Showing posts with label Delhi Tourist Places. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delhi Tourist Places. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Qutub Minar – The Tower that Survived History

Rome wasn't built in a day! The same is also true about Qutub Minar in Delhi, the capital of India. This amazing tower is a five-story brick Minar, whose construction was started in 1192 AD by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak. Iltutmush completed this monument during the time period of 1211-36 AD. Qutub or Qutb Minar is made of marble and red sandstone and is the tallest standing minar in India. Qutub Minar is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a major tourist attraction of Delhi.

Image by AnkurDauneria on flickr.com

Some basic information about Qutub Minar is as follows:

Year of Foundation  – 1192 AD
Commissioned by – Qutbu'd-Din Aibak
Total Height – 72.5 meters
Base diameter – 14.32 meters
Diameter at the top – 2.75 meters
Number of stairs – 379
Listed as World Heritage Site – 1993

Qutub Minar – Image by Sharkawi Che Din on flickr.com

The purpose of its constructed is doubtful as many believe it was created to mark the victory over Delhi by Qutbu'd-Din Aibak while many others say that it was just a minaret to call for Islamic prayers. There are many tombs and ruins near the Minar belonging to different rulers and kingdoms. Other attractions around Qutub Minar are Iron Pillar, Alai Minar, Alai Darwaza and Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque.

Iron Pillar – Image by gwashley by flickr.com

Alai Minar in Qutb Complex
Qutub Minar was damaged multiple times because of natural cause like earthquakes and lightning strikes. Many rulers repaired it time and again to preserve this wonderful monument.

Our Entry for ABC Wednesday - Q is for Qutub Minar


Thursday, October 3, 2013

Lotus Temple-A Graceful Marvel of India

 Lotus Temple or the Bahai temple, a peaceful icon of marvelous India, located in Delhi. It is also recommended by the locals as the Taj of Modern India. This temple is named after its shape and is popular all around for its modern architecture. It is surrounded by a large green landscaped garden. It is a symbol of peace for Bahai’s. Among the religion of Bahai’s, importance is given to prayers which revealed in the scriptures only. According to Bahai’s faith, minor acts of praying is not sufficient, one has to convert one’s prayers into actions that promotes the well being of humanity.

Lotus Temple, Delhi
The credit for the design and architecture of the temple building goes to the Persian architect Fariborz Sahba of Canada. He got the idea of making the temple in lotus shape as the lotus is the symbol of peace, purity, love and immortality. The whole construction took 10 years to complete it and made available for public. Many architectures, artisans, technicians, workers, took the work on their shoulders to complete it magnificently. They work together diligently and finally gave the beautiful iconic structure to the Indians. 

Lotus Temple
The temple was completed in 1986 and after its completion, a technical journal of the United Kingdom was the first to visit it.  Also, he gave the appellation that it is a Taj Mahal of the 20th century. After that lots of people visit this half-open flower surrounded by its leaves and gave many expressions. The shining white marble attracts a large number of crowds from across the globe. It creates a sense of awe among tourists.

Inside Area
The architecture of the temple is so attractive that one gets muse in the architecture. The inner dome is spherical in shape and is like a bud that consists of 24 petals. Flooring inside the auditorium is of pure white marble that shines even today.

Inside view of Temple

Interior View of Temple
 Green landscape, long stairs, nine pools of water, curved balustrades, bridges, etc. surround this half open flower and make it the most attractive icon of Delhi. It is a remarkable shrine of peace that will stand for centuries. This large temple also houses a reception center, a library and an administrating building. The library contains a rich collection of religious books not only of Bahai religion but also of other religions. Also, introductory audio-visual presentation is displayed there for the visitors. 

Model of Lotus Temple
People of any religion can visit this temple and pray or meditate freely. It has the capacity to accommodate nearly 2500 people and has nine doors that open in a central hall through which people enters into the main hall.  Many other nearby attractions are there that are also popular like the Kalkaji temple and the famous Nehru place market. So, visiting this temple is the most memorable part of anyone’s life.

Your can find the other tourist places in Delhi here.

Following the blog ABC Wednesday for L.