Mysore Palace: Fine Specimen of Indo-Saracenic style of architecture

Mysore Palace / Image Credit

A fine specimen of Indo-Saracenic style of architecture, Mysore Palace is a wonderful feat of engineering which makes it a huge drawcard for millions of tourists every year.  Also known as ‘Amba Palace’, the Mysore Palace was built over a period of 15 years at the beginning of the 20th century at a cost estimated at the time to be around 4 million Indian rupees. A treasure-trove of exquisite sculptures and works of art, the structure features stained glass ceilings and Italian crystal chandeliers. 

This Mysore’s most enduring symbol is a testament to the pomp and grandeur of one of India's notably wealthy princely states-  Wadiyar dynasty.  

Designed by an English architect, Henry Irwin, the Mysore Palace is at its exuberant best during 10-day Dusshera festival when the stunning palace is illuminated at night by thousands of bulbs. 

Mehrangarh Fort

Sheesha Mahal, Mehrangarh Fort / Image credit

Emphatically not to be missed while you're in Jodhpur is a visit to the historic Mehrangarh Fort. This impressive fort, whose ramparts rise from a sheer-sided sandstone outcrop, houses several beautiful palaces, temples and gardens. As you enter the crenelated walls of the fort through its arched gates, it is like stepping into the medieval past. 

 Mehrangarh Fort / Image Credit

Crowning a perpendicular cliff, the Mehrangarh Fort was founded by Rao Jodha in 1459 AD, around which the city grew. Within it, the fort contains the Maharaja's palace, several temples and an extensive garden. Highlights of the fort include Moti Mahal (Pearl Hall), Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Hall), Phool Mahal (Flower Hall), Zenana Deodi where the king’s wives spent their time, Chamunda Mataji Temple and a museum.

Lumbini, the Birthplace of the Lord Buddha

 

 Mayadevi_Temple_in_Lumbini / Image credit

Located in the Rupandehi District in Nepal, Lumbini is the spiritual centre of Buddhism. For Buddhists, a visit to this Buddhist site is one the most important religious and spiritual journeys of their life. The reason is not far to seek. 

It was in Lumbini that the Buddha, one of history’s greatest teachers, was born. Its central temple, Maya Devi Temple, is an obligatory stop on the Buddhist pilgrimage circuit. Unsurprisingly, this UNESCO World Heritage–listed site is a huge drawcard for the Buddhist pilgrims from around the world for centuries. According to the Lumbini Pillar Edict (also known as Rummindei Pillar Inscription) in Nepal, Mauryan Emperor Ashoka travelled to Lumbini in 249 BC and constructed four stupas and erected a stone pillar with a figure of a horse on top.

Lumbini is one of the four main sacred sites of the Buddhist religion. Other three holy places are Bodh Gaya (Tree of Wisdom at Gaya where Buddha gained enlightenment), Sarnath near Varanasi where he preached his first sermon and Kushinagar where he died- all located in India. 

Apart from the Maya Devi Temple, many monasteries and temples of various Buddhist traditions dot the town, built in their national style by foreign Buddhist communities. 

Maya Devi Temple 

The spiritually important Maya Devi Temple marks the exact spot where Siddhartha Gautama, who later came to be known as the Buddha after he attained enlightenment, was born to Queen Maya Devi. On the south of the temple is the holy pond where Maya Devi is believed to have bathed before giving birth to the Buddha. Adjacent to the area are ancient ruins of brick stupas and the Ashokan pillar and a sacred Bodhi tree under which maroon robed monks from different parts of the world congregate to offer prayers and mediate. 

World Peace Pagoda

The brilliant white World Peace Pagoda in Lumbini is one of the several pagodas built by the Japanese Buddhists. Built in 2001 at a cost of US$1 million, the pagoda houses a shining golden statue representing the posture the Buddha took when he was born. 

  

Karla Caves

 

                                                                Karla Caves / Image Credit

8 km from the hill station of Lonavala in Maharashtra, Karla is home to awe-inspiring Buddhist caves dating back to 2nd century BC. The most striking highlight of these caves is the presence of a deep apsidal chaitya hall cut in solid rock which is hailed as the largest in India. Chaitya is a sacred spot or shrine indigenous to Buddhism. Made in the first century BC, the chaitya of Karla is cut 124 feet deep into the rock. Karla cave is much developed in size and splendour when compared to other caves of that period. 

The columns of the chaitya are ornately carved and each of them is set a square stepped plinth. Each of 37 pillars sports a group of horses and elephants with riders to support the roof. The Karla caves have three entrances and splendid relief panels of dampati couples with small carved gable-ends above.  The large windows let light into the hall. 

How to reach Karla Caves 

Rail: Lonavala is the nearest railway station on the Mumbai-Pune section of Central Railway, well connected with other cities and places in India. 

Air: nearest airports to Karla Caves are at Pune and Mumbai which are 55km and 80 km away respectively.  

Road: Karla caves are situated on the National Highway-4 between Mumbai and Pune. 

