India Gate: A tribute to the Indian Warriors

India Gate is the popular name of the war memorial located off-centre in a large hexagonal space with roads radiating from it, designed by Lutyens is similar to European Memorial arches. It is located at the heart of New Delhi and is easily accessible by DTC buses and Metro. The Nearest Metro station is Central Secretariat. While coming out of Metro station we can see the India Gate from the Raisina Hills. In the opposite direction of India Gate, we can see the residence of the President of India. Republic Day Parade follows the Rajpath and leads to India Gate.

Rajpath Leading to India Gate from Rashtrapati Bhawan

India Gate

The arch stands 42m high and is made up of Red Bharatpur Stone. The foundation stone of India Gate was laid by Royal Highness, the Duke of Connaught in 1921. The arch commemorates the 70000 Indian Soldiers who had given the sacrifice of their lives in the First World War for British Army. The memorial bears more than 13500 names of British and Indian Army officers killed in North-Western Frontier in the Afghan war in 1919. After laying the foundation stone of the War memorial in 1921, the rail-line was shifted to run along the Yamuna River and the New Delhi Railway Station was opened in 1926. The arch is having a large stone with pine cones on both sides. As per Roman mythology, these pines are the symbols of death and regeneration. The cornice is inscribed with the Imperial suns. The dates MCMXIV (1914 left) and MCMXIX (1919 right) are inscribed on both sides of the arch. The shallow domed bowl at the top is intended to be filled with burning oil on special occasions which is rarely performed nowadays. 

Pine Cones at India Gate

Below the word INDIA, message inscribed in capital letters at India Gate:

"TO THE DEAD OF THE INDIAN ARMIES WHO FELL HONOURED IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS MESOPOTAMIA AND PERSIA EAST AFRICA GALLIPOLI AND ELSEWHERE IN THE NEAR AND THE FAR-EAST AND  IN SACRED MEMORY ALSO OF THOSE WHOSE NAMES ARE RECORDED AND WHO FELL IN INDIA OR THE NORTH-WEST FRONTIER AND DURING THE THIRD AFGHAN WAR"

The message inscribed on India Gate

Night View of Pine Cones

Amar Jawan Jyoti

In 1931, the monument was dedicated to the nation by the then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Below the arches, Amar Jawan Jyoti, the `flame of the eternal warrior` was erected as a tribute to Indian Soldiers bravery and sacrifice during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The eternal flame burns day and night giving tribute to the soldiers who lay down their lives to save their nation from enemies. The structure is consisting of black marble plinth, with the reversed rifle, capped by war helmet, bound by four urns, each with the permanent light (Jyoti) from (CNG) flames. Amar Jawan Jyoti is manned round the clock by soldiers drawn from the three services of the Indian armed forces. Wreaths are placed at the Amar Jawan Jyoti on 26 January, by the Prime Minister of India, and Chiefs of Armed Forces; on Vijay Diwas, and on Infantry Day.

Canopy at India Gate

East of this memorial there is a canopy which is placed in the centre of the hexagon. The canopy was designed by Lutyens as a memorial to George V, who died in 1936. It used to hold the statue of George V till 1968. After which it has been removed to Coronation Park, North Delhi. There has been a debate about placing a statue of Mahatma Gandhi under this canopy to its demolition. But it is still visible from a distance and is adding beauty to India gate.

Earlier in the British era, the area around India gate was famous as 'Princess Park'. In Jul 2014, Government has announced plans to construct a National War Memorial around the canopy and a National War Museum in adjoining Princess Park. This is one of the famous, popular and most visited places in Delhi, irrespective of age groups. One can see hordes of people moving around the brightly lit area and on the lawns on summer evenings. A large expanse of lush green lawns around this arch is a popular picnic spot. The Republic Day The parade starts from Rashtrapati Bhavan and passes around the India Gate. We can see people flying kites, enjoying evening walks, gossiping. The lawn of India Gate has one of the famous boat clubs. Flood Lighting in the evening adds to its beauty.

