Delhi Red Fort

¤ The Construction

Built during the reign of Shah Jahan, the Lal Qila (or Red Fort) has been a mute witness to innumerable conspiracies, scandals, battles..... Completed in a span of nine years, it cost about ten million rupees , with about half the sum going towards the building of palaces.

The fort is octagonal in shape, like most Islamic buildings in India. The north of the fort is connected to the smaller Salimgarh fort. The Red Fort is an intimidating structure. It measures 900m by 550m, with its rampart walls covering a perimeter of 2.41km. It towers at a height of 33.5m. On the outside, you can still see the moat that was originally connected with the Yamuna River.

¤ The Major Gateways

Besides the Lahori Gate, the entry point is the Hathipol (elephant gate), where the king and his visitors would dismount from their elephants. The other major attractions of the Red Fort are the Mumtaz Mahal, the Rang Mahal, the Khas Mahal, the Diwan-i-Am, the Diwan-i-Khas, the Hamam and the Shah Burj.

Every year, on the 15th of August, the National Flag of India is hoisted at the Red Fort by the Prime Minister , celebrating India's independence..

Amber Fort Jaipur

The sprawling Amber Fort is a typical example of what the lives of our gallant Rajputs were like – militant, adventurous, temperamental and also self-indulgent. It is among the best hilltop forts in India. Within the stern exteriors that seem to grow out of the rugged hills are mighty gates, temples, huge ornate halls, palaces, pavilions, gardens and even a ramp to take you to the hilltop palace! and guess who climbs the ramp? Elephants. Yes, beautifully- caparisoned elephants go up and down carrying visitors to and fro. These well cladded elephants make a joyride to Amber fort and in turn makes your travel to Amber fort a fascinating experience. This some thing which you cannot afford to miss in any Rajasthan itinerary.

Just 11 kms from Jaipur, Amber fort is a splendid fort constructed in a scenic locale. Being a perfect blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture, Jaipur attracts travellers from around the globe. Built in 16 the century by Raja Man Singh, the fort stands as a proud reminder of the exotic building skills of the artisans of the yesteryears. This fort from yore days unfurls the legacies of the time when the august rulers imagined the unmatched craftmanship.

¤ Fort Attractions

Old Amber Palace : The Old Palace lies at the base of the Jaigarh Fort. This area was the original Amber before Man Singh I came along and went on a building spree. The early 13th century palace here is not very interesting as compared to the grand Amber Fort-palace, yet you could do with a visit. This Old Palace can be reached from the Amber Palace too – there's a stone path leading from the Chand Pol to these ruins at the base of the hill. The road is currently being restored. Here lie the remains of ancient Amber which include temples and crumbling palaces and patches of walls. The cobbled streets and broken down havelis (mansions) give it the aura of a medieval town. But these mute remnants of a bygone golden era seem to speak volumes.
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Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience :This is a delicate palace which you would come across on your travel to Amber fort. This forty pillared pavillion is perfect example of intricate craftmanship and was constructed by Mirza Raja Jai Singh. The pavilion worked as a place where Maharajahs used to recieve its general public and used to hear their pertaining problems. The southern area of this palace was kept clear so that the royal ladies could watch the proceedings of Diwan-I-Am from the Zenana house ( Women's quarters).

Shila Mata Temple : Entry into Shila Mata Temple is through Singh Pol. The temple is devoted to Shila Mata ( Goddess Kali), the goddess of victory and houses a black marble idol of the goddess which was brought here from Jessore by Raja Man Sigh in 1604. You would find nine images of Goddess Durga (strength) and ten forms of Goddess Saraswati ( knowledge) which are carved on the silver gates of the temple. The mandap of this temple is made up of white marble contrasting the colours of the idols.

Ganesh Pol & Suhaag Mandir : Ganesh Pol forms another attractions in Amber fort and is an imposing gateway which lies south of Diwan-i-am. The gateway has been painted beautifully and endorse typical Rajasthani motifs. From Ganesh Pol, you can move to beautiful garden or Charbagh, which is based on the Mughal patten of gardens.

Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), Sukh Niwas, Jai Mandir & Jas Mandir : Diwan-i-Khas show cases a rich amalgam of Rajput and Mughal architecture. The architecture is showcased in the fascinating Diwan-i-khas, Sukh Niwas, Jai Mandir and Jas Mandir. Decorated with beautiful mirror work, Diwan -I - Khas has wonderful carvings on the walls and the ceilings. The major attractions of these halls are miniature murals made of coloured glasses which depicts Radha and Krishna.

Gwalior Fort

Described as 'the pearl in the necklace of the castles of Hind' by the Mughal Emperor Babur, the Gwalior Fort was mightier than any other fort in the medieval ages.
Naturally every powerful ruler dreamt of possessing it.
It has fascinated historians and poets alike down the ages, and continues to do so. It also tickles one's curiosity because its origin is shrouded in mystery.