History of Chandigarh

                                    Corbusier boating at Sukhna Lake/ Image Source

Chandigarh came into being thanks to the need of a new capital city to serve as the capital of the state of Punjab. The partition of Punjab, as a corollary to the partition of British India into the two nations of India and Pakistan in 1947, resulted in the incorporation of Lahore in Pakistan.  As no other city was considered to be fit for being the capital of Punjab, the idea of building a new city gained ground. 

Chandigarh, literally meaning "the fort of Chandi", is named after Chandi Mandir, a temple of goddess Chandi, situated in the Panchkula District of the state of Haryana. The famous French architect and urban planner, Le Corbusier, was entrusted with the task of designing the city.

Today Chandigarh is a union territory serving as the capital of Punjab and Haryana which was created carving out of the eastern portion of  Punjab state. 

History quiz: How much do you know about the Vijayanagara Empire - Part 3

                            Virupaksha Temple-Hampi / Image Credit

 Q.1. Who among the following Bahmani rulers was married to the daughter of Vijayanagar ruler Dev Raya I?

(a) Firuz Shah Bahmani

(b) Alauddin Hasan Bahmani

(c) Ahmed Shah 

(d) Muhammad Shah III 

Q.2. Which of the following foreign travellers had visited the court of Deve Raya I?

(a) Ibn Batuta

(b) Nicolo de Conti

(c) Abdur Razzak

(d) Domingo Paes

Q.3. Which of the following foreign travellers had visited the court of Deve Raya II?

(a) Ibn Batuta

(b) Nicolo de Conti

(c) Abdur Razzak

(d) Domingo Paes

Q.4. The permission of which Vijayanagara emperors was solicited by Francisco Albuquerque, the Portuguese governor of Goa in India, to build a fort at Bhatkal?

(a) Devaraya I

(b) Devaraya II

(c) Krishnadevaraya 

(d) Virupaksha Raya

Q.5. The Battle of Talikota between Vijayanagara empire and the Muslim Sultanates of Deccan took place in which year?

(a) 1526

(b) 1556

(c) 1565

(d) 1605

Q.6. ------is a book written by famed historian Robert Swell about Vijayanagara empire?

(a) A Forgotten Empire

(b) The Birth of an empire

(c) The Empire of South India

(d) Empire on Tungabhadra 

Q.7. When did Vijayanagar king Krishnadevaraya die? 

(a) 1346

(d) 1526

(c) 1529

(d) 1530

Q.8. Who was the Vijayanagara emperor during Talikota war?

(a) Sadasiva Raya

(b) Krishnadevaraya

(c) Harihara I 

(d) Bukka Raya II

Q.9. Who among the following beheaded Rama Raya, the de facto ruler of Vajayanagara, at the battle of Talikota in 1565?

(a) Husain Shah Nizami 

(b) Ibrahim Adil Shah

(c) Burhan Nizam Shah II

(d) Murtada Nizam Shah I

Q.10. When was the present day Hampi, the nucleus of  Vijayanagar empire, designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO?

(a) 1981

(b) 1986

(c) 1996

(d) 2006

Answers

1-a

Notes

The marriage of Firuz Shah Bahmani with the daughter of Deva Raya I was celebrated with great pomp and show. 

Addicted to hard drinking, Firuz Shah Bahmani, like many other medieval rulers, was a blood thirsty tyrant. He won two battles against the Hindu Vijayanagar kingdom in 1398 and 1406. After these victories, he took delight in massacre of the populace and left “the roads littered with the bodies of the slaughtered Hindus”. Firoz Bahmani entered into a new relationship with Vijayanagar ruler Deva Raya I by marrying his daughter. 

2-b

Notes

Born at the coastal town of Chioggia in Italy, Nicolo Conti was an Italian and the earliest European visitor to the mighty Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar. Nicolo Conti reached the city in 1420 -21 in the reign of Devaraya I. His original travel account in Latin is lost. Conti gives a vivid account of the city of Vijayanagar, its court, customs, currency, festivals and other matters. 

3-c

Notes

Abdur Razzaq was a Persian who was sent by Timur's son and successor Shah Rukh as ambassador to the Zamorin of Calicut. In April 1443, Abdur Razzaq also visited Vijayanagar during the reign of Devaraya II. Abdur Razzaq was overawed with the size and grandeur of the city of Vijayanagar.

He says, “The city is such that eye has not seen nor ear heard of any place resembling it upon the whole earth. It is so built that it has seven fortified walls, one within the other.” His narrative supplies valuable information on the topography, administration and social life of Vijayanagar at that time. 

4-c

Notes

Krishnadevaraya granted the permission to Portuguese to erect a fort at Bhatkal. 

5-c

Notes

It was during the reign of the Taluva king Sadashiva Raya (1543- 69) that famous battle of Rakshasa Tangadi or Talikota in 1565 was fought in which Vijayanagar army was defeated by the combined forces of the five Muslim Sultanates of Deccan. This gave body blow to the empire. After this battle the kingdom lost its grandeur and glory. 

