Buildings & Monuments of India
India Gate ( New Delhi ) India
Situated on the Rajpath in New Delhi, India Gate (originally called the All India War Memorial) is a monument built by Edwin Lutyens to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died in the World War I and the Afghan Wars. The foundation stone was laid on 10 February 1921 by the Duke of Connaught. The names of the soldiers who died in these wars are inscribed on the walls. It was completed in 1931. Burning under it since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (The flame of the immortal warrior), which marks the Unknown Soldier's Tomb. The 42 metre tall India Gate is situated such that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous till the roads were closed to the public due to terrorist threats. The lawns around Rajpath are thronged by people during the night, when the India Gate is lit up.
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Humayun Tomb .Hamida Banu Begum , his grieving Widow built the Humayun’s Mausoleum . Precursor to the Taj Mahal , it stands on a Platform of 12000m˛ and reaches a Height of 47m. The earliest example of Persian Influence on Indian Architecture.
HUMAYUN TOMB ( 1565 -1572 AD)Hamida Banu Begum , his grieving Widow built the Humayun’s Mausoleum . Precursor to the Taj Mahal , it stands on a Platform of 12000m² and reaches a Height of 47m. The earliest example of Persian Influence on Indian Architecture. The Tomb has within it a 100 graves , earning it the Name ,“Dormitory of the Mughals”. Built of rubble masonary , the structure is the first to use Red Sandstones and white marbles in such great quantities . The small canopies on the Terrace were covered with Glazed Blue Tiles , and the Brass Finial over the White marble Dome is itself 6 M High.
Birla Mandir ( New Delhi ) India
The Laxminarayan Temple, (also called the Birla Mandir), in Delhi, India, is a temple built in honour of the Hindu goddess of wealth, Laxmi, and of her consort, Lord Vishnu – the Preserver of the Hindu Trinity. It is a temple with many shrines, fountains, and a large garden . The temple attracts thousands of devotees on the day of Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna.The temple was built in 1622 by Vir Singh Deo, and renovated by Prithvi Singh in 1793. Since 1938, funds for further renovations and support have come from the Birla family.The main temple houses statues of Bhagwan Vishnu and [[Devi Lakshmi. The left side temple shikhar (dome) houses Devi Durga, the Hindu Godess of Shakti, the power. The right side dome of the temple houses Bhagwan Shiv in meditation mode. The right side of the front gate houses Bhagwan Ganesh the elephant headed God of wisdom,etc. The left side of the fron gate houses Bhagwan Hanuman, the famous monkey bodied follower, bhakta of Lord Rama.
Birla Mandir ( New Delhi ) India
The famous Birla temple patronized by Mahatma Gandhi, who inaugurated this temple in 1938 after Raja Baldev Birla constructed it, is dedicated to Goddess Lakshmi. It is close to Connaught Place and is frequented by many devotees regularly. The temple was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi on the condition that people of all strata of society be allowed to offer prayers there on account of the large scale prevalence of untouchability at that time. One of the most important festivals of the Hindus Janamashtami coinciding with the birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated with great fervour in the temple with more than Lakh visitors. All Hindu festivals are celebrated with great fervor. But the celebrations of Krishna Janmashtami and Deepawali attract a huge crowd to the temple.
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The highest tower in the temple reaches a height of 165 feet and the ancillary towers reach 116 feet. The Geeta Bhavan, a hall is adorned with beautiful paintings depicting scenes from Indian mythology .Durga and Shiva are the other major deities housed in this temple. There is also a temple dedicated to Buddha in this complex with fresco paintings describing his life and work. The entire complex, the walls and the upper gallery are full of paintings carried out by artists from Jaipur in Rajasthan. The temple is built in the Nagara style of architecture interspersed with modern influences. The entire temple is adorned with relief carvings depicting the scenes from mythology. 101 skilled pundits from Benares, headed by Acharya Vishvanath Shastri, carved the idols of the temple. One can find a number of friezes and artistic sculptures add to the aesthetic beauty of this temple. The highest Shikara of the temple above the sanctum sanctorum soars 160 feet high. The temple faces the east and is situated on a high plinth. It leades to a platform from where a few more steps lead to sanctum sanctorum. This chamber is dedicated to Lord Narayan and Goddess Lakshmi. There are other small shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Ganesha and Hanuman. The holy Vedas are also enshrined in this temple. There is also a shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha. The shrine is adorned with fresco paintings depicting his life and work. The icons of the temple are in marble brought from Jaipur. Kota stone from Makarana, Agra, Kota and Jaisalmer were used in the construction of the temple premises.The Geeta Bhawan to the north of the temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. The temples premises are dotted with miniature rock temples, which are a craze amongst the children. An artificial landscape complete with mountains and cascading waterfalls add to the beauty of the temple.Accommodation is available in the temple guesthouse for out of town travellers especially for international scholars pursuing knowledge in Sanskrit or in the Hindu religion.
Chattarpur Temples ( New Delhi ) India .
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The temple architecture is designed clearly in South Indian style. This is the style that developed in the Dravida Desam. The Vimana and the Gopurams are the distinctive characteristics of the Southern style. The Vimana is a tall pyramidal tower consisting of several progressively smaller storeys. This stands on a square base.
The Gopuram has two storeys separated by a horizontal moulding. The Prakara or the outer wall, envelops the main shrine as well as the other smaller shrines, the tank.The Pallavas, the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar rulers, the Nayaks all contributed to the Southern style of temples.
Extended over a wide area in serene ambience, the temple presents a classic example of modern temple architecture that embodies extensive use of marbles.
Chattarpur Temples ( New Delhi ) India .The temple architecture is designed clearly in South Indian style. This is the style that developed in the Dravida Desam. The Vimana and the Gopurams are the distinctive characteristics of the Southern style.
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Situated in the capital of India, the Chattarpur Mandir is a fine example which presents Delhi a place that has some spectacular Hindu Temples to it's credit. 4-km away from Qutb Minar, stands the flamboyant and rich temples of Chattarpur. Made of shining white marble, these temples are very popular with the city's Hindus and the queues during Durga Puja have to be seen to be believed. The main temple dedicated to goddess Durga is built in South Indian style. The temple complex is spread over a large area with beautiful lawns and gardens. Though devotees visit these temples throughout the year, the main attraction comes during the Navarathri festival, when devotees come from far and near. During this time, there are special bus services provided to the devotees.