The Gwalior Fort has changed hands many times, from the Tomaras in the 8th century, to the Scindhias who were its masters when India became independent. and each of these dynasties adorned and embellished the fort.
One cannot help being impressed with the perfect blend of the Hindu and Muslim architecture that characterises the fort and finds its fullest expression in this brilliant monument.

Chittorgarh Fort

¤ The Colossal Walls

Standing on a rocky plateau on a 500 feet high hill, the 700 acre fort went through three sieges, and each time Chittor turned out the loser. But that did not mean that the fort was inferior to any other in Rajasthan. It was just that that the Rajputs had a habit of riding out to meet the enemy outside the safety of their walls instead of allowing the enemy to launch the first assault. The first time the fort was stormed in 1303AD, it was purely for matters of the heart. Alauddin Khilji fell in love with Rani Padmini the moment he heard of her and decided to take Chittor and subsequently Padmini. He did get Chittor but Padmini was nothing more than ashes in a huge jauhar (mass suicide by fire) which left 30,000 women burnt alive by choice.

The second siege came 232 years later in 1535 from Muhammad Shah of Gujarat, and this time it was outright war. Chittor fell again, and 13,000 women and children died in a different kind of jauhar. The fortress was on the brink of being seized by Bahadur Shah and there was no time to arrange for a bonfire. Gunpowder was brought out from the magazines and laid out in excavations in the ground. A tremendous blast took the lives of women and children this time.

The final assault was by Akbar in 1567, and it was fatal for Chittor. The seven gates of Chittor were opened and 8,000 Rajputs rode out in their saffron war robes once again to die at Mughal swords. Tradition repeated itself within the walls of Chittor, and women and children sallied forth into flames. When Akbar entered the fort, it is said that there was not a living soul left inside. After this final sack the backbone of Chittor was broken, and its ruler Rana Udai Singh fled to lay the foundations of Udaipur. Chittor never recovered and the fort was taken over by nature.

¤ Fort Palaces

Rana Kumbha was the one who officially built Chittor, and his palace is the oldest monument within the fort walls. The palace was built from 1433-68 in plastered stone, and the entrance is through Suraj Pol which directly leads into a courtyard. On the right of Suraj Pol is the Darikhana or Sabha (council chamber) behind which lies a Ganesha temple and the zenana (living quarters for women). A massive water reservoir is located towards the left of Suraj Pol. Ruined houses towards the south of the palace may have been used by lesser nobles, or were probably used by palace attendants. Below the central courtyard is a subterranean chamber where Rani Padmini committed jauhar with the rest of the women of Chittor when Alauddin Khilji besieged the fort. But perhaps the most remarkable feature of the palace is its splendid series of canopied balconies. The complex also houses stables for elephant and horses, but is now in ruins.

¤ Other Attractions

¤ Fateh Prakash
Near Kumbha’s palace is Fateh Prakash, the most modern building in Chittor. Built in the early 20th century, the palace was the home for Maharana Fateh Singh, Chittor’s ruler who died in 1930. A part of the building has now been converted into a museum but the rest of it is closed to visitors.

Timings : The museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. except on Fridays.

Jaisalmer Fort - Resplendent in its Golden Hue

Who would have dreamt in such a vast sand oasis
A castle worthy of an ancient throne, such an art in carven work of stone

¤ Construction of the Fort

An apt description of the Jaisalmer fort, one of the finest in the country but one which looks rather incongruous given the desolation around it. Located bang in the middle of the Thar desert (literal meaning abode of the dead), it rises like a mirage from the sands, with its huge turrets pointing skywards. Built in 1156, Jaisalmer is the second oldest of Rajasthan’s major forts after Chittorgarh. Constructed by Raja Jaisal, who was searching for a new capital as the earlier one Lodurva was too vulnerable to invasions, he built the fort and the city surrounding it, thus fulfilling Lord Krishna's prophecy in the Mahabharata

¤ Located on a Hilltop

Mounted atop Trikuta, the almost triangular triple-peaked hill, the fort rises like a sunbeam from the desert, 250 feet tall, and is reinforced by an imposing crenellated sandstone wall 30 feet high. It has as many as 99 bastions, 92 of which were built between 1633 and 1647 to be used as gun platforms. The view of the 99 bastions of the yellow sandstone fort, the desert citadel of Raja Jaisal, is spectacular to behold. The fortifications have grown exponentially over the centuries, and wells within the confines still provide a regular source of water to the fort.