Flags of three section of Indian Forces at Amar Jawan Jyoti

Flags from Canopy Side

India Gate at Night Flood Lighting

India Gate at Night

India Gate

India Gate Architecture

India Gate at Night

Reflection of India Gate on the side water pools

India Gate

Lotus Temple: The Baha'i House of Worship

Baha’i house of worship well known as Lotus temple is located in New Delhi. The temple is built in the shape of a lotus flower and is the last of seven Bhai’s house of worship built around the world. It is one of the prominent attractions of the city.

Bahai Temple

 

The structure is made up of pure white marble. It was designed by the Iranian Architect Fariborz Sahba. He chose the lotus as the symbol common to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. The temple is open to all regardless of religion, or any other distinction. 

There is no clergy in this temple and the service consists of prayers and readings of selections from Baha’i scriptures and religious texts of the other faiths of the world in any language. Readings and prayers can be set to music by choirs but no musical instrument can be played inside the temple. No sermons can be delivered and there can be no ritualistic ceremonies practiced. Prayers.Prayers can be offered in between 10 am. to 12 pm. in the day and 3 pm to 5 pm. in the evening.

Cluster of three petals

Abdu’l-Baha, the son of the founder of the religion specified nine side circular shapes to be the essential architectural character of the Baha’i house of Temple. The roots of religion are clearly visible in the architecture of this building. The meaningful and powerful symbols which can be seen in the buildings and in their ornamentation, and even in the settings, in which they have been placed, draw their inspiration from the religious convictions of the people, convictions which form an integral part of the Indian way of life. We can discover the symbolic meanings which the forms, the colours, and the statue in the temple convey. 

The design of the temple manifests the Baha’i faith and reveals the simplicity, clarity and freshness of this new revelation. Moreover it also signifies there is a single religion of the God. The architecture of the Indian temple is inspired from the sacred flower of the Indians, the Lotus. Lotus has been the fairest flower as per Indian taste and has enjoyed unparalleled popularity throughout the length and breadth of the country. 

The temple is composed of 27 free standing marble clad “petals” arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. The nine doors of the Lotus temples open into the central Hall which is capable of folding up to 2500 people. The building is made up of white marble from Penteli Mountain, Greece. There are nine ponds and a garden surrounding this temple. The temple was constructed by ECC group of Larsen and Turbo Limited. It was completed on 13 November 1986 and opened for visitors on 24 December, 1986. We can get more information about the temple from the information centre.

Close look of the petals of Bhai Temple

Lotus temple at Night

Lotus temple

Lotus temple

 For more information about the Architecture visit: http://www.bahaihouseofworship.in/jewel-in-the-lotus

Mango: An aura of Mystique as a Symbol of joy of life

The mango is the pride of the garden, the choicest fruit of Hindustan, Other fruits we are content to eat when ripe but Mango is good in all stages of growth – "Amir Khushrau"

Mangoes are an inseparable part of Indian culture. From cuisine to ceremonies, mango plays an important role. Auspicious, fragrant and full of flavour, mango is undoubtedly one of the reason to look forward to in summers. It is the king of all the tropical fruits. This is an extraordinary fruit which makes our summer delicious, deserves to be celebrated. So let’s have a visit to the famous Mango Festival and enjoy the delicious mangoes with the sense of vision.

It has been 25 years since 1988 when first Mango festival was organized in Delhi by Delhi Tourism. Since then it has been celebrated annually in the summers. It is two day festival showcasing Mangoes. At present this event is organised by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) in collaboration with the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, the National Horticultural Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council. This event has become a prominent feature of Delhi’s event. The venue of this event got shifted many times. From the orchards of Saharanpur, where the festival was first organized, the annual event was shifted to Talkatora stadium in 1991, and then in 2010 to Dilli Haat, Pritampura.

