Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal stands upright as the entrance to the City Palace, Jaipur. An important landmark in the city, Hawa Mahal is an epitome of the Rajputana architecture. The splendid five-storey “Palace of the Winds” is a blend of beauty and splendor much close to Rajasthan’s culture. Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh built Hawa Mahal in 1779. The pyramid shape of this ancient monument is a tourist attraction having 953 small Windows

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Jaipur's signature building, the Hawa Mahal, a multi layered palace, was built by Sawai Pratap Singh (grand son of Sawai Jai Singh and son of Sawai Madhoo Singh) in 1799 A.D. and Mr. Lal Chand Usta was the architect. Famous for it's beehive like structure, the Hawa Mahal is an interplay of red and pink sand stone, carefully and painstakingly outlined with white borders and motifs. This five storey building, which looks out over the main street of the old city, is a stunning example of Rajput artistry, with its pink semi-octagonal and delicately honeycombed sandstone windows. It was originally built to enable ladies of the royal household, to watch the everyday life and processions of the city.

India Gate

India Gate

At the centre of New Delhi stands the 42 m high India Gate, an "Arc-de-Triomphe" like archway in the middle of a crossroad. Almost similar to its French counterpart, it commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives fighting for the British Army during the World War I. The memorial bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.

India Gate is constructed as a memorial and was built in the memory of 90,00 soldiers who laid down their lives during world war I. Located at Rajpath, India Gate Delhi is 42 m high and is a popular relaxation area during the summer evenings. India Gate also act as popular pinic spot during winter. Also known as the All India War Memorial or the Gate of India, India Gate was designed and constructed by Lutyens. He was the one who is considered the chief proclaimer in designing the New Delhi plans. 

The foundation stone of India Gate was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921 and it was designed by Edwin Lutyens. The monument was dedicated to the nation 10 years later by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti was added much later, after India got its independence. The eternal flame burns day and night under the arch to remind the nation of soldiers who laid down their lives in the Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.

Red Fort

The Red Fort

The Red sandstone walls of the massive Red Fort (Lal Qila) rise 33-m above the clamour of Old Delhi as a reminder of the magnificent power and pomp of the Mughal emperors. The walls, built in 1638, were designed to keep out invaders, now they mainly keep out the noise and confusion of the city.

The main gate, Lahore Gate, is one of the emotional and symbolic focal points of the modern Indian nation and attracts a major crowd on eachIndependence Day.Tourists can easily take a taxi or other mode of transport to reach the place. If you are new to the city, the city map can be of great help. You can also find the right road to reach the place and check out the nearby places as well. Red Fort is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna and is still a significant monument that provides a glimpse of the grandeur of the past. Apart from the magnificent fort, one can also find various beautiful structures inside the fort like the halls of public, marble palaces, mosque, gardens, and plush apartments all in their rich architecture that shows you the prosperous past of the Emperor. The fort even today continues to mesmerize visitors with its impressive red sandstone wall, huge bastions, and some of the finest and intricate work done on the walls that are not to be seen anywhere in other structures.

Red fort is an enjoyable excursion and you will love to see the various attractions that the fort has. The royal baths or Hammams as it was rightly called was the place where the royals took bath in all their pleasure. The Shahi burj was the working place of Shahjahan that has some wonderful work done inside. The Moti Masjid is another structure that is worth seeing, but was built by Aurangzeb, son of Shahjahan. A special place for the ladies of the fort is also built called the Ran Mahal. This place is a real treat to the eyes and you can see delicately painted walls, intricate worked mirrors, gilded turrets, ceiling complete with gold and silver designs reflects its beauty in the central pool inside the palace on the marble floor.