IMPORTANTMONUMENT,INDIA

ChhatrapatiShivajiTerminus,Mumbai

The Peruvudaiyar Kovil is an important example of Tamil architecture and one of the largest temples in India. Brihadeshwara Temple is the most visited tourist attraction in Thanjavur and part of the World Heritage Site known as the Great Living Chola Temples.

The Agra Fort located near to its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Grand palaces and grander forts of Agra also known as Lal Qila is one of the finest Mughal forts in India.

The Amer Fort is the principal tourist attractions in the Jaipur area and known for its artistic Hindu style elements. This palace is World Heritage Site and five forts are part of the group Hill Forts of Rajasthan.

Humayun’s tomb was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and one of the best mughal garden in India. There are several monuments in the Humayun’s Tomb complex such as Tomb,Garden and mosque.

The Palace of Winds is one of the prominent tourist attractions in Jaipur city. This beautiful five-storey palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and now adopted by the historical monuments of Jaipur and the Unit Trust of India.

Meenakshi Amman Temple is a significant symbol for the Tamil people and is the most prominent landmark and most visited tourist attraction in the city. The Meenakshi temple is one of the largest temple complexes in Tamil Nadu.

Mehrangarh Fort is one of the largest forts in India,located in Jodhpur city of Rajasthan. The museum in the Mehrangarh fort is one of the most well-stocked museums in Rajasthan along with its seven tall gates.

The Palace of Mysore or Amba Vilas Palace is a popular and historical palace in the city of Mysore, Mysore is commonly described as the City of Palaces. Mysore Palace is now one of the most popular tourist attractions in Mysore and famous landmark in India.

Khajuraho Group of Monuments is the most popular tourist attraction and archaeological site, known for its sculptured temples dedicated to Shiva in Madhya Pradesh. The Khajuraho group of temples has Kandariya Shree Mahadeva temple,one of the 20 temples at Khajuraho with the tallest Vimana.

Lake Palace is located on the island of Jag Niwas in Lake Pichola, Udaipur and voted as the most romantic hotel in India and in the world. The palace was a royal summer palace with pillared terraces, fountains and gardens.

Jama Masjid of Delhi is the largest mosque in India and one of 10 most popular jama masjid in India. The mosque has three great gates constructed of strips of red sandstone and white marble and one of the most famous Landmarks of Delhi.

The Victoria Memorial is dedicated to the memory of Queen Victoria, now a museum, a tourist destination and one of the top 15 must see tourist attractions of Kolkata city. Victoria Memorial Hall is a large marble building with gardens,royal gallery and dome

The Group of Monuments at Hampi situated on the southern bank of the river Tungabhadra is one of the greatest empires of medieval India called the Vijayanagar Empire. Hampi is the second largest city in the world with several other monuments.

Akshardham Swaminarayan temple complex in Delhi is one of the largest temple complex in India, located near the banks of the Yamuna. The complex also host large landscaped gardens,a musical fountain and a Yogi Hraday Kamal.

This 16th century monument in Hyderabad has been the clear winner of being one of the most famous landmarks in India. Standing tall in the Old Hyderabad, Charminar looks absolutely stunning when lit in the evening. There are winding 149 steps that lead to the top of building from where the view is spectacular. Charminar is indeed a gift to the City of Nizams by Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah.

One of the most prominent buildings of Udaipur, City Palace is the reflection of excellent Rajput architecture. Completed over a period of 400 years, this palace sits on the bank of Lake Pichola overlooking the vista of the city. The palace is a complex that 11 other palaces built inside it. It is the perfect place to appreciate Rajput’s taste of architecture. From intricate designs to the choice of mirror and marble-work, each has a distinct taste which definitely sets this place class apart.

Most famous for its erotic sculptures, the Khajuraho Group of Monuments is one of the most visited destinations in India. Built by the Chandela rulers in 10th and 11th century AD, these groups of temples are truly a site to cherish. These widely acclaimed temples demonstrate a wide range of sculptures including the erotic ones. Belonging to both Hindu and Jain religion, the temples are the fine example of architectural excellence in the country.

One of the most attention grabbing places in India would be Ajanta and Ellora Caves. Dating back to 2nd century BC, these caves are the reflection of the lifestyle of early man in the country. These rock-cut caves boast rich sculptures and wall paintings. Ajanta Caves can mostly be referred as the Buddhist caves whereas Ellora Caves can be called Hindu, Jain and Buddhist caves. Ajanta & Ellora Caves are amongst one of the most well-preserved monuments in India.

Holding the mortal remains of St Francis Xavier, Basilica of Bom Jesus is the most famous structure in Goa. This 17th century Church is the reminiscence of Portuguese era in the country and boasts fine Baroque architecture. This is said to be one of the oldest churches in Goa and the most popular one too. The Church sees a large number of visitors swarming up when the body of St. Francis Xavier is kept for public viewing once in 10 years.

