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A Date with History: Heritage Sites in India- Part1 |
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UNESCO World Heritage Committee has taken a world-wide initiative to maintain and preserve a list of Heritage Sites such as monuments, buildings, forests, mountains, lakes, deserts, etc. Presently 27 places in India feature in the list with the latest addition being the Kalka-Shimla Railway. In a series of Vacationer articles we will take you on a tour of all the Indian sites that feature on the Heritage Site list. Here is the first part.
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Taj Mahal, Agra: Taj Mahal, the latest wonder of the world, is one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture. Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, Taj was described by UNESCO as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world heritage." Completed around 1653 AD, the construction took about 22 years using 20,000 workers. One of the mesmerizing features of Taj is the change in its color with changing day light.
Every year, the Taj attracts more than two million visitors with ten percent being the foreigners. October to February is considered to be the best time to visit Taj as the temperature remains optimal for sightseeing. Being a heritage site, polluting traffic is not permitted in the vicinity of the complex. The tourists have to walk from the parking area or catch an electric bus to reach the
‘ Monument of Love.’
Read more about Agra tourism» |
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Sun Temple, Konark: This 13th century temple, built in black granite and red sandstone, is one of the most distinguished temple structures of India. Constructed during the reign of King Narasimha Deva, the temple depicts the Chariot of Surya, the sun god. The whole complex was developed in the shape of a colossal chariot drawn by seven feisty horses on twelve pairs of deftly ornamented wheels.
According to an interesting legend, Samba who was Lord Krishna and Jambavati's son, mistakenly entered the bathing area of Lord Krishna’s wives. Angry at the act of his son, Lord Krishna cursed Samba with leprosy and proclaimed that he would be relieved of this curse only when he worshipped Lord Surya with full devotion. Samba sincerely worshipped the Lord and was finally able to obtain freedom from his father's curse.
Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore once described Konark as the place where “the language of stone surpasses the language of man."
What stands today is only a part of the original set of structures. Theories abound as to how the other parts were destroyed, including earth quake, lightning strike, engineering defects and plundering by invaders.
Read more about Konark tourism» |
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Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya: The Mahabodhi Temple, standing tall at 54 m, is a Buddhist temple in the city of Bodh Gaya. It enshrines a large golden Buddha, and is surrounded by an ancient railing, dating back to 100 BC. The Mahabodhi Temple was constructed by the famous Emperor Asoka around 530 BC. Legend says the emperor embraced Buddhism after feeling guilty of leading a life of war and destruction.
Here, the tourist can still see the famous Bodhi Tree under which Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment and the Vajrasana or throne where Buddha sat. Near the tree are seven holy shrines, said to be the spots where Buddha spent a week each meditating, after his enlightenment.
Read more about Bodh Gaya tourism»
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Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh: An excursion to Bhopal provides the perfect occasion to drive down to Bhimbetka to explore its amazing rock shelters in the foothills of the Vindhya Mountains. The Bhimbetka rock shelters is an archaeological site displaying the most primitive trails of human life in India. The Stone Age rock paintings that feature here are more than 9,000 years old. As the legend goes, these hills got their name after Bhima, the strongest of the five Pandava brothers. The literal translation of 'Bhim-bet-ka' is 'where Bhim sat down'.
There are more than 600 caves that have a collection of the oldest prehistoric paintings in India. The walls of these caves are embellished with paintings dating from the Mesolithic Period onwards. It took around 16 years to excavate the entire area covered by these caves. Although there are many caves, only 12 are open for tourists at the moment. But they have the best paintings. Bhopal is the nearest city to Bhimbetka.
Read more about Bhopal tourism»
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Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra: Situated just beside the village of Ajintha in Aurangabad are the Ajanta Caves, a series of 34 caves running along a 2-km half-moon shaped rock face and featuring some of the most elaborate elements of rock-cut architecture in India. The Ajanta Caves' murals date back to the 2nd and 5th century AD and feature scenes from the life of the Buddha and stories of his reincarnations retold in the Jataka Tales. The caves are marked by distinctive influences of the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths on religious art.
Ellora Caves, Maharashtra: Ellora, a masterpiece of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty, is an archaeological site 30 km from the city of Aurangabad. The 30 caves set up between 5th – 10th centuries encompass Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temples and monasteries. Set in a horseshoe formation, the ancient caves are located on a high ridge above the gorge of the Waghora River. It was in 1819 that an officer of the Madras Cavalry John Smith, while hunting, saw the top of Cave 10 peeping over the thick undergrowth that had hidden them over time.
Read more about Ajanta-Ellora tourism»
Read about all destinations in India»
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