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WORLD HERITAGE MONUMENTS IN INDIA TAJ MAHAL, AGRA It stands on the right bank of the Yamuna, about 1.5 km from the Agra Fort. The Taj was built to enshrine the remains of Arjmand Banu Begam entitled Mumtaz Mahal, the consort of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Its construction commenced in AD 1631 and completed 17 years later at enormous cost and labour.
The entire portion is enclosed within a high boundary wall having broad octagonal pavilions at corners. The Taj is entered through a majestic gateway in the centre of the southern side where there is a spacious quadrangle. Closed on Friday. FATEHPUR SIKRI, AGRA In honour of saint Shaikh Salim Chisti, the Mughal emperor, Akbar the great, founded a magnificent city on Sikri ridge. In 1571 he ordered the construction of buildings for his own use and asked the noblemen to build houses for themselves. Within a year, most of the work was finished and within the next few years, a well planned city with administrative, residential and religious buildings came into existence. The Jami Mosque was perhaps among the
first buildings to come up. Its epigraph gives AH 979 (AD 1571-72) as the date of its completion. The Baland-Darwaza was added some five years later. Among other important buildings are the tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti, the Naubat-or Naqqar Khana (drum-house), Taksal (mint), Karkhanas (royal workshop), Khazana (treasury), Hakim's quarters, Diwan-i-Am (hall of public audience), house of Maryam also called SUnahra Makan (Golden House), palace of Jodh Bai, Birbal's house, etc. AGRA FORT, AGRA It represents first major building project of Akbar, through remains of only a few buildings built by him now survive. Built on the site of an earlier castle in AD 1565-75, the fort, apart from other important units, contains Jahangiri Mahal, Khass Mahal, Diwan-i-Khass, Diwan-i-Am, Machchhi Bhawan and Moti Masjid. Many extant buildings were erected by Shah Jahan (AD 1630-55). Irregularly triangular on plan, it is enclosed by a double battlemented massive wall of red sandstone which is about 2 km in perimetre and interrupted by graceful curves and lofty bastions. Of its four gates, the most impressive is the Delhi Gate on the west. QUTAB MINAR, DELHI Qutab Minar in red and buff sandstone is
the highest tower in India. It has a
diameter of 14.32m at the base and about
2.75m on the top with a height of 72.5m. All the storeys are surrounded by a projected balcony encircling the minar and supported by stone brackets, which are decorated with honey-comb design, more conspicuously in the first storey. Qutab Minar in red and buff sandstone is the highest tower in India. It has a diameter of 14.32m at the base and about 2.75m on the top with a height of 72.5m. Qutbu'd-Din Aibak laid the foundation of Minar in AD 1199 for the use of the mu'azzin (crier) to give calls for prayer and raised the first storey, to which were added three more storeys by his successor and son-in-law, Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1211-36). All the storeys
are surrounded by a projected balcony
encircling the minar and supported by
stone brackets, which are decorated with
honey-comb design, more conspicuously in
the first storey. It consists of a rectangular courtyard enclosed by cloisters, erected with the carved columns and architectural members of 27 Hindu and Jaina temples which were demolished by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak as recorded in his inscription on the main eastern entrance. Later, a lofty arched screen was erected and the mosque was enlarged by Shamsu'd-Din Iltutmish (AD 1210-35) and Alau'd-Din Khalji. The Iron Pillar in the courtyard bears an inscription in Sanskrit in Brahmi script of fourth century AD, according to which the pillar was set up as a Vishnudhvaja (standard of god Vishnu) on the hill known as Vishnupada in memory of a mighty king named Chandra. A deep socket on the top of the ornate capital indicates that probably an image of Garuda was fixed into it. The tomb of Iltutmish (AD 1211-36) was built in AD 1235. It is a plain square chamber of red sandstone, profusely carved with inscriptions, geometrical and arabesque patterns in Saracenic tradition on the entrances and the whole of interior. Some of the motifs viz., the wheel, tassel etc., are reminiscent of Hindu designs. Ala'i-Darwaza, the southern gateway of
the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque was
constructed by Alau'd-Din Khalji in AH
710 (AD 1311) as recorded in the
inscriptions engraved on it. This is the
first building employing Islamic
principles of construction and
ornamentation. Next » |
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The architect responsible for the
construction was Ustad Ahmed Lahori.
Unlike other Mughal garden tombs, the
mausoleum is situated at the northern
end of a large rectangular area with its
central portion divided into a square
garden.