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The Taj Mahal looms fairytale-like from the banks
of the Yamuna River. It's actually a tomb that
contains the body of Mumtaz Mahal Ȃ the wife of
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He had it built as an
ode to his love for her. Dating back to 1630 AD, the
Taj Mahal is made out of marble and took 22 years
and 20,000 workers to complete. One of the most
captivating things about it is the way its color
appears to gradually alter in the changing light of
the day.
AJANTA is world's greatest historical monument
recognized by UNESCO far near from Jalgaon city of
Maharashtra, India. There are 30 caves in Ajanta of which
9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya-grihas and the rest are
monasteries. These caves were discovered in AD 1819 and
were built up in the earlier 2nd century BC-AD. Most of the
paintings in Ajanta are right from 2nd century BC-AD and
some of them about the fifth century AD and continued for
the next two centuries. All paintings shows heavy religious
influence and centre around Buddha, Bodhisattvas,
incidents from the life of Buddha and the Jatakas. The
paintings are executed on a ground of mud-plaster in the
tempera technique.
Astonishingly carved into hillside rock in the
middle of nowhere are the Ajanta and Ellora caves.
There are 34 caves at Ellora dating from between
the 6th and 11th centuries AD, and 29 caves at
Ajanta dating back to between the 2nd century BC
and 6th century AD. While the Ajanta caves are
rich in paintings and sculpture, the Ellora caves are
renowned for their extraordinary architecture. The
most incredible thing about these caves is that
they were crafted by hand, with only a hammer
and chisel.
A city that was once the proud capital of the
Mughal Empire in the 16th century, Fatehpur Sikri
now stands deserted as a well preserved ghost
town. It was abandoned by its occupants after only
15 years due to insufficient water supply.
Constructed out of red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri is
full of regal palaces and courtyards. You can almost
feel yourself being transported back to medieval
times here.
Now a laid back village, Hampi was once the last
capital of Vijayanagar, one of the greatest Hindu
empires in Indiaǯs history. It has some extremely
captivating ruins, intriguingly intermingled with
large boulders that rear up all over the landscape.
The ruins, which date back to the 14th century,
stretch for just over 25 kilometers (10 miles) and
comprise more than 500 monuments. An
incredible energy can be felt at this ancient place.
About 15 km south of Delhi, in Mehrauli, this 238 feet and 1
inch high Minar has been referred to as "one of the
wonders of world". This soaring tower of victory was built
immediately after the defeat of the last Hindu Kingdom in
Delhi. Qutb-ud-din Aibak laid its foundation in 1200 A.D.
Iltutmish added three more storeys. After damaged by
lightning in 1368 A.D. Firuz Shah Tughlaq rebuilt the fourth
story, added the fifth and a harp shaped cupola. A doorway
in each storey opens to its own balcony. As of now, upper
storeys are closed for visitors, yet its a treat to watch this
magnificent travelmasti monument. Quwwat-ul-Islam
Masjid, Iron Pillar and Alai Gateway are worth having a
look.
The Red Fort usually transcribed into English as Lal
Qil'ah or Lal Qila is a 17th century fort complex
constructed by the Mughal emperor Shahjahan in the
walled city of Old Delhi (in present day Delhi, India).
It served as the capital of the Mughals until 1857, when
Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar was exiled by the
British Indian government. The British used it as a
military camp until India was made independent in
1947. It is now a popular Historical place, as well as a
powerful symbol of India's sovereignty, Mughal
Emperor Shahjahan started construction of the
massive fort in 1638 and work was completed in 1648
(10 years). The Red Fort was originally referred to as
"Qila-i-Mubarak" (the blessed fort), It was designated
a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007
=   This city in Andhra Pradesh, India is a
unique synthesis of cultures. The Nizams of
Hyderabad who ruled from Golconda Fort have
endowed Hyderabad with many landmark buildings,
including the Charminar, the Salarjung Museum, the
Falaknuma Palace and the Qutab Shahi Tombs. A city
that has modernized tremendously in the last decade
Hyderabad's rich legacy of the Nizams, makes it one of
the most fascinating historical places in India
The Gateway of India was built to commemorate the
visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay,
prior to the Delhi Durbar, in December 1911. The
foundation stone was laid on 31 March 1911, by the
Governor of Bombay Sir George Sydenham Clarke,
with the final design that was made by George Wittet,
sanctioned in August 1914. Between 1915 and 1919 work
proceeded on reclamations at Apollo Bundar (Port) for
the land on which the gateway and the new sea wall
would be built. The foundations were completed in
1920, and construction was finished in 1924. The
Gateway was opened on 4 December 1924, by the
Viceroy, the Earl of Reading
How often have we been told not to build castles in the
air? Very often indeed, but if you are a dreamer and wish
to see this 'palace of the winds' which is not just in your
imagination but a real palace, then come to the 'pink
city' of Rajasthan and see the Hawa Mahal. Each wall of
the palace reinforces the idea that 'dreams truly can
come true', and the whole structure is such a beautiful
sight that you possibly cannot describe it in words.
The Hawa Mahal, which adjoins the famous City Palace
wall, was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh
and has now become one of the major landmarks of
Jaipur.

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