Incredible India - Bird Watching

As part of Incredible India series, this post is for some incredible birds seen in India.










 
As part of Incredible India series, I had earlier shared blog posts on Karnataka Road Trip, Qutub Minar, Golconda Fort, Humayun's Tomb & Temples in Delhi. 

Incredible India - Temples in Delhi

As part of Incredible India series, this post is for some incredible temples located in New Delhi, India.
Incredible temples located in New Delhi include Chhatarpur Temple, Lotus Temple, Birla temple (LaxmiNarayan temple) and Akshardham temple.

Chhatarpur Temple and within its complex and vicinity, there are some beautiful architected temples. Chhatarpur Temple is located on Gurgaon-Mehrauli Road, in South Delhi. Temple is having easy access by buses, autos, metro and taxis from New Delhi city.

Erected in white marble, the main shrine is dedicated to Goddess Katyayani (sixth form of Durga). The temples within the complex of Chhatarpur Temple have been built in both South as well as of North Indian style of temple architecture.

The Temple is spread over an area of ~70 acres including number of structures dedicated to each deity. Near main entrance, there is an ancient tree, which is covered with holy threads that people tie with belief that their wishes would be fulfilled.

Lotus Temple is another incredible architecture, which is at times referred as modern times Taj Mahal.  Temple is built in the shape of a lotus flower and is the last of seven Major Bahai's temples. Built in 1986, lush green landscaped gardens add up to its beauty. 

Lotus Temple is located in east side of the city. Structure is made up of pure white marble and its architect Fariborz Sahba chose lotus as the symbol common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. 

Birla Mandir in New Delhi is also known as Laxminarayan Temple. Temple was built by the industrialst J.K. Birla in 1939. The temple is dedicated to Laxmi (the goddess of prosperity) and Narayana (The preserver). 

This beautiful temple is located in the west of Connaught Place and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all castes will be allowed to enter the temple.

Akshardham temple in New Delhi epitomizes 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. The temple, at the center of the complex, was built according to the Vastu Shastra and Pancharatra Shastra

The building was inspired and developed by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the spiritual head of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, whose 3,000 volunteers helped 7,000 artisans construct Akshardham. 

As part of Incredible India series, I had earlier shared blog posts on Karnataka Road Trip, Qutub Minar, Golconda Fort & Humayun's Tomb.

Incredible India - Humayun's Tomb

As part of Incredible India series, this post is for Humayun's Tomb located in New Delhi, India. 

Humayun's tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun who was born on 1508 AD and died in 1556 AD. Humayun was the son of Zahiruddin Muhammad Babur, the first Mughal Emperor and father of the great Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar. 

Humayun's tomb is the first colossal monumental mausoleum and considered to be an early masterpiece that was to decisively influence the design of the later Taj Mahal, the high point of Mughal architecture. Tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife Bega Begum in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect chosen by Bega Begum. When Humayun had died in 1556, Bega Begum was so grieved over her husband's death that she dedicated her life thenceforth to a sole purpose: the construction of the most magnificent mausoleum in the Empire, at a site near the Yamuna River in Delhi for the memorial of the late Emperor. 




Humayun's tomb is open on all days including Mondays when most of the other historical monuments are closed. Its not usually crowded and is a must see place when visiting Delhi. Place is spread out, well maintained and atmosphere very serene considering the traffic chaos just outside. Its a majestic place and a delight for photographers and history buffs.



 
As part of Incredible India series, I had earlier shared blog posts on Karnataka Road Trip, Qutub Minar & Golconda Fort. 

Incredible India - Qutub Minar

As part of Incredible India series, this post is for Qutub Minar, which is located in New Delhi, India. 

Qutub Minar is a 73 m-high tower built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak. Tower has five distinct storeys & measures from 15 m diameter at base to 2.5 m at top. It is considered among the tallest & famous towers in the world and has some incredible carvings. 

Qutub Minar is made of red sandstone and marble with intricate carvings and verses from the Qur'an. The stairs of the tower has 379 steps leading to the top but a stampede of school children and presently for security reasons, visitors are not allowed up the stairway. If you wanna understand how Qutub Minar is from inside then you can watch this beautiful song from one of the old hindi (bollywood) movie featuring Dev Anand and Nutan in the movie 'Tere Ghar Ke Samne'.    

Inside the complex, there is the iron pillar which is said to have stood the test of time without getting rusted. The pillar has attracted the attention of archaeologists and materials scientists and has been called "a testament to the skill of ancient Indian blacksmiths" because of its high resistance to corrosion. The height of the pillar, from the top of its capital to the bottom of its base, is 7.21 m (23.7 ft), 1.12 m (3 ft 8 in) of which is below ground

Qutub Minar is a short auto rickshaw ride (~ ₹40) from either metro stations Saket or Qutab Minar and is conveniently located and easily accessible via public transport. 

Place has been well preserved considering it was built around 12th century and surrounding place also kept neat. These photos were taken on a very cold winter day during noon so the fog is visible in the snaps. On a clear day, I am sure this place is a photographer's delight with so many spots to take some amazing pictures of this glorious structure that has stood for so many centuries. 

It certainly is one of the must visit world heritage sites in the world and an incredible, breathtaking experience.