Landmarks

Hey fellow adventurers! Today we’re looking and talking about Indian landmarks! If there’s any that you felt should have made this list but didn’t, please feel free to comment below. 😊

Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was commissioned in 1632 by Shah Jahan to be built as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took over twenty years to build and was inspired by Indian, Persian and Islamic architecture. It is one of the most celebrated structures in the world and seen to many as an embodiment of love and marital devotion. It was classified by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as a World Heritage Site in 1983.

Golden Temple

The Harmandir Sahib, known to most as the Golden Temple, is the holiest Gurdwara (Sikh’s place of worship) of Sikhism. Inside the Harmandir Sahib, you’ll find the Adi Granth which is the early compilation of the Sikh Scriptures by Guru Arjan. You’ll also find the Akal Takht, one of five takhts. It is a place of justice, the highest seat of earthly authority of the Khalsa (the collective body of the Sikhs), and the place of the Jathedar (the highest spokesman of the Sikhs). The Harmandir Sahib was built so that anyone, regardless of religion, could worship God there. The four entrances represent the four directions and symbolize the openness of the Sikhs towards all people and religions. Over 100,000 people visit the Harmandir Sahib daily and enjoy the free meals there. If you want to learn more about Sikhism or want a better explanation for any of the Sikh terms used here, visit: http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page

Red Fort

The Red Fort is named such because of its massive walls made of red sandstone. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal dynasty for nearly 200 years, as well as the place where they would hold ceremonial and political events that effect the Mughal state. Shah Jahan (↑the guy who commissioned the Taj Mahal↑) commissioned the Red Fort to be the palace for the capital of the Mughal state, Shahjahanabad. Today it consists mostly of museums and every Independence Day, the prime minister hoists the Indian flag from the main gate and delivers a nationally broadcasted speech from its walls. It was classified by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2007.

Humayun’s Tomb

The tomb was commissioned by Humayun’s first wife Empress Bega Begum. It was the first garden tomb on the Indian subcontinent and no structure before it had used as much red sandstone. The complex surrounding Humayun’s tomb also holds numerous other Mughals graves, including Bega Begum. This design was a huge leap in Mughal architecture that would later inspire Mughals to create more intricate architecture, such as the Taj Mahal. It was classified by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1993.

Gateway of India

The Gateway of India was originally constructed in 1924 to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay (Mumbai). The first recorded main event here was the First Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry in 1948 which is when the last of the British troops left India. This signaled the end of British rule. It is the most popular tourist attracted in Mumbai.

India Gate

The India Gate is a war memorial for the 82,000 soldiers of the Indian Army who died between 1914–1921 in the First World War, in France, Flanders, Mesopotamia, Persia, East Africa, Gallipoli and elsewhere in the Near and the Far East, and the Third Anglo-Afghan War. It has the name of 13,300 servicemen that died during that time (some of which were from the U.K.). They began construction in 1921 and finished in 1931. It is often compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the Gateway of India in Mumbai.

Mysore Palace

Located in the heart of Mysore city, the Mysore Palace (AKA Amba Vilas Palace) was once the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty who ruled the Kingdom of Mysore from 1399 to 1950. In 1897, the palace was destroyed by a fire and construction of the new palace was completed in 1912 (and later expanded in 1940). It is now the second most popular tourist attraction in India, behind the Taj Mahal.

Qutub Minar

Part of the Qutb complex (array of monuments and buildings, built to honor the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki), the Qutub Minar is a 240 feet (73 meter) tall minaret. It has a spiral staircase with 379 steps. Built in 1193, the Qutub Minar is one of the oldest surviving pieces of architecture in India. It has been partially destroyed by earthquakes and lightening but the destroyed parts have been fixed up and the structure added to over time. It was classified by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1993.

Mehrangarh Fort

Rao Jodha, the fifteenth Rathore ruler, decided to move the capital from Mandore to Jodhpur which would be easier to defend. Mehrangarh Fort was built around 1460, resides approximately 410 feet (125 meters) above the ground and is one of the biggest forts in India. The fort has seven gates. You can still see the imprints of cannonballs fired by attacking armies of Jaipur on the second gate.

Hampi

Hampi is a village and temple located within the ruins of the city of Vijayanagara, the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. It is believed that Hampi was part of the Maurya Empire in the third century BCE. It was classified by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986.

Swaminarayan Akshardham

Swaminarayan Akshardham is a temple and a spiritual-cultural campus that officially opened on November 6, 2005 by Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. On their website, they advertise: the Mandir (place to pray to the deities), Abhishek Mandap (place to pray for peace and fulfillment), 3 exhibitions (a show, a film and a boat ride), a water show and thematic gardens. For more information, go to their website: http://akshardham.com/.

Amber Fort

The Amer Palace, was created in the late 16th century, as a larger palace to the already existing home of the rulers. The older palace, known as Kadimi Mahal (Persian for ancient) is known to be the oldest surviving palace in India (believed to have been built in 967 CE). This ancient palace sits in the valley behind the Amer Palace. The palace was the residence of the Rajput Maharajas and their families. At the entrance to the palace near the fort’s Ganesh Gate, there is a temple dedicated to Shila Devi, a goddess of the Chaitanya cult, which was given to Raja Man Singh when he defeated the Raja of Jessore, Bengal in 1604. It was classified by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2013.

