Historical Places in India

Historical Places in India

1. Fatehpur Sikri, Agra

     Located at a distance of 40 km to the west of Agra, the erstwhile capital of Jalaluddin Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri stands as a vivid memory of the Mughal era. Being the highest gateway in the world, Buland Darwaza marks one of the most distinct surviving glories of the Mughal Sultanate as the entrance to the magnificent palace.
 
     The fortified old city was also home to the famous Sufi saint, Salim Chisti, who prophesied the birth of a male heir to the kingdom.
 
2. Gateway of India, Mumbai

     The Gateway of India is an arch monument built during the 20th century in Bombay. The monument was built to commemorate the landing of King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder on their visit to India in 1911.
 
     Built-in Indo-Saracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The structure is an arch made of basalt, 26 meters (85 feet) high. The final design of George Wittet was authorized in 1914 and the construction of the monument was finished in 1924. The Gateway was later adopted as a symbolic ceremonial entrance to India for the Viceroys and the new Governors of Bombay. It served to allow entry and access to India.
 
     The Gateway of India is located on the waterfront at Apollo Bunder area at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg in South Mumbai and overlooks the Arabian Sea. The monument has also been referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai and is the city's top tourist attraction.
 
3. Golden Temple, Amritsar

     Sri Harmandir Sahib is one of the major spiritual places in India. While it has been around for a long while, it was reconstructed with pure gold and marble in 1830 by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Located in the heart of Amritsar, it is visited by more than a hundred thousand pilgrims every day.
 
4. Gol Gumbaz, Karnataka

     Created in 1656, Gol Gumbaz is the mausoleum of the seventh ruler of the Adil Shah Dynasty, Mohammed Adil Shah.
 
      Gol Gumbaz means "circular dome" and is maintained by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India). It took 30 years to be built. It was designed by Yaqut of Dabul and also houses the wives and daughters of the Sultan of Bijapur.
 
5. Haldi Ghati, Rajasthan

     The place is famous for the battle between Maharana Pratap and Akbar's army and is the stuff of legends. Memorials commemorating the Rana were commissioned by the Government sometime back in the late 1990s.