HAMPI

INTRO:
The magnificent site of Hampi, in central India, was the last capital of the last great Hindu kingdom of Vijayanagar. The kingdom was one of the greatest empires in the history of India, and its incredibly wealthy princes constructed Dravidian temples and palaces that won the praise of travelers between the 14th and 16th centuries.

The Vijayanagara Empire was the largest empire in post-Mogul India, covering several modern-day states. Vijayanagar means the “City of Victory.�.. Read More »

MONUMENTS OF OLD GOA:

The city of Goa (Old Goa), in the western state of Goa along the Arabian Sea, was the one-time capital of the Portuguese colonies in India. It is studded with many churches and convents. These churches – especially the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis Xavier – illustrate the evangelization of Asia, and especially of the Portuguese Indies. These churches were instrumental in spreading various forms of Manueline, Mannerist, and Baroque art in .. Read More »

Elephanta Island

History…

Elephanta Island is the principal tourist attraction of Mumbai. Renowned for its cave temples, it is a small island in the Arabian Sea about 10 km. northeast of the Gate of India in Mumbai Harbor. The small island has two forested hills and its cave temples have been turned into a museum. We reached the island by ferry, after which we climbed the 120 steps to reach the cave temples cut in the mountainous rock. The way was lined with men and women selling jewelle.. Read More »

Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park

Located in the state of Gujarat, the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park is a concentration of mostly unexcavated archaeological, historic, and living cultural properties that include prehistoric sites, the remains of the 15th-century Gujarati capital, and a hilltop fortress of an early Hindu capital. In addition, the site includes religious buildings, palaces and fortifications, water installations, and residential precincts, all dating from between .. Read More »

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Victoria Terminus) – Mumbai

The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus) in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) was recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2004. The Terminus is an excellent example of late 19th century railway architecture in the British Commonwealth, characterized by advanced structural and technical solutions. It exhibits an important exchange of influences from Victorian Gothic Revival architecture and from.. Read More »

Fatehpur Sikri

We arrived in the so-called “ghost town” of Fatehpur Sikri during the largest festival of the year, celebrating the end of Ramadan – and with the insane crowds, it was anything but a ghost town!

Brief History:

The city has a unique history. Akbar, the 16th-century Mogul emperor, was not as yet blessed with any sons, despite having three wives. So he took a pilgrimage to Sikri to meet a Muslim saint, the Shiek Salim Chishti, who predicted that he would have three sons. H.. Read More »

Keoladeo Ghana National Park

In the Rajasthani city of Bharatpur, Keoladeo Park is known as a bird sanctuary, but in fact has many other animals. The reserve had been for a long time a vast semi-arid region, inundated with water during the monsoon season and drying up very quickly afterwards. A long time ago, the maharaja of Bharatpur decided to deviate the water from a nearby irrigation canal, and several years later, birds started flocking to the area in great numbers. The maharaja’s purp.. Read More »

Taj Mahal:

What has become the symbol of India is actually a tomb, built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth in 1631. It is said that the Emperor was so heart-broken that his hair turned gray overnight. Taking 22 years to build, with the labor of some 20,000 architects, workers and artists, it is considered the most extravagant monument ever built out of love. The Taj Mahal is the masterpiece of Muslim art in India and was .. Read More »

Agra Fort

Akbar, the great Mogul emperor who ruled from 1556 to 1605, chose Agra as his capital in 1565 and undertook to rebuild the existing 500-year old fort, which was in ruined condition. It took 8 years to complete, using the labor of 4000 builders per day. Rebuilt in red sandstone, it served essentially a military function under the reign of Akbar, but was partially transformed into a palace under the rule of his grandson Shah Jahan, who enlarged the fort.

Built in a semi-circular pl.. Read More »

Qutab Minar Complex

The UNESCO proclaimed the Qutab Minar Complex a World Heritage site in 1993 because it is a unique example of 12th-century Indo-Muslim art. The construction of this complex, which is composed of several parts, goes back to the dawn of the Muslim era in India and superbly illustrates the beginnings of Afghan architecture.

The first part is the Qutab Minar itself, a Victory Tower that was built in 1193, immediately after the defeat of the last Hindu king of Delhi. It is.. Read More »