FAMOUS TOURIST SPOT IN INDIA

"India is the only millionaire......the One land that all men desire to see, and having seen once, by even a glimpse, would not give
that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined."
- Mark Twain (American Author, 1835-1910)
India, a platform of rich culture and tradition amidst a huge range of diversity and equality, is home to some of the excellent
manifestations of art and architecture in various forms and shapes. Long and strong stretches of history have resulted in the
creation of several artistic illustrations and cultural depictions. A ride through the entire sphere of these architectural
masterpieces will help you delve deeper into the country’s cultural bias. East to west, north to south – travel through the vast
stretches of the nation to explore the various heritage destinations of India and peep into the range of intricate forms of art and
architecture of India. The heritage destinations in India basically calls for a closer look as the following options are some of the
greatest landmarks in the world of culture and ethnicity of the country of ancient glory and grandeur:
Rajesthan Jaipur
The 'Pink City of India' Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan in the northwest India. Jaipur is adorned with many historic
tourist places. The major tourist places at Jaipur are include Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Central Museum, Jantar Mantar,
Nahargarh, Amber, Jaigarh, Maota Lake, Albert Museum, Jaipur Museum, Sisodia Rani Park, Birla Mandir Planetarium,
Lakshmi Narain Temple, The Rajmahal Palace, Kanak Vrindavan, etc.
• Taj Mahal

Agra – This monument of pristine supremacy in terms of artistic connotations is viewed as an epitome of love and
romance. Built by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, in loving memory of his wife, Mumtaz, this structure of white
marble flaunts a dome and minarets adorning the premises.
• Nalanda
Nalanda, in Bihar still today bears the glory of Buddhist culture in the form of the ruins of the Nalanda University.
Having been traveled by educationists like Fa Hien and Hieuen Tsang as students, the University was a residential
educational institution, accommodating as many as10,000 students and 2,000 teachers.
• Neemrana Fort
Constructed in 1464 A.D by Prithviraj Chauhan II, it is located on a plateau of the Aravalli ranges, 122kms from New
Delhi. It is actually one of the earliest heritage resorts of India.
• Devigarh Palace
Opening into the valley of Udaipur, this structure is ideally an 18th century artistic illustration and gifted to Sajja Singh
of Gujarat, in recognition of his gallantry and allegiance to Maharana Pratap against Akbar, at the battle of Haldighati.
• Fatehpur Sikri
This red sandstone city at a distance of 37 kms from Agra was created by Akbar the Great, depicting a healthy blend of
Mohammedan and Hindu architecture, thus defining the religious tolerance of the emperor.
• Konark Temples
Approved as a United Nations (UNESCO) World Heritage Site, the temple at 65 km from Bhubaneswar is dedicated to
the Sun God and depicts Orissa's medieval architecture.
• Mahabaleshwar
Nestled amidst the Sahyadris, at 120 km south of Pune, Mahabaleshwar is presently and for quite some time now a
chosen hill resort. The interesting religious spots here attract a lot of attention.
• Mahabaleshwar
The erstwhile second capital of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram, this tiny seaside village at 58 kilometers from Madras
on the Bay of Bengal is renowned for its shore temples.
• Rock Art and Archaeology in India Bhimbetka
 Painted shelter on top of a hill
Visitors in one of the painted shelters

Bhimbetka, set in the Vindhyan range of central India, is about ten kilometres by two. On seven hills more than 500
painted sandstone shelters are known in an environment of forests, nowadays threatened by population increase and
pressure. Some of the painted sites are very minor, with a few images only whereas there will be hundreds in others.
• Khajuraho Temples
Some of the most outstanding instances of intricate medieval Indian architecture, these temples built during AD 950 and
AD 1050 at the time of Chandela kings, deeply illustrate the romantic episodes of the Hindu gods and goddesses.
• Ajanta-Ellora Caves

One of the choicest travel destinations for tourists around the world, these caves, outside the city of Aurangabad, about
400km northeast of Mumbai, represent the evolution of Buddhism, from 200 BC to 650 AD. They proudly embody three
faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The cave temples of Ellora were excavated from the solid rock and symbolizes the three faiths of Hinduism, Buddhism and
Jainism. Carved during the 350 AD to 700 AD period, these finest examples of cave - temple architecture houses detailed
facades and exceptionally carved interiors.
The caves opening to the west are equally associated to Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. Out of total 34 caves, 12 caves to
the south are Buddhist, the 17 in the centre dedicated to Hinduism, and the 5 caves to the north are dedicated to Jainism.
From south to north there are about 34 caves here, which corresponds more or less (Cave 21 with some significant
exceptions) to the order in which they were constructed. The caves 1 to 12 in southernmost direction, are dedicated to
Buddhism and were built in & around 7th & 8th centuries AD. The middle caves 13 to 29 are dedicated to Hindu deities,
which dates back from 7th century to 9th century AD. The upper caves are related to Jainism (9th century).
Aurangabad at a distance of 30 kms is the closest city from these cave temples. These unparalleled cave tempes are
memorable for their pricelessscontribution to the immense wealth of Indian heritag.
Elephanta Caves
This World Heritage Site is sprawled over a whooping 6000sq feet area. The Temple majorly consists of the Chamber, couryards
and subsidary shrines. The city of caves on an island in the Sea of Oman close to Mumbai, has a cave on a tiny island housing
one of the most perfect example of rock - cut architecture. It can be easily reached by the 10km, boat ride from the Gateway of
India.
Flash Back
It was in 1819, a party of British Army Officers sat on a tiger hunt in the forest of Western Deccan and spotted their prey on the
far side of a carved facade of a cave. On going further inside, the officers discovered a series of carved caves, each more
dramatic than the other. It was later found out that the cave complex was lived continuously from 200BC to 650 AD. It was also
found that there are about 30 caves , some of them half finished.
Sanchi Stupa

Located just 46 kms. from Bhopal, Sanchi is a small town of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Significant for its
history and archeology, Sanchi is a religious place known for its Stupas, monasteries, temples and pillars dating from the 3rd
century BC to the 12th century AD.
History Unfolds
The the Sanchi Stupa 1, the most famed of all the monuments here, was originally built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
Though Sanchi is not directly to the life of Lord Buddha, it is associated to Buddhism. The place is more related to King Ashoka
than to Lord Buddha. Ashoka built the first Stupa and put up many pillars here. The famous Ashokan iron pillar, with four lions
standing back to back, has been endorsed as the national emblem of India.
Sanchi embraced Buddhism, which replaced the pre dominant Hinduism. But, in due course of time, slowly both the Stupas and
the place were abandoned. It was during 1818, when Sanchi was refound and gradually historical and the religious importance of
the place was recognized. Restoration work of the Stupas started in 1881 and finally between 1912 and 1919 these were
attentively reformed and restored. It was accepted that the structure at Sanchi were the most organised construction which went
into the engineering of temples in the medieval era. The carvings of the place are done with the correctness of Jewellers.
Fatehpur Sikri

The imperial city of the Mughal dynasty between 1571 and 1584, Fatehpur Sikri was built by Mughal Emperor Akbar. The
architectural grandeur of this city has to be experienced.