Akbar shifted his court and residence from Agra to Sikri for a period of 13 years, from 1572 to 1585. The Sufi Saint Sheikh Salim Chishti had blessed him with a son who was named Salim in 1569. After the death of his two sons, the Sufi saint predicted that Akbar would have another son. Akbar's son was named Salim to honour the saint and would later rule the empire as Emperor Jahangir.
It is at Fatehpur Sikri that the legends of Akbar and his famed courtiers, the nine jewels or Navaratnas, were born. Innovations in land revenue, coinage, military organisation, and provincial administration emerged during the Fatehpur Sikri years. Fatehpur Sikri was the first planned city of the Mughals.
"If dreams were made out of stone, it would be Hampi"
Hampi the erstwhile capital of Vijayanagara kingdom (14th century empire) in India is full of delightful surprises. It is Situated on the banks of the river tungabhadra in karnataka.
Hampi is known for its architecture and art wonders. It is a world famous heritage tourism destination and one of the 16 UNESCO recognised World Heritage Sites in India.
Ajanta has 29 caves and Ellora has 34 caves. They remained shrouded in mystery for over a millennium, till John Smith, a British Army Officer, accidentally rediscovered them while on a hunting expedition.
Located near the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra, India; the famous Ajanta and Ellora are the world heritage sites famous for the cave shrines that are cut out of rock, all by hand. Every structure of this cave site has been cut out of solid rock. They are the greatest specimens of rock-cut architecture and Buddhist culture.
Located in south Delhi, Qutab Minar is one of the city’s most recognizable monuments, and a must-see attraction. It is located at a small village called Mehrauli in South Delhi and is easily accessible from all parts of Delhi.
The meaning of the word Qutab Minar is axis minaret. Considered to be the tallest tower of India, the history of Qutab Minar is quite interesting as its height. It is the highest stone tower in India and is a soaring, 73 m-high tower of victory.
The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized. It is truly a spectacular symbol of love, art and craftsmanship combined.
Situated in the city of Agra in India, on the banks of the river Yamuna, the Taj is enclosed in a garden amongst fountains and ornamental trees. Agra is situated about 200 km south of New Delhi, was the Capital of the Mughals (Moguls) – the Muslim Emperors who ruled Northern India between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Khajuraho Temples are particularly known for their erotic sculptures that undoubtedly fan the flames of physical desires of an individual. Khajuraho Temples are an excellent example of outstanding human creativity in the form of sculptures.
The temples of Khajuraho are India’s unique gift to the world. They express love in its most unique form. Khajuraho Temples are the most graphic, erotic and sensuous Indian sculptures, the world has ever known. They are famous for their erotic carvings. Khajuraho Temples are standing testimonials of the glorious past of India.
Do visit this ancient city of death and liberation, but with a tender heart and an awakened mind!
Banaras, considered as the most holy place of pilgrimage for Hindus is also renowned for its rich tapestry of music, arts, crafts and education. This is the place where divine unification happened between shehnai and its maestro – Ustad Bismillah Khan, who immerses the world in the melody & rhythm of Shehnai. Ustad and Banaras are like soul and body. Bismillah Khan had profound emotional attachment to the soil of Benaras. Once when he was offered all amenities and even citizenship during a concert in Europe , he refused all of that and instead asked his admirer ‘can you get me ‘Gangaji’, the river which flows near my home in Banaras?’.
Parvati insisted to Lord Shiva to tell her the secret of His immortality. So, Lord Shiva embarked upon finding a place where no living being could reach and that only Parvati hears and stumbled upon a huge cave.
The trek from Pahalgam to Amarnath Cave is on an ancient route. It takes four days to cover this 45-kilometre route which can at times be hazardous, if not intimidating. But when you know that you are in the lap of the captivating Himalayas and that thousands, perhaps millions of people, have walked on this path for centuries, and are still doing the same, it gives you an inner strength to move on. On this path have walked great saints like Shankaracharya, Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ramtirtha. On this path have walked the old and young, and will continue to do so for centuries to come.
There is an air of timelessness about the place. Everything here is so old and so new – the path, the journey, the hills, the glaciers, the cave, and the lingam. This is the place where legends are as old as the hills around you.
The water of the Ganga, especially at the source, contains no impurities and remains uncontaminated even after being kept over several years. While Hindus attribute this to its holiness, geologists say it is because of the minerals in it and scientists to the secretion of herbs.
There is something strikingly spiritual about this place. The loftiness of the mountains, the expanse of the undulating hills, the depth of the ravines, the softness of the wafting breeze and an endless sense of being – all these factors happen to touch the heart and the mind. These are the mountains that have beckoned, from long, long ago, a stream of wandering ascetics, religious scholars, devotees and travelers to their laps. There is a mention of these mountains in the Mahabharata when Pandavas ascended the slopes of a peak called Swargrohini or Ascent to Heaven. Just 4 kms away is Mana, where there is a cave where Vyas is said to have written the Mahabharata.
Varanasi's prominence in Hindu mythology is virtually unrevealed. Mark Twain, the English author who was enthralled by the legend and sanctity of Benaras, once wrote: "Benaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together".
The city of Varanasi is situated on the west bank of the holiest of all Indian rivers, the Ganga. The relationship between the sacred river and the city is the essence of Varanasi – ‘the land of sacred light’. City of many names, it was first known as Kashi, the city of light. The word ‘Kashi’ originated from the word ‘Kas’ which means to shine. Steeped in tradition and mythological legacy, Kashi is the ‘original ground ‘created by Shiva and Parvati, upon which they stood at the beginning of time.
The city was officially renamed in 1956 as Varanasi, a name from antiquity. Varanasi is the microcosm of Hinduism, a city of traditional classical culture, glorified by myth and legend and sanctified by religion; it has always attracted a large number of pilgrims and worshippers from time immemorial. To be in Varanasi is an experience in itself…an experience in self-discovery…an eternal oneness of the body and soul.
