque can hold up to twenty-five thousand worshippers. The mosque also houses several relics in a closet in the north gate, including a copy of the Qur'an written on deer skin incurred on the construction in those times was ten lakh rupees. (A lakh is one hundred thousand; ten lakh therefore equals one million).

Shah Jahan built several important mosques in Delhi, Agra, Ajmer and Lahore. The Jama Masjid's floorplan is very similar to the Moti Masjid at Agra, but the Jama Masjid is the bigger and more imposing of the two. Its majesty is further enhanced because of the high ground that he selected for building this mosque.

Architecture

Jama Masjid, northeast entrance The courtyard of the mosque can be reached from the east, north and south by three flights of steps, all built of red sandstone. The northern gate of the mosque has 39 steps. The southern side of the mosque has 33 steps. The eastern gate of the mosque was the royal entrance and it has 35 steps. These steps used to house food stalls, shops and street entertainers. In the evening, the eastern side of the mosque used to be converted into a bazaar for poultry and birds in general. Prior to the 1857 War of Indian Independence, there was a madrassah near the southern side of the mosque, which was pulled down after the mutiny.



Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world, and an important example of Indo-Islamic Architecture. The tower is in the Qutb complex at Delhi, India. The Qutub Minar is 72.5 metres high and requires 379 steps to get to the top, although it has not been possible for visitors to ascend the tower for some years, due to safety reasons.

Inspired by the Minaret of Jam in Afghanistan and wishing to surpass it, Qutb-ud-din Aybak, the first Muslim ruler of Delhi, commenced construction of the Qutub Minar in 1193; but could only complete its basement. His successor, Iltutmish, added three more storeys and, in 1368, Firuz Shah Tughluq constructed the fifth and the last storey. The development of architectural styles from Aybak to Tughluq are quite evident in the minaret. Like earlier towers erected by the Ghaznavids and Ghurids in today's Afghanistan, the Qutub Minar comprises several superposed flanged and cylindrical shafts, separated by balconies carried on Muqarnas corbels. The minaret is made of fluted red sandstone covered with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an, and is built on the ruins of Lal Kot, the Red Citadel in the city of Dhillika. According to John Keay's "History of India," 27 previous Hindu and Jain temples were destroyed and their materials reused to construct the minar.

The purpose for building this beautiful monument has been speculated upon, apart from the usual role of a minaret - that of calling people for prayer in a mosque- in this case the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque to the northeast of minar in AD 1198. It is the earliest extant -mosque built by the Delhi Sultans.Other reasons ascribed to its construction are as a tower of victory, a monument signifying the might of Islam, or a watch tower for defence. Controversy also surrounds the origins for the name of the tower. Many historians believe that the Qutb Minar was named after the first Turkish sultan, Qutb-ud-din Aibak but others contend that it was named in honour of Khwaja Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki, a saint from Baghdad who came to live in India who was greatly venerated by Iltutmish.
 

Old Fort (Purana Quila)

Old Fort or Purana Qila has been the seat for administration for many emperors. Now in ruins, this citadel has had the glory of being the seat of legendary ruler Prithviraj Chauhan. Sher Shah Suri built it after he demolished the Humayun's city, Dinpanah. There are bastions on the corners and the western wall of the fort. The 2-km long ramparts boast of three double-storeyed main gates sporting 'chhatris' on top. They can be found in the north, south and west. The northern one is called the 'Talaqi-Darwaza' (the Forbidden Gate) and has a carving of marble lions engaged in combat with a man in its front. One can still see the remnants of the colored tiles used to ornament its exteriors originally.

However, it is said that Sher Shah could not complete the construction of Purana Qila and it was finished or at least renovated by Humayun. Thus, the southern gate of the fort is known as Humayun Darwaza. There is a wide moat on the northern and western sides of the fortress and a causeway connected the fortress with the main land. Excavations in the Old Fort area has revealed pieces of painted grey ware dated around 1000 BC and said to be related to Mahabharata and relics and remains of later period, which confirms the belief that Purana Qila was built on the site of Indraprastha, capital of the Pandavas. The relics found here range from the Mauryan to early Mughal period such as Northern Black Polished Ware, punch-marked coins, human and animal terracotta figurines and inscribed terracotta seals.
 

Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's tomb is a complex of buildings of Mughal architecture located in Nizamuddin East, New Delhi. It encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun as well as numerous others, including the Barber's Tomb. The complex is a World Heritage Site and the first example of this type of Mughal architecture in India. This style of mausoleum was the same that created the Taj Mahal in Agra.

The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of Hamida Banu Begum, Humayun's widow starting in 1562. The architect of the edifice was reportedly Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin and his father Mirak Ghiyathuddin who were brought in from Herat. It took 8 years to build and had a Chahr Bagh Garden style in its design.
Restoration work by the Archaeological Survey of India was completed in March 2003, enabling water to flow through the watercourses in the gardens once more.