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!