Delhi Culture

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.indianholiday.com/india-photo-gallery/images/delhi/culture-delhi3.jpg" src="http://www.indianholiday.com/india-photo-gallery/images/delhi/culture-delhi3.jpg" style="width: 538px; height: 391px;" /><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The cultural diversity and religious unity are the core values of the Indian society. Delhi, being the capital of India, naturally reflects it all, as people from different states come here for best education, best medicinal assistance and good job opportunities. It is a centre stage of Indian politics too and represents all that is best in the country. The metropolitan city with a cosmopolitan outlook, New Delhi boasts of a rich cultural heritage. The ancient city still reflects the remnants of the glorious old-age charm and culture, yet has a very modern and chic lifestyle. The nightlife is interesting and a number of discos beckon the youngsters to sway and dance on enchanting numbers.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.writingtravellers.com/tikiwiki/img/wiki_up/Old_Delhi_by_bicycle.jpg" src="http://www.writingtravellers.com/tikiwiki/img/wiki_up/Old_Delhi_by_bicycle.jpg" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 543px; height: 361px;" /><br /></div> <br /> At the Nizamuddin Shrine, one can still hear the 'Qawwalis'. 'Gurbani' (the verses from the Granth Sahib) and prabhat ferries can be heard in the Gurudwaras, 'bhajans' and 'aartis' in the temples and Sunday masses in Churches. The traditional fairs and festivals like 'Phoolwalo-Ki-Sair' are still being celebrated. With the increasing number of people from different states, the regional festivals like 'Chhath Puja' of Bihar and 'Durga Puja' of Bengal are also being observed. Since Delhi shares its borders with Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, its people and their lifestyle is often influenced greatly by these regions.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://portal.unesco.org/geography/en/files/5990/11573508841CLT_main.JPG/CLT_main.JPG" src="http://portal.unesco.org/geography/en/files/5990/11573508841CLT_main.JPG/CLT_main.JPG" style="width: 367px; height: 552px;" /><br /></div> <br /> Though Punjabis dominate Delhi, it has now developed a number of pockets dominated by other communities also, such as South Indians in R.K. Puram and Bengalis in C.R. Park. It is this diversity that makes Delhi so lively and colorful. Indo-Persian art is reflected in Jama Masjid, while Birla Temple and the Chattarpur Temple complex exude amalgamations of North and South Indian architectural styles. Lotus temple is notable not only for representing the Bahai way of worship, but also the splendid architectural design. Jains and Buddhists also have their own shrines in the city, while the Tibetan monastery near the Interstate bus terminus is representative of the Tibetan culture in India.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.asiabcinc.com/pictures/culture-delhi.jpg" src="http://www.asiabcinc.com/pictures/culture-delhi.jpg" style="width: 492px; height: 358px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://www.delhilive.com/system/files/images/Birla%20Mandir.JPG" src="http://www.delhilive.com/system/files/images/Birla%20Mandir.JPG" style="width: 487px; height: 364px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://www.oktatabyebye.com/picture-gallery-images-large/lgDSC037815820071457765.JPG" src="http://www.oktatabyebye.com/picture-gallery-images-large/lgDSC037815820071457765.JPG" style="width: 483px; height: 643px;" /><br /></div></div>

Delhi Culture

The cultural diversity and religious unity are the core values of the Indian society. Delhi, being the capital of India, nat...

