Historical Places in India

Historical Places in India

1. Amer Fort, Rajasthan

    Amer Fort (Amber Fort), near Jaipur, is one of the most well-known and most-visited forts in India. Amer was once the capital of princely Jaipur state and the fort the residence of its Rajput rulers. Maharaja Man Singh I, who led Mughal Emperor Akbar's army, started its construction in 1592 on the remains of an 11-century fort. Successive rulers added to Amber Fort before moving the capital to Jaipur in 1727. The fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2013 as part of a group of six hill forts in Rajasthan. Its architecture has an impressive fusion of Rajput (Hindu) and Mughal (Islamic) styles.

    Amer Fort sits atop a hill called Cheel ka Teela, safeguarded by the Maota Lake. The essence of the Amer fort lies in its captivating architecture and the lustrous red sandstone and marble. The Amber Fort has some religious elements enveloped in it, like the Diwan-i-Khaas, the Diwan-i-aam, and the beguiling Sheesh Mahal.

2. Agra Fort, Uttar Pradesh

    Agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638 when their capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. The Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It was built in the year 1565 by Emperor Akbar and is completely built of Red Sandstone. There are two gates to enter the fort - the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate.

    The passages, gateways, courts, mosques, and palaces inside the compound will leave everybody awestruck. Some noteworthy attractions are Nagina Mosque, Moti Mosque, and Meena Market.

3. Ajanta-Ellora Caves, Aurangabad

Designated as a World Heritage Site in 1983, Ajanta's tryst with destiny goes back two thousand or more years ago to a secluded horseshoe-shaped ravine fed by a waterfall. Here, hidden from the world, Buddhist monks, priests, and thousands of unknown artists worked by sun and torchlight to carve out magnificent murals and carvings that narrate the story of Buddha in his cycle of incarnations. The natural setting of the caves of Ajanta is incomparable in its beauty.

    It is located 106 km northeast of Aurangabad and strung across in a half-moon along the Waghora river. At the head of this mammoth horseshoe-shaped rock, 30 caves overlook a gorge where a waterfall feeds a natural pool. The caves would have thus remained, hidden in this remote mountain ravine, had it not been for a captain of the British Army.

    In 1819, Captain John Smith, who was on a tiger-hunting expedition, stumbled on a dam and accidentally 'discovered' the particular Ajanta Caves. Ellora is the combination of three religions of Buddhism, Brahmanism, and Jainism with 12 Buddhist caverns, 5 Jain caverns, and 17 Hindu caves. The common belief is that the monks residing in the caves used to make these carvings when they could not go out during the monsoons.

4. Arvalem Caves, Goa

    These ancient caves in Bicholim, North Goa, are also known as the Pandava caves after the characters in the epic Mahabharata. According to legend, the five Pandava brothers lived in the caves while they were in exile from their kingdom. However, several alternative theories about the history of the caves have persisted, some citing Buddhist origins and others Hindu. But the rock-cut caves are beautiful and intriguing, especially given the backdrop of Arvalem waterfalls in the vicinity, which is a short hike away.

5. Bara Imambara, Lucknow

    Located in the City of Nawabs, Bara Imambara is the world's largest structure standing without the support of beams. The Bara Imambara, constructed by Asif Imambara, was a central place of worship for Muslims.