Monuments of India

Udaigiri Caves, Udaigiri

2009-02-11T00:55:00.001-08:00

Varaha incarnation of Vishnu on Cave 5, Udaigiri Caves, India

Hazrat Nizamuddin and the Monuments around it.

2009-02-08T02:44:00.000-08:00

Hazrat Nizamuddin area in New Delhi is a bustling settlement in that is at once a biggish slum and a place of religious fervor. It gives a distinct Muslim feel to it what with hordes of men in scull caps and traditional madrasa clothes scurrying the narrow filthy streets. The road to the Dargah is lined with eateries from where the waiters exhort you to buy a meal for the beggars that throng them. There are shops that sell flowers (purple and white petals) , savouries and incense and an assortment of items that you can offer at the Dargah. Most of them also double up as `shoe- keepers' taking charge of your footwear. (For a small fee f you look indian). You will come across a prominent butcher shop on the way that has huge chunks of buffalo meat hanging from its meat hooks from the roof.

If you go on a thursday evening there is a fascinating qualli singing to the lyrics of Amir Khusro. The complex itself is small with the shrine of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya in marble in the centre. It was believed to be a sign of good luck to be buried close to the saint therefore lot of prominent men of those time including Amir Khusro, Ataga Khan, Ghalib had their tombs close to the Shaikh's dargah.

Shaikh Nizamuddin died in 1325 and the original tomb does not exist. The present structure was built in the reign of Akbar who was a great patron of sufi saints.

A mother with her baby at Nizamuddin complex

Burning incense for the Sufi saint

A man fans devotees at the Dargah

Eateries like these litter the Nizamudding area.

Ataga Khan's Tomb: Ataga Khan was the husband of Ji Ji Anga, Akbar's wet nurse and held an important position in the court of Akbar. He was killed by Adham Khan in 1562 by Adham Khan son of Maham Anga another wet nurse of Akbar. Ataga Khan's death infuriated Akbar so much that he threw Adham Kham to his death from a high balcony.

Jamaat Khana Masjid

The tomb of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya

Tomb of Mirza Ghalib

Chaunsath Khamba: so called because of the 64 pillars that supports the roof. It was built for Mirza Aziz , the son of Ataga Khan.

Sabz Burj: This is in the middle of a busy intersection. The blue tiles are recent example of ASI's `restoration effort'. The British had used it as a police station for many years.

Tomb of Amir Khusro

The dead and the living: Jahanara's tomb- the daughter of Shah Jahan.

Ladies not allowed. These are unfortunate but familiar signs at almost all sufi shrines in India including the one of Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki in Mehrauli.

Meherangarh Fort, Jodhpur

2008-04-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

The closer and closer i got to Meherangarh Fort the bigger and bigger the fort grew. It is the biggest fort i have ever seen. The wall of this fort built on a ridge overlooking Jodhpur city are over 36 meters high. The fort is built around the landscape of the hill and looks majestic and huge from every angel you see it. It dominates the Jodhpur skyline and when you look down from the many windows of the fort you feel dizzy. Thankfully unlike the Jaisalmer Fort , Meherangarh Fort is well protected and kept after. Besides the magnificient palaces, corridors and halls the tourism deparment has littered the fort with folk singers and artisans who sing and play for the tourists and make handicrafts like plastic bangles in front of them.

Meherangarh from my hotel

meherangarh fort from the city

Meherangarh fort from the city lake

Meherangarh fort

Reflection of Meherangarh in Jodhpur lake

Meherangarh fort

Jodhpur city through canons of Meherangarh

Bird on wire and Meherangarh Fort

Rajasthani man and Meherangarh

Meherangarh and blue Jodhpur city

Meherangarh fort and Jodhpur city

Entrance of Meherangarh Fort

Massive height of Meherangarh Fort

Tourists on the bastions of Meherangarh

A window in Meherangarh Fort

Canon on the roof of the fort

Canon on the fort and Jodhpur city

Jodhpur city and Canon on Meherangarh

View through the canon on Meherangarh

The view from the gate

A bangle maker at the fort

Canon at the fort

Old canon and Jodhpur city

A woman looks down at Jodhpur city from the fort

Approach road to the fort.