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Fatehpur Sikri

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The image “http://www.indiapicks.com/annapurna/S_Sikri_Jami_Masjid.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors." src="http://www.indiapicks.com/annapurna/S_Sikri_Jami_Masjid.jpg" style="width: 549px; height: 379px;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color:#333300;">Akbar’s greatest architectural achievement was the construction of Fatehpur Sikri, his Capital City near Agra. The construction pf the walled city was started in 1569 A.D. and completed in 1574 A.D. contained some of the most beautiful buildings – both religious and secular which testify to the Emperor’s aim of achieving social, political and religious integration. The religious edifices worth mentioning are the Jami Masjid and Salim Chisti’s Tomb. The tomb built in 1571 A.D. in the corner of the mosque compound is a square marble chamber with a verandah. The cenotaph has an exquisitely designed lattice screen around it.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/India/Agra/Fatehpur%20Sikri/fatehpur-sikri-15-jama-masjid-tomb-of-shaykh-salim-chishti.JPG" src="http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/India/Agra/Fatehpur%20Sikri/fatehpur-sikri-15-jama-masjid-tomb-of-shaykh-salim-chishti.JPG" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 545px; height: 362px;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color:#333300;">The secular ones include Jodh Bai’s palace, the Panch Mahal, the Diwan-i-khas and the Buland Darwaza. Jodha Bai's palace is a large building consisting of rooms on all four sides of a courtyard. The centre part and four corners of the building are doubled storeyed. A small chapel attached has niches in the wakks for idols. The panch Mahal is a five stored structure, each storey smaller in size as they go up, the last one being only a kiosk.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img alt="http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/agra-fatehpur-sikri-ind795.jpg" src="http://www.planetware.com/i/photo/agra-fatehpur-sikri-ind795.jpg" style="width: 530px; height: 439px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1997740-Fatehpur_Sikri_Courtyard-Fatehpur_Sikri.jpg" src="http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1997740-Fatehpur_Sikri_Courtyard-Fatehpur_Sikri.jpg" style="width: 531px; height: 411px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/a_images/y2008/4735800px-Fatehpur_Sikri_Panch_Mahal.jpg" src="http://www.lokvani.com/lokvani/a_images/y2008/4735800px-Fatehpur_Sikri_Panch_Mahal.jpg" style="width: 524px; height: 349px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://www.pgsindia.net/photos/Fatehpur%20Sikri%20Akbar%27s%20Capital.jpg" src="http://www.pgsindia.net/photos/Fatehpur%20Sikri%20Akbar%27s%20Capital.jpg" style="width: 521px; height: 392px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://kegcomputers.com/India%20Pix/Agra%20-%20Fatehpur%20Sikri%20inner%20wall.JPG" src="http://kegcomputers.com/India%20Pix/Agra%20-%20Fatehpur%20Sikri%20inner%20wall.JPG" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 518px; height: 389px;" /><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div><br /></div>

Fatehpur Sikri

Akbar’s greatest architectural achievement was the construction of Fatehpur Sikri, his Capital City near Agra. The construction pf the wa...

