Well-known Monuments in India – Taj Mahal, Hawa Mahal and Red Fort of Agra
Many of us got a taste of India by trying Indian spices, drinking Indian tea or watching the charming Bollywood movies. Although India is rich with history and cultural background, we know little about it. Read on to find out more interesting facts about some well-known monuments in India.
Taj Mahal
No architecture ever expressed loyalty and love like India’s Taj Mahal. Tourists from all over the world visit this wonder to witness the peak of Mughal architecture built on the order of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died during the labor of their fourteenth child. Taj Mahal was built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 and is a tomb for both Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. This most well-known monument in India was built by 20,000 workers and decorated by white marble, thousands of precious stones and beautiful calligraphy. The Taj Mahal lies in front of a garden which is designed in ideal symmetry with a huge pool in the middle where the building’s beauty is reflected.
Hawa Mahal
The five-story pyramidal palace, Hawa Mahal, welcomes visitors at the entry of Jaipur. Hawa Mahal is called the Palace of the Winds for having 953 small screened windows and balconies. The palace was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawraj Pratap Singh, in order that the royal family ladies could watch street festivals from behind the windows without being noticed. Jaipur city in the state of Rajasthan is called the pink city as it homes Hawa Mahal which is built from pink sandstone.
Red Fort of Agra
The Red Fort is the next great monument after Taj Mahal in Agra. The Red Fort elegantly presents the fusion of Hindu and Islamic art. The fort has two halls: Diwan-e-Am (hall for common audience) which is built with sandstone and covered with shell plaster, and Diwan-e-Khas (hall for special audience) which is built with white marble. The Red Fort was constructed on the order of Emperor Akbar and was continued by his successors between the 16th and 17th centuries by the banks of the Yamuna River.
Taj Mahal
Hawa Mahal
Red Fort of Agra