Spiral stairways in the fort

One of the rooms in the fort

Rajasthani man in the corridor.

Arched windows and Jodhpur city.

The metal bars on the windows of the fort.

Fort entrance

Rao Jodhaji's Falsa at the fort.

Attendant at the fort.

The folk singers at the fort.

This traditional rajasthani man is a live model who sits with a hukka in the fort.

Fort-View from below

Fort from below

The driver waits for his tourists outside

Tourists wait their turn in the lift.

The canon, the fort and the city.

Jaswant Thada, Jodhpur

2008-04-07T22:21:00.000-07:00

After an exhausting walk in the clossal Meherangarh Fort many people just skip visiting this elegant memorial. It is just one kilometer away from Meherangarh Fort. Its was built in 1899 as a memorial for Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. It looks best with its reflection in the small pond closeby.

Mandore Cenotaphs, Jodhpur

2008-04-07T21:52:00.000-07:00

Mandore is 9kms from Jodhpur and is primarily known for its gardens and cenotaphs of Jodhpur rulers. It is also infested with the langur monkeys. A notice board at the entrance clearly forbids one from feeding the monkeys but people come with eatiers and strangely potatoes to feed the monkey gods. The cenotaphs are elaborate and have beautiful sculptures of gods, goddesses, kings and queens on them. The temples are much like the temples of South India in shape and design. Mandore was the capital of Marwar region before Jodhpur city was established.

sculptors on the walls of cenotaphs

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur

2008-04-07T06:16:00.000-07:00

It is touted that the Umaid Bhawan Palace was built as a drought relief measure by Maharaja of Jodhpur Umaid Singh. The idea was to make a luxurious private residence for the Maharaha in order to create employment for the starving people of Jodhpur. I find it ironic. Imagine a man thinking of making a 347 room luxurious villa for himself out of the misery of the people is he supposed to serve. Surprisingly the Maharaja is glorified till this day as a philanthropist for his `noble gesture'.
Umaid Bhawan Palace's construction was begun in 1929 and employed 5000 men for 16 years. Of course these men were paid. But the money Maharajas in India had was not theirs in the first place. It was state money. Money of the people they ruled over. Money the Maharajas generously helped themselves to from time to time to fund their extravagant lifestyles. It did not occur to the Maharaja to put the money to dig wells, to harvest water, or in funding the various traditional skills of his poverty stricken public. But he was a Maharaja and what else could he think about than a palace of luxury. Today Umaid Bhawan Palace is divided between a luxury hotel, a museum and residence of the Maharaja's successors. It still remains the largest private residence in the world.

Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer

2008-04-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

Jaisalmer Fort is the only fort in the world with a living population. 25 percent of Jaisalmers population reside within this fort built in 1156 by the Rajpur ruler Jaisala. The human pressures on fort are evident and the fort has crumbled in small portions before. The drains are clogged, there are hotels and resturants inside the fort, there are temples and priests, not to mention a sizable population of cows and dogs. The fort is on the World Monuments Watch list of 100 endangered sites worldwide. I asked a shopkeeper who had a shop and a house in the fort if he would like to shift elsewhere. He said , ``who would want to leave a place one has lived in all their lives''. Efforts to rehablitate the residents is obviously up against a dead wall. As is evident in the pictures below the Fort now resembles any other congested by lane of any crowded city.

Havelis, Jaisalmer

2008-04-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

Jaisalmer is know for its Havelis. They have intricate carving and facades. As you walk down the lanes and bylanes of Jaisalmer you will come across scores of these old Havelis. Some of the famous ones are open to tourists for a fee charged by present day owners of the Havelis.