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Agra Fort

<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img alt="The image “http://www.buddycom.com/asia/agra.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors." src="http://www.buddycom.com/asia/agra.jpg" style="width: 454px; height: 246px;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">A greater part of the fort at Agra was constructed by Akbar starting in 1565 AD and completed it in 1574 A.D. Situated on the bank of the river Jamuna, it is a massive and grand structure. The special feature of this fort is the 2.5 kms. long and 21 metres high circuitous wall of solid red sand stone. The stones are linked with iron rings so close that not even a hair can pass through. The entrance to the fort is through two gateways. The main entrance known as Delhi Gate was the ceremonial entrance to the fort. The other smaller gateway is called the Hathi Pol or Elephant Gate because of the two huge elephants on either side of the gate and was meant for private use.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="justify"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2QN7xTZGqcRpmvUPhshMK19hPUQ9rwJyDUwQWZYiJ6VHvYZB7wPtrnFiGR75YDWh-jXYhaPSe_9mu_oNlx5-E4xmbR_KDt9FqgK3S8V1WoQbdZ2ImCTBiLiRN2OxmZtdSeOLZYdnhPaB/s1600-r/AgraFort.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW2QN7xTZGqcRpmvUPhshMK19hPUQ9rwJyDUwQWZYiJ6VHvYZB7wPtrnFiGR75YDWh-jXYhaPSe_9mu_oNlx5-E4xmbR_KDt9FqgK3S8V1WoQbdZ2ImCTBiLiRN2OxmZtdSeOLZYdnhPaB/s1600-r/AgraFort.jpg" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 452px; height: 302px;" /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">The Delhi Gate entrance archway is flanked by two double storeyed octagonal bastions crowned by octagonal domed kiosks. A balcony separates the two storeys. The structure above the balcony has arched recesses. The gateway is decorated with beautiful panels of coloured tiles and marble inlay work.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">The fort is surrounded by a deep moat. The fort formerly contained numerous buildings of red sand stone but these were later demolished in the reign of Shah Jehan who constructed marble pavilions instead. Some of the important buildings inside the fort are the Jahangiri Mahal built for Jahangir and his family, the Moti Masjid, and Mena Bazaars. The Jehangiri Mahal is an impressive structure and has a courtyard surrounded by double-storeyed halls and rooms. The corbel brackets, doorways and the chajja above them are profusely carved.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="justify"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);"><br /></span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/uploaded_images/Taj-Mahal-Agra-Fort-744893.JPG" src="http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/uploaded_images/Taj-Mahal-Agra-Fort-744893.JPG" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 456px; height: 342px;" /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="justify"> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 0);">The elaborate architecture of the brackets seems to be an imitation of wood work. The planning and construction of the fort show that Rajput architectural styles were freely adopted.</span></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.cis.rit.edu/people/faculty/easton/india/agra_fort2.jpg" src="http://www.cis.rit.edu/people/faculty/easton/india/agra_fort2.jpg" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 456px; height: 345px;" /></p><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/uploaded_images/Agra-agra-agra-agra-fort-726710.JPG" src="http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/uploaded_images/Agra-agra-agra-agra-fort-726710.JPG" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 451px; height: 381px;" /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><img alt="http://travel.paintedstork.com/blog/image/fort_marbles.jpg" src="http://travel.paintedstork.com/blog/image/fort_marbles.jpg" style="width: 452px; height: 311px;" /></p><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/India/Agra/Agra%20Fort/agra-fort-10-yamuna-river.JPG" src="http://www.ianandwendy.com/OtherTrips/India/Agra/Agra%20Fort/agra-fort-10-yamuna-river.JPG" style="width: 458px; height: 230px;" /></p><br /><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt; text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 0pt;" align="justify"><br /></p></div></div>

Agra Fort

A greater part of the fort at Agra was constructed by Akbar starting in 1565 AD and completed it in 1574 A.D. Situated on the bank of the...

