Agra Fort - Built By Akbar The Great

While most people visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal, Agra, once the capital of all of India, has more to offer. Less than 2 kilometers from the Taj Mahal, on the same river bank, you’ll find the impressive Agra Fort. The Agra Fort has won the Aga Khan Award for Architecture in the year 2004 and India Post has issued a Stamp to commemorate this prestigious award on 28.11.2004.

It is the most important fort in India. The great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint. It was visited by foreign ambassadors, travellers and the highest dignitaries who participated in the making of history in India.

The fort is built alongside the Yamuna river and stretches almost 2.5 km. It consists of a wall built in red sandstone and several buildings inside. The wall has 2 gates, the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate. You can only enter the fort via the Amar Singh Gate.

After going through the gate you walk over a ramp and enter the Great Courtyard. On the right hand sight, there’s the many pillared Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience). It was built by Shah Janan in 1628.

Further you find the Royal Pavilions. It contains beautiful mosques (Nagina Masjid & Mina Masjid), palaces (Macchi Bhavan, Khas Mahal, Shish Mahal, Shah Jahani Mahal) and the Zenana Mina Bazaar.

Several of the buildings are made of pure marble with beautiful carvings. To cool off the rooms in the marble pavilions, the walls were hollow and filled with running water. From the balconies in the pavilions, you have a nice view on the Yamuna river
and the Taj Mahal.

Itmad-Ud-Daulah Tomb - An Architectural Gem In Agra

The Itmad-ud-daulah tomb stands in the centre of a grand Persian garden, an architectural gem of its times. It is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Emperor Jahangir’s wazir, or Chief Minister, and also his father - in- law. The structure was built by Empress Noorjehan, between 1622 and 1628 and is very similar to the tomb she constructed for her husband, near Lahore in Pakistan.

This splendid garden tomb is believed to be the precursor of the magnificent Taj Mahal, and was the first Mughal structure to be built entirely of marble, and the first, again, to make use of pietra dura, the inlay marble work that came to be typical of the Taj. Near the Agra Fort, is Jami Masjid, built by Shahjahan in 1648. An inscription over its main entrance indicates that it was built in the name of Jahanara, the emperor’s daughter, who was imprisoned with the hapless emperor by Aurangzeb.

The pure white and elaborately carved tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah conforms to the Islamic style of architecture. The use of arched entrances, octagonal shaped towers or minarets, use of exquisitely carved floral patterns, intricate marble-screen work and inlay work are all representative of the Islamic style. The absence of a dome and the presence of a closed kiosk on top of this building and the use of chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars) atop the four towers (minarets) instead of proper domes are reflective of local influence.

Sikandara - Mausoleum Of The Mughal Emperor Akbar

Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, is situated only 13 km. from the Agra Fort. The last resting place of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Sikandara is famous for the beautiful mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Construction of this aesthetic monument was planned and started by Akbar himself. But Akbar died before his mausoleum could be completed and his son Jahangir completed it. While executing the dream of Akbar, Jahangir made many modifications in the original plan of the building.

Akbar’s mausoleum at Sikandara is a unique pyramidal tomb structure. The architectural specifications of the tomb shows that the structure is a perfect blend of Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and Jain motifs, thus reflecting the spirit of religious toleration, which Akbar practiced during his reign.

A remarkable feature of this multistoried building is the presence of three-storey-minarets on its four corners. These minarets are built in red sandstone with stunning inlay work of marble.
The mausoleum is surrounded by a beautiful garden, providing a tranquil ambience to the last abode of this great ruler.

Any tour to the medieval Indian city of Agra remains incomplete without visiting the mausoleum of one of India’s most admired and popular rulers, Akbar the Great.

Moti Masjid - The Pearl Mosque Of Agra

Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque was built by the emperor who built Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan. The mosque as it shined like a pearl got the popular name of Moti Masjid.The mosque was built by Shahjahan for his members of the royal court. Moti Masjid, the mosque, is contained in the Agra Fort Complex. The complex situated in the vicinity of Yamuna river is one of the most frequently visited places. Situated towards the east of the city center the place is easily accessible.

