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