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Akshardham Temple

<div style="text-align: center;"><br /><img alt="http://help.berberber.com/members/sajalarora/albums/monuments-india/1835-akshardham-temple.jpg" src="http://help.berberber.com/members/sajalarora/albums/monuments-india/1835-akshardham-temple.jpg" style="width: 455px; height: 325px;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Akshardham Temple is a magnificent Hindu shrine, situated in the east region of New Delhi. Located on the banks of River Yamuna, it was inaugurated in November 2005, by the former President of India - APJ Abdul Kalam, the Prime Minister - Manmohan Singh and Pramukh Swami Maharaj - the spiritual leader of BAPS. Pramukh Swami Maharaj is the current spiritual leader of Swaminarayan Sanstha, BAPS. Swaminarayan Akshardham was constructed under his guidance, after his guru, Yogiji Maharaj, expressed a wish for the same.<br /><br /> <br /> As a spiritual leader, Swamiji constantly travels and meets people across the world, to help them lead better lives. There are various cultural and educational activities conducted by the Swaminarayan Sanstha. Akshardham is also a part of BAPS's initiative to promote Indian art, culture and values. BAPS also has a charitable arm, known as BAPS Care, working for the betterment of the people. The main shrine in the complex is dedicated to Bhawgwan Swaminarayan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="The image “http://magicfestivalindelhi2010.com/yahoo_site_admin1/assets/images/akshardham.154222023.jpg” cannot be displayed, because it contains errors." src="http://magicfestivalindelhi2010.com/yahoo_site_admin1/assets/images/akshardham.154222023.jpg" style="width: 450px; height: 225px;" /><br /></div> <br /> The temple enshrines 11 ft tall gilded statue of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. The building is constructed entirely from Pink Sandstone and Italian Marble, without any concrete or steel. The intricate carvings, magnanimous structure and the backdrop of River Yamuna, render the temple a masterpiece of art. Other than the main temple, there are a number of buildings in the complex where you can enjoy cultural and spiritual activities.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.woundcarecon2009.com/akshardham.jpg" src="http://www.woundcarecon2009.com/akshardham.jpg" style="width: 453px; height: 299px;" /><br /></div><br /><b>The Halls</b><br /> <br /> <b>'Sahajanand Pradarshan'</b> is the first Hall in the complex. It features life size robots, dioramas, and incidents from Bhagwan Swaminarayan's life. It also houses world's smallest animatronic robot, in the form of Ghanshyam Maharaj, the child form of Bhagwan Swaminarayan.<br /> <br /> <b>'Nilkanth Kalyan Yatra'</b>, Hall 2, houses a large format screen. Here, a movie, specially commissioned for the complex, shows the journey of Bhagwan Swaminarayan throughout India.<br /> <br /> <b>'Sanskruti Vihar'</b>, Hall 3, takes visitors on a journey through 10,000 years of Indian history in 10 minutes. Visitors are seated in specially designed peacock boats that make their way around an artificial river.<br /> <br /> <b>The Yagnapurush Kund</b><br /> The Yagnapurush Kund is India's largest step well. It descends down, via a series of steps, to a traditional 'yagna kund'. At night, a musical fountain show, representing the circle of life, is played for an audience, seated on the same steps.<br /> <br /> <b>The Bharat Upavan</b><br /> The Bharat Upavan, or 'Garden of India', has sprawling lawns, varied trees and shrubs, dotted with bronze sculptures of the contributors to India's culture.<br /> <br /> <b>The Yogi Hraday Kamal</b><br /> It is a lotus shaped garden, containing stones engraved with quotes from world luminaries, ranging from Shakespeare and Martin Luther King, to Swami Vivekananda and Bhagwan Swaminarayan.