¤ Palaces of the Maharawals

Also, in front of the Chauhata Square lie the palaces of the Maharawals. Leading up to them is a flight of marble steps topped by the Maharawal’s marble throne. Nearby lies the five-storeyed Tazia (metal) Tower, with ornate architecture and Bengali-style roofs. The five-tiered structure was constructed by Muslim craftsmen who worked on the building. The outer defences of the citadel are fortified by another high wall with a pathway running parallel to the first rampart. Beyond the entrance is the Ganesh Pol, leading up to the Rang Pol.

There was a time when everyone lived inside the fort itself, protected by its massive ramparts. As the population of Jaisalmer expanded, people started emigrating from within the fort’s precincts from about the 17th century. However, even today the fort is a hive of activity, and you’ll witness a cross-section of the populace living within it as you travel through its winding streets and alleys.

¤ Installation of a unique device

The fort also has a peculiar gadget hoisted on top of its ramparts. Since Met departments were in short supply in those days, this was used to forecast the weather. Every year in April a flag would be placed in its centre and, based on the direction in which it blew, the weather for the entire year was forecast. If it blew northwards it indicated famine, and if it went westwards Ho the citizenry could rest assured that a fine monsoon was in the offing. May seem a bit primitive today but the system was probably just as accurate or inaccurate as the Met office nowadays.

¤ Jaisalmer Fort -- A Marvel Built in Sandstone

Just as the Taj in Agra is worth visiting on a full moon night, Jaisalmer fort by nightfall is a sight to behold, it has all the romance and suspense of a Hitchcockian mystery. You half expect an invading army to march up to the castle, over its enormous paved flagstones, while those defending the fort shoot missiles at them from the ramparts. Suffice to say the Jaisalmer fort is one of the marvels of Rajasthani architecture, particularly of the stone-carver’s art.

Purana Qila (Old Fort)

¤ Humayun- The Mughal Emperor Costructed The Fort

When the second Mughal emperor Humayun decided to make a city of his own he decided on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha. Humayun was quite a scholar with a fine grasp on such matters and so it is certain that the site was chosen deliberately. When his Sher Shah Suri overthrew him, he destroyed most of Dinpanah (refuge of the faithful) as the city of Humayun was called to make way for his own Dilli Sher Shahi or Shergarh. Incidentally, Humayun was probably the only emperor in history who built a city in Delhi and did not give it his own name – this was typical of Humayun's rather sophisticated and dreamy character. The Layout of The Massive Colossal

Purana Qila

In plan the Old fort, now simply called Purana Qila by Delhites, is irregularly orbital. The walls of the immense Qila tower down on the road that takes one to Pragati Maidan from the height of 18m, and run on for about 2km. It has three main gates – the Humayun darwaza, Talaqi darwaza and Bara darwaza (which one uses to enter the fort today). The double-storeyed gates are quite huge and are built with red sandstone. of all the gates entry was forbidden from Talaqi (forbidden) darwaza, the northern gate. It is not clear why this was so. Other Attractions of The Fort

Sher Shah Suri and his successor could not complete the city, and when Humayun defeated Sher Shah's son to take back his city, he did not deal with Dilli Sher shahi as the latter had done with Dinpanah. In fact the Mughal emperor very handsomely completed the city and even used several of the buildings like the Sher Mandal, a rather pretty two-storeyed octagonal building. Humayun used this as his library and, then tripped to his death from its steps.

¤ Excavation of Grey Ware Pottery

Several excavations have taken place in the Purana Qila in an attempt to prove, or disprove as the case may be, whether it is indeed the site of Indraprastha or not. Diggings have yielded Painted Grey Ware pottery which has been dated to 1000BC. Similar stuff has been noticed in other sites associated with the epic Mahabharata as well, which seem to conclusively prove that this indeed was the place where Indraprastha once flourished. These excavation have also thrown up material, like coins, associated with the Gupta (about 4-5th century AD) and post-Gupta ages (700-800AD) of Indian history as well.

¤ Qila-i-kuhna Masjid

One of the most fascinating buildings, and also one of the few that still survive, in the Purana Qila is the Qila-i-kuhna masjid. Sher Shah Suri built it in 1541 (also see History) and he was obviously out to make a definite style statement. The mosque is quite a place; its prayer hall measures 51.20m by 14.90m and has five doorways with the 'true' horseshoe-shaped arches. Apparently the idea was the build the whole mosque in marble, but the supply ran out and red sandstone had to be used instead. But the builder used the material at hand very skillfully and the result is quite spectacular – the red sandstone and the marble contrast beautifully with each other to give the mosque a very distinctive air. The mihrabs (prayer niches) inside the mosque are richly decorated with concentric arches. From the prayer hall, staircases lead you to the second storey where a narrow passage runs along the rectangular hall. The central alcove is topped by a beautifully worked dome. In the courtyard at one time there was a shallow tank, which had a fountain. The mosque has an inscription which says 'As long as there are people on this earth, may this edifice be frequented, and people be happy in it.' A noble thought – amen to it.