Every year summer knocks the door and makes us to remember the yummy mangoes. Mango (‘Mangifera Indica’) is native to India. It has appeared in our art, literature and mythology since time immemorial. Mangoes find a place in Jain and Buddhist text. Alexander the great christened it as “King of all fruits”. The Mughal emperor Babur called it “Fairest fruit of Hindustan”. The mango tree has a religious significance among Hindus. Mango leaves are used to decorate entrances to space where auspicious functions are held. Mango wood is used in havan and pooja. Mango motif, the auspicious symbol that signifies fertility is used on bridal wear and wedding decoration.

Thousands of eager visitors, passionate and talented cultivators and food processing professionals get together every year to interact with each other, exchange knowledge and views and most importantly to relish sumptuous mangoes. With around hundreds of varieties of mangoes on display by renowned cultivators from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Uttarakhand, West Bengal sharing their knowledge and expertise. The festival is unique opportunity to know and understand the mangoes. Apart from this, festival gives us an opportunity to purchase fresh mangoes and mango based products. We can enjoy eating, drinking, shopping, entertaining activities like mango quiz, mango eating competition, slogan writing, mango carving and judging, cultural programmes and many more.

Please visit our facebook page Journey-of-India for more information about coming mango festival. Let’s enjoy varieties of mangoes and plan to have a visit to mango mela next year.

Angoor Lata

Late Maturity

Saurabh

Chilta Khas

Angoordana

Langra

The World's first kind of ice fruit Mango.

Qutub Complex : For your eyes only

The Qutub Minar complex stands at the core of an early fortified city of Delhi – Lal Kot (red fortress) built by Angpal II of Tomar dynasty in eleventh century.. The Tomars were overthrown by Chauhans and then Chauhans by Turks, further followed by the Slave dynasty.

These monuments are splendid examples of architecture. Let us explore these examples of human excellence and impeccable precision through a photographic tour of the Qutub Complex.

Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar, originally an Islamic monument, is a UNESCO world heritage site. It is located in Mehrauli; South Delhi. It is a massive tower (73 m), 2nd tallest minar of India, made of Red Sandstone, with a distinctive silhouette. It is one of the most readily recognized visual symbols of the city of Delhi and is one of the most visited tourist attraction of the city. It was designed to be a symbol of the Turkish victory over North India.

This was designed and started by Qutubuddin Aibak .The first storey of the Qutub Minar was built during the reign of Qutubuddin Aibak and rest structure was built under Illtutmish. The word Qutub means 'the pole star around which the heaven revolves'. Decoration on the minar consists of finely carved sandstone and some marbles. The tower is divided into five storeys, each of which is topped by a projecting balcony, the underside of which is richly carved. Bands of calligraphy encircle each storey and are embellished in the same style that is found on the screen of arches in the Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque. The inscriptions consist of verses from the Quran and about the history of its construction and repairs.

The Qutub Minar has undergone many rounds of repairs. Originally the tower consisted of only four storeys. Lightning struck it in 1368 causing its damage. It was repaired by the, then ruling Emperor Firoz Shah Tuglak. In the process of restoration certain fundamental alterations were made to the structure. He was probably who introduced the marble. The fourth and final storey was rebuilt as two storeys and decorated using marble. Lightning again struck and injured the minar in the reign of Sikandar Lodhi, who restored it in 1503. These events are recorded as inscriptions on the minar. After the time it does not seem to have received any attention until early in the nineteenth century, when it was in a terribly dilapidated condition as the results of the earthquakes in 1782 and 1803. In the late 1820s, under the rule of British East India Company, Major Smith, an army engineer was assigned to carry out repairs. Unfortunately many of the facing stones that had fallen down were put back without regard for the original order, so that inscriptions became unreadable. Major Smith added a balustrade in Gothic style to the projecting balconies. A new structure was placed on the top of the tower which was widely condemned and finally taken down in 1848.