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">The temple which depicts the Hindu mythology and Indian culture promises to attract lakhs of tourists’ every year with its religious tourism. Build over an area of 100 acres on the banks of the Yamuna River, it took more than 2 years for construction and costed around Rs.2 billion, funded by millions of Bochasanvasi Aksharpurushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) followers worldwide. The temple has 234 ornate pillars, 20,000 statues and many arches. Besides the Swaminarayan temple the complex consists of the main monument, exhibition halls, an IMAX theatre and a musical fountain, surrounded by a garden. It also got a restaurant modeled on the Ajanta and Ellora caves and an Ayurvedic bazaar.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://www.behindwoods.com/features/Literature/Literature9/akshardham/Akshardham%20Temple%2008.jpg" src="http://www.behindwoods.com/features/Literature/Literature9/akshardham/Akshardham%20Temple%2008.jpg" style="width: 460px; height: 336px;" /><br /></div><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style=""><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">The temple consists of 20 Shikhars and a spectacular Gajendra Pith (plinth of stone elephants).The temple houses 20,000 statues of Hindu dieties and motifs. The construction of temple took five years and The estimated Rs.400-crore cultural complex, inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), will be popular for the cultural education and entertainment". The temple complex has drawn inspiration for its architecture from the historic temples of Badrinath (Uttaranchal), Somnath (Gujarat) and Konark (Orissa). It is the second Akshardham complex in the country after the one at Gandhinagar in </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Gujarat.Besides the grand monument the complex has two huge exhibition halls meant for visual journey of tourists through India's cultural heritage and Indian moral values. The complex also houses an Imax cinema, a canteen which can accommodate a maximum of 5,000 people at one sitting, a research centre for "social harmony" and meditation gardens with fountains and bronze sculptures. Ghaziabad, Noida,Faridabad and Gurgaon are some of the nearest cities of Swaminarayan Akshardham Complex.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/30a/4e5/30a4e5be-6eb1-4744-ada5-51bb47b778a5" src="http://images.tribe.net/tribe/upload/photo/30a/4e5/30a4e5be-6eb1-4744-ada5-51bb47b778a5" style="width: 457px; height: 304px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://www.jsr-iimt.in/sconf2007/site_files/akshardham.jpg" src="http://www.jsr-iimt.in/sconf2007/site_files/akshardham.jpg" style="width: 450px; height: 299px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9b_IW-4Ikv2ZXflYH8hxa1-k8uG-n9NGPKlbNJ2mg6W-evb7MMMJWJh0Rhlj8wQTAcaSDYrEky81fuwuSH3dDkDYlTxb0keBAVe_HVx_XeGFnmQV7rc8nyjDRqgZz2GQjWRUx5H2pT54/s400/delhi1.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9b_IW-4Ikv2ZXflYH8hxa1-k8uG-n9NGPKlbNJ2mg6W-evb7MMMJWJh0Rhlj8wQTAcaSDYrEky81fuwuSH3dDkDYlTxb0keBAVe_HVx_XeGFnmQV7rc8nyjDRqgZz2GQjWRUx5H2pT54/s400/delhi1.jpg" style="width: 448px; height: 323px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHsfkHha1bwe2UXTQaHIDUEZCbCVZxojQ-uc3FhvQJQJrwuRxx-yR2_Fm1qRzl5cAoQw7SttVH9k2jQkBGIG4b19nycMdk8FDLHHWGrwQUwzyGBjrawbPaglNgmiudf0BEPKUlK6_v1Yw/s400/Akshardham_Temple_New+_Delhi_05.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFHsfkHha1bwe2UXTQaHIDUEZCbCVZxojQ-uc3FhvQJQJrwuRxx-yR2_Fm1qRzl5cAoQw7SttVH9k2jQkBGIG4b19nycMdk8FDLHHWGrwQUwzyGBjrawbPaglNgmiudf0BEPKUlK6_v1Yw/s400/Akshardham_Temple_New+_Delhi_05.jpg" style="width: 449px; height: 299px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKLjMA4wA4yJYOV83dT8AW-NRfw-o6UQhCRZhpJF1NRZCv1aARDyEX0OOwMWDckCk9n_5zdck-Rkw9ReZjRq-fc6RiA2XPQ0XOxbrprd4RvglmdUQDFAr5FywBNyd4Lt2pKfdZrxrOOo/s400/Swaminarayan+Akshardham+Temple.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKLjMA4wA4yJYOV83dT8AW-NRfw-o6UQhCRZhpJF1NRZCv1aARDyEX0OOwMWDckCk9n_5zdck-Rkw9ReZjRq-fc6RiA2XPQ0XOxbrprd4RvglmdUQDFAr5FywBNyd4Lt2pKfdZrxrOOo/s400/Swaminarayan+Akshardham+Temple.jpg" style="width: 451px; height: 294px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://www.seebeforeyoudie.net/uploads/display/86e1d2a6bce038483b7ffb7b33932809.jpg" src="http://www.seebeforeyoudie.net/uploads/display/86e1d2a6bce038483b7ffb7b33932809.jpg" style="width: 447px; height: 335px;" /><br /></div><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style=""><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div></div>

