Some buildings are famous for their magnificence, some for their beautiful paintings and sculptures and some because of their historical background. These places and buildings tell us country’s history and rich heritage. Some of these monuments have been damaged with the passage of time, but we can still see how beautiful and grand they were. Here we shall read about some of these historical buildings.
SOME HISTORICAL MONUMENTS IN INDIA
Taj Mahal :
It is the most beautiful monument of Mughal period in Indian history. It stands on the bank of the river Yamuna at Agra. It was built by Emperor Shahjahan in the memory of his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. It is a grand monument of white, marble. It is considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the world due to its matchless beauty.
The main building has’a huge dome which stands at the centre of rectangular platform. On all the four corners of the platform stand long minarets of white marble. It is said that it took about 20 years and crores of rupees to complete this building.
Qutab Minar :
The Qutub Minor is situated at Mehrauli in Delhi. It was built by Qutub-ud-din-Aibak, the first ruler of Slave Dynasty about 750 years ago. Unluckily he Qutub Minar and the Iron Pillar died before its completion and it was completed by his successor lltutmish. It is a huge minaret with a winding staircase running inside it. Its height is 230 feet. It has about 300 steps. Originally the Minar had seven storeys. It is the highest stone tower in the world. Near the Qutub Minar there is an old iron pillar. It is about 1500 years old and has no signs of rusting.
Red Fort :
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Shahjahan, the Mughal Emperor was a great builder. Red Fort, built on the bank of the river Yamuna is one of his most important buildings. It is called Red Fort because it is made of red stone. Inside the fort there are some buildings worth seeing. These are the Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Aam, Moti Masjid and beautiful palaces and baths for the queens. Diwan-i-Khas is made of white marble and its walls were inlaid with gold and precious stones. Shahjahan sat on a throne made of gold called the Peacock Throne in the centre of the Diwan-i-Khas and met his ministers. The Emperor listened to the requests of the people in Diwan-i-Aam.
Red Fort is an historical monument. When India became independent in 1947, our first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru hoisted the National Flag at the Red Fort on the mid-night of 14th August 1947. Now every year on our Independence Day the Prime Minister hoists the National Flag and addresses the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort.
Golden Temple :
The Golden Temple is at Amritsar in Punjab. It is also known as Har Mandir Sahib or Darbar Sahib. It is one of the most sacred places for the Sikhs. It was built in 1579 by Guru Ram Dass, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs. The land was given to third Guru Amar Dass by Mughal Emperor Akbar who had a great respect for all religions. Guru
Ram Dass got dug a big tank and a Gurudwara was built in the middle of the tank. It was known as Har Mandir Sahib.
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It was rebuilt in marble in 1802. Its dome was covered with gold by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Therefore it came to be known as Golden Temple.
Dilwara Jain Temples :
Dilwara Jain Temples built on a tip of Mount Abu in Rajasthan are about 800 years old. It is a sacred place for the Jains. These temples are built of white marble. They have the. most beautiful decorations inside. Thousands of foreign and Indian tourists visit t rv e s e temples to see their beautiful carvings. The doors, the pillars, the arches and the ceilings are skilfully decorated.
St. Xavier’s Church :
St. Xavier’s Church is one of the oldest and the most famous Churches in Goa. It is in old Goa, a place about 10 Km. from Panaji, the capital of Goa. St. Xavier was a Christian missionary. He came to India about 400 years ago to preach Christianity. He stayed in India for about four years and preached Christianity. He travelled to many countries and died on his way to China. The body is kept in this Church. The body has not decomposed even after centuries. It is shown to the public every five years. Many people go to Goa to see the saint’s body and pay homage to the great Saint. This Church is also known as Basillica of Bom Jesus.
Sun Temple Konark :
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The Sun Temple at Konark is near the sea-shore in Orissa. It is one of the most beautiful temples. It was built in the thirteenth century by king Narsimha Deva in the honour of Surya, the Sun-God. Over 1200 sculptors worked day and night and it took twelve years to complete this temple.
The temple is designed as a Chariot for Surya. It has 24 huge stone wheels. Each wheel has 8 spokes and it is being driven by seven horses. The temple has beautiful carvings of different dance styles and different animals. The horses stand for 7 days of the week. The spokes stand for 8 prahars in a day and the wheels stand for 24 fortnights of the Indian year.
Ajanta Caves :
The Ajanta Caves are famous for their beautiful paintings. Ajanta Caves are about 100 km. from Aurangabad. In Ajanta there are about 30 caves cut out of the rocky hills. These caves are about 2000 years old. These caves were made by Buddhist monks. They carved out big halls where the monks could gather for prayers. These are called Chaityas. They also carved out smaller rooms. In these rooms they could live and work. These rooms were known as Viharas. The pillars, walls and roofs of these caves were decorated with sculptures and paintings. These paintings relate to the life of Buddha. These caves are wonderful pieces of Indian art. They also give us an idea of the life of the people of that period.
Ellora Caves :
Ellora Caves are famous for their rock paintings. These caves are at a distance of about 100 Km. from the Ajanta Caves. They are located near Dev Giri a short distance from Aurangabad. There are about 60 caves.
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The most famous cave of the Ellora Caves is the Kailasa Temple Cave. It has been cut out of a single rock. It shows Lord Shiva’s home. There are two big sculptured elephants guarding the courtyard. Beautiful images of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati are in this temple. The Buddhist caves have the sculptures of Lord Buddha and the Jain caves have the jages of Jain Saints.