Built by fourth Nawab of Awadh known as Asaf-ud-Daula, Bara Imambara was built as a part of a relief project for a major famine that took place in the year 1784. The Bara Imambara of Lucknow is one of the most famous monuments of this place and is also called Asfi Imambara after the name of the Nawab of Lucknow. It is an important place of worship for the Muslims who come here every year to celebrate the religious festival of Muharram

Dilwara Jain Temples is undoubtedly one of the finest Jain temples in India. It is known world over for its excellent architecture and marvelous marble stone carvings, some experts also consider it architecturally superior to the Taj Mahal. Altough it may seem basic from outside but the temple interior showcases the extraordinary human craftsmanship. These temples were built between 11th to 13th centuries AD amidst the beautiful lush green hills.

Sanchi has a distinction of having an incredible specimen of Buddhist art and

architecture. Dating back to the early Mauryan period (third century BC to twelfth

century AD), Sanchi is famous in the world for stupas, monolithic Ashokan pillar,

temples, monasteries and sculptures. It was Emperor Asoka who laid the foundations of a

religious centre at Sanchi fascinated by the location of the hill and because of his Queen

Devi was the daughter of a merchant of Vidisha. He erected the Great Stupa (Stupa 1) and

kept the mortal remains of Buddha. Thereafter the period of redistribution of Buddha’s

mortal remains in different Stupas came into practice.

This massive fort is enlisted among the UNESCO World Heritage Sites and ranks among the top places visited in India. Situated at a short distance from the city of Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh, Fatehpur Sikri is an excellent specimen of the Mughal dynasty. Offering a feel of the rich historical culture of medieval Mughal India, this fort was once

the capital of the Mughal Empire built by Emperor Akbar from the period of 1571 to 1585. The capital was later shifted to the city of Agra. There are several majestic buildings built by Akbar in Fatehpur Sikri.

Golconda fort is one of the biggest fortresses in India. Built on a 400 ft. high hill, the fort has three lines of massive fortification walls one within the other and rising to a height of over 12 m. Built in 13th century by the Kakatiya dynasty, initially it was a mud fort. It was in the 16th century under the Qutb Shahi dynasty it got fortified and also a 7 km long outer wall made of granite was built. Golconda was also a major centre for diamond trade in ancient times during the Qutb Shahi dynasty. It was from here that the biggest diamonds in the world came from including the Kohinoor, Darya-e-noor, Regent ‘n Hope diamonds.

Hampi is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India located near Hospet town in the Karnataka state. Attracting thousands of visitors every year, this vast stretch ancient remnant is one of its kind of place. Surrounded by the boulder-strewn hills, Hampi is

dotted with 500 plus monuments. Among them are beautiful temples, palaces, aquatic structures, ancient market streets, royal pavilions, bastions, royal platforms and treasury buildings.

Perched on a steep mass of sandstone, Gwalior Fort dominates the city and is reckoned to be the most magnificent monuments in Gwalior. It has been a scene of memorable events like imprisonments, battles and jauhars. A steep road winds upwards to the Fort, fringed by statues of Jain Tirthankaras, carved from the rock. The magnificent outer walls of the Fort stand two miles in length and 35 feet high and bear witness of being one of the most invincible forts of India.

This group of monuments was built by the Pallava kings. The structures here are carved

out of rock found on the Coromandel Coast in the 7th and 8th centuries

AD. Mahabalipuram is known especially for its rathas (temples in the form of chariots),

mandapas (cave sanctuaries), giant open-air structures such as the famous ‘Descent of the

Ganges’, and the temple of Rivage along with thousands of sculptures made to the glorify

Shiva.

Mysore Palace is one of the most magnificent buildings in South India. It is definitely a sight not to be missed when it is illuminated on Sundays and occasions like Dasara. The interior of the palace is equally exquisite; it has spacious halls, lovely paintings and architectural magnificence. The palace offers excellent combination of Indo-Saracenic architecture. It was Queen Regent Kempa Nanjammani Vani Vilasa Sannidhana who commissioned famous British architect Henry Irwin to build a palace that would stand as a tribute to the legacy of Mysuru and the Wodeyars

Nalanda is an ancient learning site that was built in the 5th century AD. The ruins of Nalanda, which is reckoned to be one of the world’s most ancient university lies here which is 62 km from Bodhgaya. Though the Buddha visited Nalanda several times during

his lifetime, this famous center of Buddhist learning reached fame somewhere around 5th-12th centuries AD. Famous Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang is also believed to have stayed here in the 7th century AD. He is reckoned to have left detailed description of the excellent education system and purity of monastic life practiced here.

Se Cathedral is located in Old Goa on the banks of the Mandovi River. It is one of the ancient and the largest churches of Asia which is dedicated to Catherine of Alexandria. It is the church of the Latin Rite Catholic Archdiocese of Goa and Daman, and the seat of the Patriarch of the East Indies. UNESCO marked it as a heritage site and is considered as one of the most sacred places among the Christians. The structural design of the church is classically Portuguese with a Corinthian core and Tuscan peripheral. People from all over the world come to visit this church and to take the blessings of God.

Sikandra is the mausoleum of the great Mughal Emperor Akbar. The Emperor himself started construction of this beautiful monument, which has a perfect blending of Hindu,

Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jain themes. Sikandra is named after Sikandar Lodi, the Delhi ruler who was in power from 1488 to 1517. Located in the western periphery of the city; Sikandra is the last resting place of the Mughal emperor who was the heir to a tradition of oriental refinement, a great patron of the arts, literature, philosophy and science.