Akshardham Temple

Akshardham Temple is a magnificent Hindu shrine, situated in the east region of New Delhi. Located on the banks of River Yam...

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Jantar Mantar

<div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://magicfestivalindelhi2010.com/yahoo_site_admin1/assets/images/jantar-mantar-delhi.154222904.jpg" src="http://magicfestivalindelhi2010.com/yahoo_site_admin1/assets/images/jantar-mantar-delhi.154222904.jpg" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Jantar Mantar is one of the top attractions of Delhi. It draws a stream of visitors all round the year. With hotels of Delhi you can have the glimpse of the astronomical advancement India had made in ancient period.The famous 18th century astronomer king and the founder of the Pink city of Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh, built the first of his five astronomical observatories across India.<br />The observatories are known as Jantar Mantar which derives it name from the corruptions of the words 'yantra' (instrument) 'mantra' (formula) over the period.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Jantar_Mantar_Delhi_27-05-2005.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Jantar_Mantar_Delhi_27-05-2005.jpg" style="cursor: -moz-zoom-in; width: 540px; height: 404px;" /><br /><br /></div>The Jantar Mantar at Delhi is located on Sansad Marg between Connaught Place and Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is the largest and the best preserved compared to the other four open-air observatories which were built by Sawai jai Singh in Varanasi, Jaipur, Mathura and Ujjain.<br />Vast red and white sloping stone structures hover over palm trees and neat flower beds - The giant sundials are vast red and white sloping stone structures hover over palm trees and neat flower beds. They cast the shadows, which were formerly used to calculate time, lunar and solar calendars, time as wells astrological movements, all with an incredible degree of accuracy.These are few of the visitable places in DELHI- The capital of india.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://static.atlasobscura.com/files/place_images/jantarmantar2.jpg" src="http://static.atlasobscura.com/files/place_images/jantarmantar2.jpg" style="width: 535px; height: 382px;" /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who built the observatories in northern India, was born at AMBER (Near Jaipur) in 1686 AD. He was the eldest son of his father Maharaja Vishnu Singh. He became King of Amber in 1699 A.D. after the death of his father. He saw the rule of five Mughal emperors during his regime (1699-1743). In 1707 AD, he won the areas of Amber, Sambhar & Ajmer from Mughal forces under Emperor Bahadur Shah I. He was granted governorship of Agra and Malwa provinces by emperor Muhammad Shah in 1719 A.D.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Maharaja not only proved himself as daring commander and able administrator but also excelled in subjects like astronomy, mathematics, science and town planning. He founded his new capital JAIPUR in 1727 AD. Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb was impressed by his courage & wits and awarded him with the title 'Sawai' (meaning twenty five percent or a quarter more able, courageous, intelligent etc. than his contemporaries). Sawai Jai Singh studied Hindu, Muslim, and European systems of observation and calculations relating to astronomy. For establishing astronomical observatories, he sent intellectuals to European countries and invited European scholars to India. He invented brass instruments for calculating astronomical values and later replaced them with instruments made of brick, lime and clay. On the orders of Muhammad Shah, Sawai Jai Singh II completed Delhi observatory in 1724 AD. Jaipur observatory was built ten years later. Within next 15 years, three more observatories were built by him at Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura. The last one no longer exists now as it was destroyed by a government contractor Jyoti Prasad little before 1857 AD who bought it for want of materials.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style=""><br /></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Jantar Mantar literally means 'Yantra Mantra', that is calculations with the help of instruments.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Jantar Mantar was built in the outskrits of Shahjahanabad in 1724 A D after seven years of observations and recordings of data using various models. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II earlier used brass instruments but later built huge masonry instruments as he found brass instruments unsatisfactory.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Delhi observatory or Jantar Mantar was constructed on an experimental basis.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Astronomical calculations obtained with the help of this observatory were termed as ' Zij Muhammad Shahi1.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II himself invented instruments like Samrat Yantra, Jai Prakash Yantra and Ram Yantra. Misra Yantra was probably added later by his son Sawai Madho Singh.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style="">In 1795 AD, Franklin visited this observatory and commented "Jats under the leadership of Jaswant Singh had destoryed the observatory<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><img alt="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1149/1026583267_78e952aa27.jpg" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1149/1026583267_78e952aa27.jpg" style="width: 532px; height: 398px;" /><br /><br /><img alt="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/13/fa/45/jantar-mantar-site.jpg" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/00/13/fa/45/jantar-mantar-site.jpg" style="width: 535px; height: 402px;" /><br /></div><span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica;"><span style=""><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div></div>

Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar is one of the top attractions of Delhi. It draws a stream of visitors all round the year. With hotels of Delhi you can have th...

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