The three marble domes of the mosque rest over the red sandstone walls and seen in totality the structure is inviting. The structure is built taking a good care of its symmetry. It is grounded to the right of the structure hall Diwan-E-Aam of the Agra Fort. The main entrance to the mosque is on the eastern side and thus, it is much larger and more beautiful than the subsidiary gates on the southern and the northern sides that had arches and three square chhatris
crowning them.

The main gateways are approachable by two staircases and had a red sandstone exterior and a marble interior. The prayer chamber has an arcade of seven arches. Out of its twenty-one bays, only three have vaulted soffits. Its western wall has beautifully carved and inlaid mihrab and six niches corresponding to the arches of the façade. Unlike the usual three steps, there are four steps to the pulpit. There are prayer chambers for women on either side of the main prayer chamber that had a marble latticework screen separating them from the main hall. This chamber has three bulbous domes crowning it. There are seven beautiful square chhatris above the parapet and an octagonal tower with a marble cupola on top at each corner.

Madurai - The Temple City - The City Of Nectar

Introduction
Madurai or the “city of nectar” is the oldest and second largest city of Tamil Nadu. This city is located on Vaigai River and was the capital of Pandyan rulers till the 14th century. The Pandyan king, Kulasekhara had built a gorgeous temple around which he created a lotus shaped city. Mythology says when city was being named; Lord Shiva blessed the city and its people. On the auspicious occasion some Divine nectar (”Madhu”) fell from the matted locks of Shiva and hence the city was named “Madhurapuri”. This sacred town of south attracts thousands of pilgrims and visitors from India as well as abroad.

Architecture
Madurai is built around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple. Concentric rectangular streets surround the temple, symbolizing the structure of the cosmos. The entire city is laid out in the shape of the lotus. Some of these rectangular streets are named after Tamil months. The six major rectangular streets around Meenakshi temple are Aadi, Chithirai, Aavani Moola, Maasi, Maarat and Veli streets

Climate
The climate of Madurai is warm. The temperature seldom comes below 20° C even during the winters. The rainfall is very frequent and spread throughout the year, just like the flow of pilgrims and tourists is the same during the year.

How To Reach
Air : Madurai has its own airport and there are flights, which connect the city with Chennai, Tiruchirappalli. The airline services have at least one flight daily from Madurai to Chennai. From there one can take flight to anywhere in India.

Rail : Madurai has one of the major railway junctions of South India. It is connected with the all the major tourist as well as religious places in Tamil Nadu. Though there are not many trains, which connect the city with major cities of India such as, Madurai is easily accessible from any part of the nation.

Road : There are good motorable roads, which connect this, second largest city of Tamil Nadu with other parts of the state as well as other places in India. Madurai has five bus stands, which cater to the needs of the people

Some Major Temples Of Madurai

Sri Meenakshi - Sundareswarar Temple
Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple dates to around 100 AD and it was expanded during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak (1623-55). Sri Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple contains 12 gopurams and the main four gopurams are having nine storeys each. These four tall gopurams (towers) over the entrance gates is renowned for its sculptures and paintings. The southern tower is the tallest, a height of 170 ft with 1511 sudhai figures, and was built in 16th century. The oldest tower is the 13th century eastern gopuram, a height of 161 ft with 1011 sudhai figures, built by Jatavarman Sundara Pandyan. The western tower with a height 163 ft and 1124 sudhai figures and the northern tower is having a height of 160 ft. The main feature of the temple lies in the Ayiramkal Mandapam or the Hall of Thousand Pillars. The specialty of the pillars is that each one is adorned with high, ornate, bold sculptures and the view of these pillars from any angle appears to be in a straight line. There are musical pillars carved out of stones in the outermost corridors. Each pillar produces different musical note when it is tapped. The temple is open to devotees between 05:00 and 12:30 hrs and again between 16:00 and 21:30 hrs. It is at a walkable distance from the Madurai railway station.