Mandir Palace and Tazia Tower- Mandir Palace is part hotel, part private residence and part museum. The present Maharaja resides here in Badal Vilas. Its from here that the pagoda shaped Tazia tower arises. The present maharaja is fond of horses and alsation dogs. You see both of them when you enter the Mandir Palace. You also see elegantly carved windows, doorways and rooms.

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Patwon Ki Haveli- It is the most incricatly carved haveli. It is five storied. It has a museum depicting the life of the rich in the olden days. The haveli also has handicraft shops on the ground floor.

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Nathmalji Ki Haveli- It was built jointly by two feuding brothers-Lallu and Hathu for the Prime Minister of the State. It is a unique haveli as both the brothers worked separately on the haveli, one on the right side and the other on the left. Both the sides differ in their design and carvings but the Haveli is a harmonious whole.

Salim Singh Ki Haveli- It is said to be built over 200 years ago by Salim Singh a PM of Maharaja Gaj Singh.

Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur

2008-04-07T03:36:00.000-07:00

Nahargarh is the fort that you see from Jaipur city. It is smaller of the two forts and was built in 1734. Nahargarh mean the abode of the tigers and it was built to bloster the defence of Amber. You get a good view of Jaipur from the roof of Nahargarh.

Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur

2008-04-07T02:17:00.000-07:00

Jaigarh Fort like most Rajpst forts is perched on a hill surrounding the city. It is also of the same dull yellow and brown colour of the landscape. Therefore its difficult to gauge its size from a distance. The fort is big and was never captured by anyone. It has a huge canon `Jaya Yana'. It is the largest wheeled canon in the world. Unfortunately however one can barely get a glimpse of it as its perched so high. What you do get a good view of is the Amber Fort that is hardly one kilometer down the same hill.

Amber Fort, Amber

2008-04-07T01:50:00.000-07:00

Amber fort is 11kms from Jaipur. You can get a good overview of the Amber Fort from Jaigarh fort. There is a water body in the entrance during the monsoons and is dry all through the year. Amber was the capital of Jaipur state in olden days.

Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

2008-04-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

Afteir visiting Jantar Mantar at New Delhi. It was refreshing to visit Jantar Mantar at Jaipur. It is more well looked after and not hemmed in with buildings like its Delhi counterpart. However my only concern is why do they have a sarkari timing for all the monuments in Rajasthan. The monument `shuts down' to visitors at dot 5pm. Thats just when the sun is going down and one can get amazing photographs of the astromnomical buildings built by Jai Singh. In Delhi the Jantar Mantar opens are 7am. There are morning walkers and joggers who come here with a special pass. Besides them a dog or two also sneak in and chase each other around the various `yantras'.

City Palace, Jaipur

2008-04-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

This is where the Maharajas of Jaipur resided. It is lavish and it is extravagant. One of the things that leaves everyone astounded are the two huge silver water jugs- the largest single silver objects in the world. One can gauge the level of extravagance and indulgence of the maharajas by the fact that when Madho Singh II went to Britain to attend the coronation of Edward VII in 1902 he carried water from the Ganga in them for daily prayers and purification. Today they are on display. I was surprised to see a sapara- snake charmer-inside the city complex who shows a cobra dance for money. I wonder if the Rajasthan Government is even aware that catching of snakes and making profit out of them is illegal. There is also a face-reader and palmist in the complex. The government seems to be working overtime to keep up the image of India as a land of snake charmers, charlatons and magic.

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

2008-04-06T23:26:00.000-07:00

Hawa Mahal i was fascinated to observe on my recent visit does send up a draft of wind against your face from every corner of the building you are in. I wonder if the building is designed that way or it just happened to be a windy day when i visited the monument. I was also lucky to get a elephant walking in the foreground of Hawa Mahal in my pictures. Hawa Mahal was made in 1799 by Maharaja Sawaj Pratap Singh. It is basically an elaborate concrete purdha behind which the ladies of the royal household sat and watched the city below without being seen.

Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi

2008-04-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Every Sikh in Delhi must have visited the magnificent Gurudwara Bangala Sahib at least once. It is spacious like all Gurudwaras and gives a sence of peace. It was originally a bungalow owned by Raja Jai Singh Amber (Jaipur) who commanded great respect in the court of Emperor Aurangzeb . The eighth Guru Sri Harkishan had stayed here for a few months as guest of Raja Jai Singh. Since then it has become a place of pilgrimage for both, Hindus and Sikhs. The pool adjacent to the Gurudwara is like all pools in Gurudwaras said to be sacred. In those days Guru Harikrishan had cured people of small pox and other diseases. People till today wash themselves in the pool in hope of getting rid of any possible diseases.

Bhimakali Temple, Sarahan, Himachal

2008-04-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

This beautiful temple complex is barely 150 kms from my orchards but strangely i never visited it until December 2007. It is the finest example of Himachali architecture. Logs of cider are interlocked with huge slabs of stones. However it has a lot of Tibetian influence as well especially in its distinct pagoda roofs. The origianal temple which was said to be over 800 years old slanted so much that before it could collapse a new one in its shape and design was erected recently. One can see the Shrikhand Peak from Sahahan town and along with the Bhimakali temple lends the village a magical aura. There is a gory tradition of animal sacrifices at the temple during Dusshera. It is said in olden times human sacrifices were made.

The wooden architecture at Bhimakali Temple

Golden Temple, Amritsar

2008-04-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

The first time i visited Amritsar was when i was sent to Nawab Sharief's village which is close to Amritsar city. Sharief had been arrested after a coup by General Musharraf and i was sent to his village of birth to get the reactions of the villagers who knew him and his family before the Partition. The Golden Temple or Harminder Sahib as the Akal Takth now insist we all should call it,was just a side show. But i was impressed. It was peaceful and gave even a non-believer like me a a sense of something divine. There is no one to heckle you here unlike in mosques and temples. The Lonely Planet mentions in its first sentence about the temple that here`no one asks for any money'. The hymes from the Guru Granth Sahib are sung soulefully on loudspeaker throughout the day. My only wish is that they would maybe reduce the volume a bit. The construction of the temple was begun by fifth Guru Arjan Dev in the 16th century. It houses the original Guru Granth Sahib. The scars of the 1984 `Operation Bluestar' still remain. A small boy , the son of one of the hymn singers told me how he and his family rever Bhindranwala as a `saint'.

On my third visit (apr-09). I focused on the kitchen of the Golden temple. I found the idea of community kitchen fascinating. Pilgrims volunteer to participate in making food, wash utensils, sweep to gain karma and goodwill. This happens 24 hours a day. You can pick up the steel plate at the entrance and sit in the huge halls and wait for men who come with buckets and pour copious amounts of food in your plate.

What goes in

Rolling rotis-men and women together

Stirring the fire and the pot

Tea after dishwashing

The team of Roti makers

The unique roti-making machine

Climbing to the second floor dinning area

Volunteers at the roti-making machine

Three dough kneaders

Having tea

Langar time

Heavy pot stirring- kitchen

Washing dishes

A face scrub at the temple taps

Old and the young worship

The young devout

The jathedars

Earnest prayer

Holy vigil

A father and his sons bow

Young men at the temple

The temple

The holy dip

Golden temple and the Gold fish

Red Fort, Delhi

2008-04-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

Red fort at Old Delhi is perhaps the most famous fort in New Delhi. Not particularly for anything but for the fact that the PM unfurls the tri-colour from its ramparts on Independence Day. I cross the red fort once every fortnight or so driving down Raj Ghat from where you can get a glimpse of the Diwan-i-Khas, Shish Mahal, and Rang Mahal. There is a lot of security around the fort after a attact on it few years ago. It is another series of fascinating buildings made by Shah Jahan. The Red Fort was part of his city `Shahjahanabad'.

Khas Mahal at Red Fort

Rang Mahal or the pleasure palace

Entry through the Lahore Gate

The Red Fort ramparts where the PM unfurls the Flag on August 15

Interiors at Rang Mahal, Red Fort

Inner Palaces , Red Fort

Rang Mahal, Interiors

Diwan-i-khas, Khas Mahal, Rang Mahal at Red Fort

Diwan-i-Khas at Red Fort, Delhi

Meena Bazaar at Red Fort, Delhi

Naubat Khana windows, Red Fort

Interiors at Khas Mahal, Red Fort

Elaborate Marble Screen at Red Fort, Delhi

View from Khas Mahal Window

Red Fort, Delhi

The moat around Red Fort, Delhi

The moat around Red Fort, Delhi

Red Fort ramparts and Indian truck

A man yawns at the Diwan-i-am

India Gate, New Delhi

2008-04-06T07:21:00.000-07:00

India Gate lawns are the famous picnic spot in New Delhi. The site is accords the most wide open space in New Delhi. The India Gate is a colonial monument built by Edward Lutyens to commemorate the Indian soilders killed in the First World War and the Afgan Wars. Their names are inscribed on the walls. The foundations stone was laid down in 1921. Since 1971 Amar Jawan Jyoti has been burning at the monument to pay homade to the unknown soilder.

Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi

2008-04-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Apart from the beauty of the monument itself i have been fascinated by the huge swathes of gardens around Humanyun's Tomb. Driving in from congested Nizammudin colony its indeed a feeling of freedom to come upon the elaborate and famous Mughal Charbag style gardens with water channels and fountains laid out in four equal quartets. Humayun's Tomb is now a World Heritage Site so its well looked after. It was built by Humayun's wife Bega Begum after his death. I think she must be the greatest female architect in the history of India. It is the first Mughal monument to encorporate the double dome. Strangely one gets to hear so little about Bega Begum. The Taj Mahal itself was modelled on her artitectural wonder. What is intersting is that both these monuments were built for love. In the case of Taj Mahal it was the grieveing husband who made a tomb for his dead wife while in the case of Humayun's Tomb it was visa versa. However some historians believe that it was Emperor Akbar who supervised the construction of the Humayun's tomb.

Isa khan Mosque

Isa Khan Tomb-

Isa khan is thought to be a general of Islam Shah the son of Sher Shah Suri

The ruined gateway of Isa Khan tomb

Quranic inscription on Isa Khan Mosque

Threshold at Humayuns Tomb

Graves at Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb

Arch at Humayun's Tomb, Delhi

Palm trees at each corner of Humayun's Tomb

Afsarwala tomb- The tomb is in honour of an afsar thought he identify of the afsar or officer is not known.

Water works from the local hammam at Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb reflected in the water of the fountains.

Humayun's Tomb

Ceiling of the entrance porch of Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb

Barber's Tomb: It is locally called so and know one knows who is buried in the tomb inside. Because of the name historians say it was built in honor Humayun's favourite nai (Barber)

Humayun's Tomb stone

A perforated window at Humayun's Tomb

Humayun's Tomb

A balcony at Humayun's Tomb

Fatehpur Sikri and its monuments

2008-04-06T06:41:00.000-07:00

The moment i drove into Fatehpur Sikri from Bharatpur my car was beseiged by touts. They were so agressive that i thought they would smash the glass if i dint stop and listen to them. They were not only misleading me but were outright bullying. It is a shame that authorities do nothing about this and your visit to this great monument can become a hassel. This was in 2007. I visited Fatehpur Sikri again in May 2008 on an official assignment and nothing had changed.

My assignment was not only to shoot the main monuments at Fatehpur Sikri but also the lesser ones like the `samosa mahal' that no local guide had a clue about. Then i was referred to one Mr Bobby -who i must say is the only authentic guide in Fatehpur Sikri. He pointed out all the small monuments that i need to photograph. If you are going to Sikri and want a good guide i recommend Mr Bobby. Mail or call me and i will give you his numbers.

Akbar built Fatehpur Sikri after Sufi saint Shaike Salim who lived here prophesied Akbar would have a son. Akbar lived in this fort for 15 long years before moving to Lahore. You must visit the Diwan-i-am where Akbar sat with his 9 gems. A unique central pillar in the hall is an architectural gem of the period.

Naubat Khana or welcome gate at Fatehpur Sikri

Koranic verses on Buland Darwaza

Shaft of Hiran Minar had real elephant tusks once

Hiran Minar, Sikri

Tansen's Baradari- The living quarters of court mucisian Tansen

Hathi Pol- or the Gateway for elephants

Horse shoe embedded on the door of Buland Darwaza, Sikri

Salim Chishti's tomb, Sikri

Anoop Talap - where Tansen sat and played, Fatehpur Sikri

The pillar at Diwan-i-am, Fatehpur Sikri

The elaborate pillar at Diwan-i-am , Sikri

Hiran Minar at Sikri, India

Jami Masjid seen through Badshahi Darwaza, Sikri

The Shrine of Sheik Salim Chishti, Sikri

The corridors of the Buland Darwaza, Sikri

Bukand Darwaza, Sikri

A maulvi reads from the Koran at Jami Masjid, Sikri

Jami Masjid at Sikri

The Ramparts of Fatehpur Sikri

Badshahi Darwaza at Sikri

Girls in the dust storm near Buland Darwaza

Red Fort, Agra

2008-04-06T06:25:00.000-07:00

The Taj Mahal dominates Agra so much that you may be forgive to skip visiting the magnificient Red Fort at Agra. Its construction was begun by Akbar in 1565 when he was only 23. This is the biggest Mughal Fort in India. It was from here that the deposed and ailing Shah Jahan watched Taj Mahal down the Yamuna river. When i arrived at the Red Fort, Agra, I was jaded after two days of shooting the Taj Mahal. It is a big fort and it needs just more than a cursory walk in it.

Hauz Khas, New Delhi

2008-04-06T02:50:00.000-07:00

Hauz Khaz is a favourite picnic spot for the Delhites. People stray here from the adjacent Hauz Khas village before and after shopping. Or the residents of the area living in conjested illegal constuctions find this a perfect place to stretch their limbs, play cards, sleep, or play badminton. Delhi has always had water problems. Hauz Khas was a water reservoir dug out by Ala-ud-Din Khilji for the city of Siri he was making closeby. The reservoir was later restored by Feroz Shah Tuglaq who also built the L-shaped structure that housed madrasas or schools of religious learning. A tomb of Tuglaq lies in the complex . One can see sloping walls of the tomb- a distinct Tuglaq architectural feature. The water in the reservoir has receded a lot since the time of Khilji and is often a breeding site for the Dengue mosquitoes. When the water level is good the migratory birds make a stopover here in winters. A nice walkway is a recent addition and is frequented by morning walkers and the fitness conscious.

Feroz Shah Tuglaq's Tomb at Hauz Khas

The Hauz Khas reservoir now

A man meditates at sunrise at Hauz Khas

Birds flock to the reservoir in winters

A pavilion at Hauz Khas

A madrasa hallway

The madrasas around the reservoir

Stone stairs leading to the reservoir

The ruins at Hauz Khas

Tughluqabad Fort, New Delhi

2008-04-06T02:36:00.000-07:00

I have been to Tughluqbad several times but have found very few visitors here. I guess the tourism department dosent think much of this fort built by Ghiyasud -Din between 1321-5. You dont even see any foreign tourists. Maybe its not listed on the Lonely Planet either. The entry ticket here is mere 5 rupees but people cross its boundry walls to loiter and date in the ruins here.

Qutub Minar, New Delhi

2008-04-06T02:18:00.000-07:00

I have been visiting Qutab Minar off and on over the years. This stone minar stands at 72.meters. It is only the third highest structre in New Delhi but it has always fasinated me. I have photographed it over the years.

The minar

The Alai Minar

Shadows on the walls of the Alai-i-Darwaza at Qutab Minar

Lesser known Monuments and Relics in the Walled City

2008-03-17T07:05:00.000-07:00

When we think of Old Delhi monuments. We think of the Red Fort and Jama Masjid. However there are so many monuments in this densely packed area originalled called Shahjanabad. It was later called the `Walled City' because Shah Jahan had built a wall and 14 gates around it. Some of the monuments in the Walled City have survived the rages of time, encoachment and general neglect. Some of them resonate with their past prestige but most of them are sad ruins fallen to neglect and apathy.

Anglo Arabic School, Ajmeri Gate - also called Ghaziuddin Madrasa was established by Ghaziuddin a genera of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1702. IT was declared a heritage monument by the ASI in 2002. Anglo Arabic School had many names-Anglo Arabic College, Delhi College and Zakir Hussain College. Zakir Hussain college was shifted from here but a wing in the building still houses a boy's hostel for Zakir Hussain. Until 1827 this building functioned as a madrasa.

Entrance of Anglo Arabic School

One of the three arches at the entrance.

The building from Ajmeri Gate

Boys hostel of Zakir Hussain College-inside Anglo Arabic School

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Nawab Ghaziuddin Khan Masjid is a three domed structrue built with red kota stone. There was once a well and a tank connected to the mosque for wuzu (ablutions). There is also a mazaar (shrine) of a saint in the northern side of the mosque. The school suffered during the Sepoy Mutiny when the science laboratories and the library were burnt and along with that umpteen priceless manuscripts turned to ashes.

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Masjid Mubarak Begum- is a mosque made by an englishman for his mistress -Mubarak Begum. It is also crudely called `randi ki masjid'. I was made in 1800. It stands at Lal Kuan, at Hauz Kazi chowk among a tangle of electric cables and hoardings. It is now under the Waqf board. This mosque gotestablished on the upper floor at a latter date.

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Mirja Ghalib's Haveli- I have visited this haveli several times over the past one decade. Until a few years ago it was a place for storage of coals. After a lot of pressure from the literay world and the media it has been somewhat restored. Ghalib spent most of his life in this haveli writing some of his famous poems here. The havali is located in Gali Qasam Jaan in Ballimaran.

Ballimaran had many such historic havelis but they were neglected and finally encroached. It is said that Ballimaran had a canal running through its main street during the time of Shah Jehan. It was so deep that ballis (wooden poles) were used to measure its depth. That’s why the area was named Ballimaran. Another story is that a lot of billis (cats) where killed here.

Urdu couplets of Ghalib on the walls

Men having lunch at the Haveli

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Ajmeri Gate-is one of the 14 entrances to the walled city of Shahajahanabad. The city Shah Jahan built. It is so called because it faces Ajmer. During the 1857 mutiny a fierce battle was fought at this site. It is simple in design and made of locally available stone.

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Jantar Mantar, Astronomical Observatory,New Delhi

2008-03-16T20:47:00.000-07:00

Jantar Mantar in New Delhi was built in 1724 by Raja Jai Singh II of Jaipur. It is an astronomical observatory with masonry instruments. It has has instruments that can calculate the movement of sun , the moon and the stars. Jantar Mantar Delhi has the Samrat Yantra, Jai Prakash, Ram Yantra, Niyati Chakra, Misra Yantra. The other observatories built by Raja Jai Singh are in Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura.

Safdarjung's Tomb

2008-03-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

I have visited Safdarjung's tomb a couple of times. But i never got a photograph of of the monument reflecting in the waters of the fountains. All year around there is no water in the four channels built around Safdarjung. The water fills in them briefly when it rains but its quickly pumped out by the gardners. They do this so that stagnant water in the channels dont breed dengue and malaria mosquitoes. So one day just after it had rained I rushed to Safdarjung's Tomb and captured these rare pictures of the monument reflecting in the fountain waters.

Safdarjung's tomb was built by Nawab Shuja-ud-Daulah, the son of Safdarjung. Safdarjung was the governor of Awadh who later became the Prime Minister of Muhammad Shah, the Mughal emperor. Built in 1753-1754, the Safdarjung tomb lies at the Lodi road, New Delhi. The garden of Safdarjung's tomb is laid down on the pattern of the Mughal Charbagh style. The Safdarjung tomb was erected roughly on the pattern of Humayun's tomb. Safdarjung's tomb represents the last phase of the Mughal style of architecture. There are two graves here, one of Safdarjung and the other apparently his wife's. The square central chamber of the mausoleum is surrounded by eight rooms all around. All the apartments, except the corner ones are rectangular in shape, the corner ones being octagonal. The dome of the tomb rises from a sixteen-sided base. On either side of the Safdarjung tomb are beautiful pavilions, known as "Moti Mahal" or the pearl palace, "Jangli Mahal" or the sylvan palace and "Badshah Pasand' or the Emperor's favourite.

The Taj Mahal

2008-03-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

The first time i visited Taj Mahal was in 1997. I was a fledgling journalist and was lucky to be sent to cover the Yanni concert at Agra. The concert was on the banks of the Yamuna with the Taj Mahal as the backdrop. It was a major musical event of the year especially since it raked up a lot of controversy. This was the first time something of such a large scale was being done near the Taj Mahal. I was not impressed at all when i went to see Taj Mahal on the morning of the concert. It did not live upto my expectations of it. But i realise the more i visit the monument the more i begin to appreciate its beauty, its scale, its architecture and its metaphotic importance. In the october of 2006 i was in Agra and on my 4th visit to the Taj Mahal. And this time more spellbound by it than ever. I shot the monument for two consequent days. I went across the Yamuna and shot it from the banks of Yamuna where i sat one evening over 9 years ago among the glitterati listining to the strains of Yanni's music with Taj Mahal standing out as a silhouette against the sky.

Forgotten Monuments of Mehrauli

2008-03-14T07:51:00.000-07:00

Its sad that very few know of Delhi's monuments and history that exists in Mehrauli. The whole areas has been taken up on one side by the glitterati-consisting of fashion designers and socialites and on the other by encroaches. Both of them have annexed huge portions of monuments and history to erect shapeless buildings.

Tomb of Adham Khan-The Great General of Akbar. Built by Akbar after Akbar killed him by pushing him from the palace balcony. Adham Khan was accused of a palace murder. Adham Khan was Akbar's wet nurse's son and a man he loved deeply. Adham's death greatly pained Akbar. He had his tomb built here in Mehrauli area for his rememberance

Adham Khan's Tomb in Mehrauli

A goat loiters at Adham Khan's Tomb

Shaft of light inside Adham Khan's Window

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Zafar Mahal was built by Bahadur Shah Zafar -II as his monsoon retreat in 1842. After the First Indian Mutiny Bahadur Shah powers of influence were limited to the Red Fort and its surrounding areas. He came to Zafar Mahal in the monsoons. Poets like Ghalib and many other men of letters and influence would come here to pay him a visit. Today Zafar mahal is a ruin. Its neglected. A place for the locals to play cards. For couples to fornicate. The drunk to lie aimlessly. And for those in the hurry to take a quick leak.

The ruins of Zafar Mahal- Mehrauli

Modern Mehrauli from Zafar Mahal

Inside Zafar Mahal

A woman cooks in a house next of Zafar Mahal

The entrance to the Zafar Mahal

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Moti Masjid-or the Pearl Mosque -was built by emperor Shah Alam in 1709. It is a three domed white marble mosque. The mosque is next to dargah of the Sufi saint Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki. Next to the mosque is a set of graves screened off by a carved filigree of white marble. The graves are of Bahadurshah Zafar's relatives. There is also an empty grave - a vacant rectangular patch of earth. Bahadurshah had wished to be buried here, but after the Revolt of 1857, he was exiled to Burma and died in Rangoon, where he now lies buried.

Dome of Moti Masjid-Mehrauli

The three domed Moti Masjid-Mehrauli

Dargah of the Sufi saint Qutubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki

A tourist takes a snap of Moti Masjid