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Wind, was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh from red and pink sandstone. The structure was built so the women of the royal household could observe street festivals and everyday life while unseen from the outside. They did this because the women had to obey strict “purdah” (face cover). The building has 953 small windows. The lattice (openwork framework) not only allows women to look out unseen but also provides ventilation in the summer to keep it cool, even in hot temperatures. Many who look at Hawa Mahal from the street think that’s the front of the building, but it’s actually the back.

If you want to see where these are located in India, check out Google map:

https://www.google.com/destination/map/topsights?q=India%27s+landmarks&rlz=1C1GGRV_enUS751US753&site=search&output=search&dest_mid=/m/03rk0&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj2vML17cfVAhVU5mMKHW2FASIQ6tEBCC4oBTAA

Until our next adventure!

1,365 thoughts on “Landmarks”

  1. First of all I want to say excellent blog! I had a quick question that I’d like to ask if you don’t mind.
    I was curious to know how you center yourself and clear your mind prior to writing.
    I have had a hard time clearing my mind in getting
    my ideas out. I do enjoy writing but it just seems like the
    first 10 to 15 minutes are generally lost just trying to figure out how to begin. Any
    recommendations or hints? Kudos!

  2. My partner and I stumbled over here coming from a different web address and thought I might check
    things out. I like what I see so i am just following you.

    Look forward to finding out about your web page again.

  3. Hi there! Do you know if they make any plugins to assist with Search Engine Optimization? I’m trying to get
    my blog to rank for some targeted keywords but I’m not seeing
    very good success. If you know of any please share. Many thanks!

  4. Excellent post. I used to be checking constantly this blog and I am inspired!

    Extremely useful information particularly the final phase :
    ) I take care of such information much. I was looking for this particular information for a
    very long time. Thank you and best of luck.

  5. Hi, Neat post. There is a problem with your site in internet
    explorer, may test this? IE nonetheless is the market chief and a large
    element of folks will leave out your great writing due to this problem.

  6. Definitely believe that which you stated. Your favorite reason seemed to
    be on the internet the easiest thing to be aware of.
    I say to you, I definitely get irked while people think about worries that they just don’t know about.
    You managed to hit the nail upon the top and defined out
    the whole thing without having side effect , people could take a signal.
    Will likely be back to get more. Thanks

  7. I every time used to read article in news papers but now as I am a user of net so from now I am using net for articles, thanks to web.

  8. It’s in point of fact a great and useful piece of information. I’m happy that you simply
    shared this useful information with us. Please stay us
    up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.

  9. Its like you read my mind! You seem to know a lot about this, like you wrote the book in it or something.

    I think that you can do with a few pics to drive the message home a bit, but instead of that,
    this is excellent blog. An excellent read. I will certainly be back.

  10. Thanks , I’ve recently been looking for information about
    this subject for a while and yours is the greatest I have
    came upon so far. However, what about the conclusion? Are you positive in regards to the source?

  11. Hello, i believe that i noticed you visited my web site thus
    i came to go back the want?.I’m trying to to find things to enhance
    my website!I assume its ok to use some of your ideas!!

  12. Thanks for every other fantastic post. Where else could anyone
    get that kind of information in such a perfect way of writing?
    I’ve a presentation next week, and I’m at the search for such info.

  13. Thanks for every other magnificent article. The place else may just anybody get that kind of information in such an ideal
    means of writing? I’ve a presentation next week,
    and I’m on the search for such information.

  14. Its like you learn my mind! You appear to understand a lot approximately this, such
    as you wrote the guide in it or something. I think
    that you simply could do with some percent to drive
    the message house a little bit, but other than that, that is magnificent
    blog. A great read. I will definitely be back.

  15. Definitely believe that which you stated. Your favorite justification appeared to
    be on the web the simplest thing to be aware of. I say to you, I certainly get irked while people think
    about worries that they plainly do not know about.

    You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined
    out the whole thing without having side effect , people could take a signal.
    Will probably be back to get more. Thanks

  16. I like the valuable information you provide in your articles.
    I’ll bookmark your blog and check again here
    regularly. I am quite certain I’ll learn many new stuff
    right here! Good luck for the next!

  17. You’re so awesome! I do not think I’ve truly read through a single thing like this before.
    So great to discover someone with a few original thoughts on this issue.
    Really.. many thanks for starting this up. This site is one thing that is required on the web,
    someone with a bit of originality!

  18. Wonderful work! This is the type of info that are meant to be shared
    around the web. Disgrace on Google for now not positioning this submit upper!
    Come on over and consult with my web site . Thank you =)

  19. Its such as you read my mind! You seem to grasp so
    much approximately this, like you wrote the e-book in it or something.
    I think that you can do with some % to drive
    the message home a little bit, but other
    than that, that is great blog. A great read. I will certainly be back.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *