FAMOUS MONUMENTS OF INDIA
In India, there are hundreds of thousands of monuments spread across the length and breadth of the country. There are more than 500 monuments in India which are a collection of beautiful temples, palaces, aquatic structures, ancient market streets, royal pavilions, bastions, royal platforms, and treasury buildings. Some of the most prominent ones and the Most Famous Monuments of India include India Gate, Taj Mahal, Qutub Minar, Gateway of India, Lotus temple, Sun temple, Humayun tomb, Charminar, Jallianwala Bagh among others. Some of the Famous Monuments of India are discussed below:
INDIA GATE (New Delhi)
India Gate was originally named as All India War Memorialand was constructed to honor the soldiers of India that were killed during World War 1. It was established on 10 February 1921 and designed by the famous war memorial designer Edwin Lutyens. The walls of India Gate have been engraved with the names of the Indian soldiers or many officers who died in World War I and the Afghan Wars.
Amar Jawan Jyoti or the Flame of the Immortal soldier is another memorial which is erected under the India gate after Independence. Amar Jawan Jyoti is a black marble plinth with a rifle inverted covered with a war helmet on the top and the four flames burning around it.
India gate has become one of the integral parts of Delhi and also a popular tourist destination. India Gate is situated at the opposite of the President House and on the Rajpath. Every year on 26th January India gate stands witness to the Republic Day parade where upto date advancements of defence technology is displayed. The parade is also a good platform to have a glance at the colorful and various cultural heritage of India as artists from all over the country perform on the occasion.
TAJ MAHAL (Agra, U.P.)
The Taj Mahal is on the list of the Seven Wonders of the World. This monument is a very beautiful structure of art and involves a lot of smart architecture. It is located on the bank River Yamuna in the city of Agra, Uttar Pradesh in India. The Taj Mahal is known as the symbol of love and devotion of the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan to Mumtaz Begum. This monument was built for his beloved wife Mumtaz Begum after she passes away.It contains the tombs of the eternal lovers Shahjahan and Mumtaz Begum. Taj Mahal is made from white marblewhich was exported from various countries from all over the world. The four pillars that stand in the corners are inclined a little, to prevent the monument from any kind of natural disaster and all around are green grass lawns with beautiful flowers. The beauty of Taj Mahal magnifies at night.
QUTUB MINAR (New Delhi)
Qutub Minar is a significant historical monument is the second tallest minar of India. The word “Qutub” means “pole of justice”. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This historical monument of India is named after the Qutub-ud-din Aibak. Though Qutub-ud-Din Aibak is regarded as the one who authorized this construction in 1200 AD, but he managed to just construct the basement. The next three storeys were done by his successor Illtutmish and the last two storeys were added by Firoz Shah Tughlaq in 1398. Each of them brought their own touch of art and perfection to the splendor of this impressive tower.It is built in Red Sandstoneand marble in Indo-Islamic architecture style.
The walls of the minar have been carved with verses from the holy Quran. There are 379 stairs and five different floors in this area, with a splendid view of the city from the upper floor of the tower. Its first three floors are made of red sandstone; however the marble and red sandstone of the fourth and fifth floors is used.
GATEWAY OF INDIA (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
One of the great historical monuments, Gateway of India, was built during the British rule. Foundation stone was laid by the then Governor of Bombay (Mumbai) in 1913. Architecture is done in Indo-Sarcenic style. It is built from yellow basalt and reinforced concrete in a shape of an arc, which is situated in Mumbai at Apollo water front Bunder area. It was designed by George Wittet, British architect. 4
The construction of the Gateway of India was done to commemorate the royal visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Mumbai (then Bombay). The structural design of this monument is constituted of a large arch, with a height of 26m and the central dome of Gateway of India is about 48 feet in diameter, with a total height of 85 feet, overlooking the Arabian Sea.
LOTUS TEMPLE (New Delhi)
Lotus Temple or Kamal Mandir is located in Delhi. It is one of the famous tourist attractions in Delhi. It is shaped like the petals of a lotus. The Lotus Temple is also known as Bahai House of Worship, opened to the public in December 1986. Bahai faith believes that their centres of worship are for all religions and thus the followers of any religion are allowed at the Lotus Temple. This temple is symbol ofoneness of religions and humanity. This temple was designed by Fariborz Sahba, an Iranian architect. It consists of 27 petals in the free-standing state.
These petals are organized in groups of three to lend the structure a nine-sided circular shape making the whole structure look extremely beautiful. The nine doors of the Lotus Temple, which are shaped like arches, open up to a central hall that has sufficient space for around 2500 people. The Lotus Temple in Delhi does not have this architectural dome and it is the first temple in Delhi that makes use of solar power.
SUN TEMPLE (Konark, Odisha)
The Konark Sun temple marks the highest point of achievement of Kalinga architecture representing the joy, grace and the rhythm of life all its wondrous variety. It was built in the thirteenth century at Konark in Odisha, India. Konark Sun Temple is also referred to as ‘Black Pagoda’ (Kaala Pagoda) by the European sailors as it is build of black granite. The name Konark derives from the Sanskrit words ‘kona’ which means ‘angle’ and ‘ark’ which mean ‘the Sun’, and the temple is dedicated to Sun God Surya.
There is a huge chariot of Sun god, with twelve pairs of stone-carved wheels pulled by seven horses. The twelve pairs of wheels represent the twelve months of a year and the seven horses represent the seven days in a week. And each wheel has twenty four spokes indicating the twenty four hours in a day. The spokes of the wheel form the shape of a sundial. The exact time of the day can be calculated seeing the shadow cast by the wheels. Each structure built in Konark Sun Temple symbolizes the passage of time.
At the entrance of the Sun Temple there are two lions at either sides of the entrance crushing an elephant each. Below each elephant is a human being. Here, lion represents power and the elephant represents money/wealth. The whole illustration represents the major problems faced by man in his life i.e. money/wealth and power.
HUMAYUN TOMB (New Delhi)
Humayun’s tomb in the capital Delhi is a great specimen of the great Mughal architecture. This monument was built in 1565 A.D. nine years after the death of Humayun. Humayun’s persian wife named Bega Begum decided to build a tomb for her husband which was named as Humayun Tomb. The tomb was designed with the help of Persian architect named Mirak Mirza Ghiyuath. Thus, Humayun Tomb has a clear influence of Persian architecture. It is the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent with beautiful causeways and water channels.
The tomb is geometrically placed in the middle of specially made garden. The garden is divided into four parts and therefore the garden is called as Char Bagh. The garden is further divided in 36 small squares by grid of water paths and channels. The structure of this monument is built with red sandstone and at borders white and black marble has been used. This monumenthas been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993.
CHARMINAR (Telangana)
The Charminar is a monument and mosque in Hyderabad, Telengana, India. The structure was built in 1591 AD. It is the most famous buildings in India. It was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shahi, the 5th Sultan of Qutub Shahi Dynasty. This monument was built to commemorate the end of a deadly plague. Architecture of this monument is done in Indo-Islamic style. The Charminar lies near the bank of the river Musee. It is close to Laad Bazaar and Makkah Masjid. Charminar is taken from two words “Char” and “Minar” which means as “Four Towers” in English. The city of Hyderabad was divided into four divisions equally around the Charminar. There is a clock on every curve which was built in 1889.
JALLIANWALA BAGH (Amritsar, Punjab)
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre also called Massacre of Amritsar. This incident took place on April 13, 1919, in which British troops fired, under the order of General Reginald Dyer, on a large crowd of unarmed Indians in an open space known as the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar in the state of Punjab, India. There several hundred people were killed and many hundreds were wounded. It marked a turning point in India’s modern history and that left a permanent mark on Indo-British relations and was the beginning of Mahatma Gandhi’s full commitment to the cause of Indian nationalism and independence from Britain.
These all are the Famous Monuments of India that are a must watch for all, so you can add these Important monuments of India to your Wish list and explore them whenever you got time. Visit these well-preserved Famous Monuments of India and enjoy India’s rich history, culture and Heritage.
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very informative! good read