Thirupparankundram Temple

The Thirupparankundram Temple is one of the most commonly visited places of interest in Madurai. This temple is of special interest to those who are hardcore devotees of the Hindu religion. It is situated at the top of a hill. It is located at a distance of about 8 km towards the south of the railway junction of Madurai. One can view a shrine dedicated to goddess Durga in this cave temple. The two images of Subramanya and Ganesh are placed on either sides of the Durga image.
There are a number of shrines in the temple. Some of the most prominent shrines are dedicated to Ganapathy, Shiva, Vishnu and Durgai. The entrance of the temple is marked by as many as 48 pillars. These pillars are decorated with intricate carvings. The mandapa that is located at the entrance has pillars that are identified with the Nayaka period

A Significant Pilgrimage Place

Rameshwaram is significant for the Hindus as a pilgrimage to Benaras is incomplete without a Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. Both the Vaishnavites and Shaivites visit this pilgrimage which is known as the Benares of the south. The presiding deity is the Linga Of Sri Ranganatha, which happens to be one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of India. Rameshwaram is also popularly referred to as the ‘Benaras of the south’. In order to attain Moksha it is believed that the visit to Rameshwaram is mandatory.

Rameshwaram is a happening holiday spot too.The religious island is spread in an area of 61.8 square kilometers and happens to be in the shape of a conch. The Ramanatha Swamy Temple occupies major area of Rameshwaram. The masterpiece of Dravidian architecture boasts of the largest temple corridor in India. Different rulers built the Ramanatha Swamy Temple over a period of time starting from the 12th century. The temple comprises of twenty-two wells where the taste of the water of each well is different from the other. The waters of the wells are believed to possess medicinal properties.

» Air link : The religious land of Rameshwaram is well connected with the other major cities of India. The nearest airport at Madurai is 163 kilometers away, takes care of the air travel of people from across the globe.

» Rail & Road link : The rail and road network connects Rameshwaram with Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Thanjavur and other important cities. The two kilometer long Indira Gandhi Bridge connects the island of Rameshwaram with the mainland of Mandapam. For traveling in town you may opt for hiring jeeps, auto rickshaws and even cycle rickshaws.

The Playground Of Nature In Tamil Nadu - Kodaikanal

Arriving in Kodai town, one is enticed by orchards of pear trees with their graceful branches silhouetted in artistic curves against the evening sky like stark Zen etchings. Extensively visited by tourists and yet very serene, the beauty of virgin nature could be best witnessed in the breathtakingly beautiful hill station of Kodaikanal. Situated 2133 m above the sea level in Tamil Nadu, the magnificent hill station was developed by American missionaries in 1845. Buildings with gabled roof dot the skyline. Broken fragments of light from the setting sun are caught and kindled in the wind-rippled water appearing like a myriad lamp floating on the lake. Soon, as though on cue, lights start twinkling all over the hillside, and even the stars pick up the message, and heaven and earth are a riot of light, as though beaming messages of goodwill to each other.

The name Kodaikanal means the “gift of the forest”. Situated in the state of Tamil Nadu, among the Palani Hills, Kodaikanal is one of the unexplored destinations of southern India. With its intoxicating air, breathtaking scenery and serenity that you can hardly find in any other hill station, Kodaikanal is an ideal summer resort for the travel buffs of the southern plains.

The airport nearest to Kodaikanal is Madurai at a distance of 120 kms.There are frequent flights to most other Indian towns and cities. The nearest railhead is Kodai Road Railway Station at a distance of 80 kms from the place. Kodaikanal is connected by road with most of Tamil Nadu and nearby states. Being a popular hill station, bus services to Kodaikanal from other parts of the state are timely and very convenient.

The Absolute Heaven In Tamil Nadu - Ooty

Ooty, the Queen be seated in this heavenly abode remained undiscovered to the great southern dynasties and it took the British to explore it in the early 1800s. They were, however, not the first friends of this land as a tribe called Todas had been living there long before the British came, claiming that the Nilgiris had been their home since time immemorial. The British constructed the first railway line in the area and made it the summer capital of the Chennai Presidency.

A haven for nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts, honeymooners and bollywood directors, Ooty is a hill station with something for all. Ooty or Udhagamandalam is one of those jewels in Tamil Nadu’s crown that attracts a huge number of tourists. Ooty is surrounded by four majestic hills-Doddabetta, Snowdon, Elk Hill and Club Hill.

The nearest airport to Ooty is Coimbatore at a distance of 105 kms. Ooty is connected by train services also. The Blue Mountain Express connects Ooty to Mettupalayam located at a distance of 47 kms. Ooty could be accessed from most of the towns and cities of neighbouring Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.