The minar is some 238 feet high (73 m approx.), 47 feet in diameter at the bottom, and 9 feet only at the top and ascended by 379 steps. It is divided into five storeys by four balconies, the undersides of which are most beautifully carved in a design. The first storey is 95 feet high, with alternate semi-circular and angular flutings; the second and third storeys are 51 and 41 feet in height respectively, the flutings in the one being semi-circular, in the other angular; while the last two stories are 25 and 22 feet high, and have no flutings at all. Round the tower praises of the builder, Qutubuddin Aibak, and of his master Mohamed of Ghor, with texts of the Kuran and the ninety-nine name of Allah, all written in Kufic character.

Images from Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar from Illtutmish tomb

Fourth storey of Qutub Minar

Third storey of Qutub Minar

Second storey of Qutub Minar

Carvings at first and second storey of Qutub Minar

Inscriptions on the walls of first storey

Behind the Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid

Panorama view of Qutub Minar from entrance

Iron Pillar

Iron Pillar

English translation of the inscription on Iron Pillar

It is the oldest structure in the complex.  It dates from the fourth century. The inscription on it in a language is not now in use. This inscription records the erection of the pillar by a king, whose name is read Chandra and was a votary of the Lord Vishnu. There is also inscribed on the pillar the record of the building, or rebuilding, of Delhi by Tomar king, Ang Pal in A.D 1052.

The heavy pillar 7 meters high is made of very pure cast iron and is a remarkable piece of Metallurgy, as it has continued to be virtually free from rust through centuries. Moreover, it shows that an immense amount of patience and hard work must have been necessary before it assumed its present shape as there are no iron ore repositories in neighbourhood.

Alai Minar

                                   Alai Minar

This is a large circular structure built of stone rubble masonry to the north-east of Illtutmish tomb. This was built by the emperor, Alauddin Khilji, who ruled between 1296 and 1316. The ambitious nature of Sultan Alauddin made him win many battles. After such one win from one of his Deccan campaigns he decided to build Alai Minar twice as big as Qutub Minar to celebrate his victory. The first floor of Alai Minar was completed and measured 24.5 meter high. Unfortunately the construction was abandoned after the death of Alauddin Khilji in 1316 AD. The ruins of the minar are only so far interesting as to show how it was constructed.

Aamir Khusro, the renowned Sufi poet and saint during the reign of Khilji dynasty mentions Alauddin’s intention to extend the mosque and constructing another minar in his work ‘Tarikh-i-alai’. This building never got completed after the death of the great conqueror Alauddin Khilji.








Tomb of Illtutmish 

Illtutmish Tomb

It was built in 1230 by Shamsuddin Illtutmish, who was originally the slave of Qutubuddin Aibak and finally succeeded himself as the Sultan of Delhi, and ruled from 1211 to 1236. Its architecture also reflects the mixture of Indian and Islamic architecture. The motifs are more stylish and geometrical, indicates better understanding of the structure by the craftsmen in the three decades. We can see the motifs of lotus and kalash, which finally became fairly constant feature of Sultanate architecture.

It is a square chamber and is open to the sky. Some argue that a dome once crowned it. Illtutmish died in 1236, and troublous time followed, which may have been the cause of the work having been abandoned. But it is also argued that if there had been a dome, its fall would have injured the cenotaph of the king, which does not appear to have sustained any damage.

The exterior is quiet plain and the walls are seven and a half feet in thickness. Inside the surface of the walls is covered in sandstone carved in a style similar to that the screen placed outside. The western wall indicating the direction of prayer is richly decorated with the marvel carvings. Outside the northern doorway one can see the opening in the ground, which leads towards the grave chamber of Illtutmish. The actual grave is in the ground beneath the tomb structure. The large marble cenotaph stands in the middle on top of the grave. 

Marble Carvings at Illtumish Tomb

Carvings and design on the walls of Illtutmish Tomb