Ram Raja was the de facto ruler of Vijayanagara during the battle and was killed.

6 – a

Notes

A Forgotten Empire is an account of the Vijayanagar kingdom. 

7-c

Notes

An epigraphical reference to the date of death of Krishnadevaraya was discovered at Honnenahalli in Tumakuru district. According to the inscription, Krishnadevaraya died on October 17, 1529. 

8-a

Notes

The Battle of Talikota took place in 1565 between the Vijayanagara Empire and an alliance of the Deccan sultanates. During the battle, the Vijayanagara emperor was Sadasiva Raya. During his reign the famous battle of Rakshasa Tangadi or Talikota in 1565 was fought between Vijayanagar and the combined forces of the five Muslim Sultanates of Deccan.

9-a

Notes

Hussain Nizam Shah had beheaded the de facto ruler of Vajayanagara,  Rama Raya of Vijayanagara, after the Battle of Talikota.

10- b 

Notes

The site of Hampi, the capital city of Vijayanagar Empire, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1986. 

History quiz: How much do you know about the Vijayanagara Empire - Part 2

Q.1. Who among the following was the Delhi Sultanate ruler when the Vijayanagara Empire came into existence? 

(a) Muhammad bin Tughlaq

(b) Giyas-ud-din Tughlaq

(c) Firoz Shah Tughlaq

(d) Khizr Khan

Q.2. Which of the foreign travelers had visited the Vijayanagara empire during the reign of Krishnadevaraya?

(a) Duarte Barbosa

(b) Domingo Paes 

(c) Abdur Razzaq

(d) Both a and b 

Q.3. Which of the following Vijayanagara rulers had earned the title of Purvapaschima Samudradhishavara?

(a) Deva Raya II

(b) Virupaksha Raya

(c) Krishnadeva Raya

(d) Harihara I

Q.4. Which of the following was a bone of contention between Vijayanagara empire and Bahmani Sultanate? 

(a) Bijapur

(b) Gulbarga

(c) Raichur Doab

(d) Golconda 

Q.5. The correct chronological order in which the following dynasties of the Vijayanagara empire were established:

(i) Saluva Dynsty

(ii) Tuluva dynasty

(iii) Sangama Dynasty

(iv) Aravidu dynasty

(a) II, I,III,IV

(b) II, I, IV,III

(c) I, II, IV,III

(d) III, I, II, IV

Q.6. Krishnadevaraya’s reign spanned the years from --------- to -------------.

(a) 1501-1520

(b) 1505-1526

(c) 1509-1529

(d) 1510-1530

Q.7. Who was the last king of Sangama Dynasty?

(a) Praudha Raya

(b) Virupaksha Raya II

(c) Mallikarjuna Raya

(d) Deva Raya II

Q.8. Which of the following Vijaynagar ruler had taken the title of 'Gajabetekara (the elephant hunter)'?

(a) Bukka Raya II

(b) Deva Raya II. 

(c) Virupaksha Raya II

(d) Harihara Raya II

Q.9. Which Bijapur Sultan was defeated by Krishnadevaraya in the battle of Raichur?

(a) Yusuf Adil Shah 

(b) Ismail Adil Shah

(c) Ibrahim Adil Shah I

(d) Ali Adil Shah I

Q.10. In the court of which of the following rulers did Ashtadiggajas flourish?

(a) Deva Raya II

(b) Harihara I 

(c) Krishnadevaraya

(d) Bukka Raya II

Answers

1-a

Notes

During his reign Muhammad bin Tughluq had to encounter as many as thirty four rebellions, twenty seven of them in the south. Vijayanagar Empire came into existence at the cost of Sultanate territory during the rule of Muhammad bin Tughlaq.

The rule of Muhammad bin Tughlaq lasted from 1325 to 1351. The Vijayanagara Empire was founded in 1336. 

2-d

Notes

In April 1443, Abdur Razzaq also visited Vijayanagar during the reign of Devaraya II. 

Duarte Barbosa was a Portuguese traveller who came to Vijayanagar during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya.

Domingo Paes was a Portuguese traveler who visited Vijayanagar during the reign of its greatest ruler Krishnadeva Raya in 1520.

3-d

Notes

Harihara I, the founder of Vijayanagara kingdom, had earned the title of Purvapaschima Samudradhishavara ("master of the eastern and western seas"). 

4-c

Notes

Raichur Doab is the region between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers. Thanks to its being a fertile land, Raichur Doab was a bone of contention between the rulers of the Vijayanagar and the Bahmani kingdom.

5-d

Sangama Dynasty was founded in 1336. Saluva dynasty was founded in 1885. Tuluva dynasty was founded in 1491.  

6- c

Krishnadeva Raya ruled from 1509 to 1529. 

7-a

Notes

Praudha Raya was the last king of Sangama Dynasty.

8-b

Notes

Deva Raya II who ruled from 1424 to 1446 was the greatest ruler of the Sangama dynasty of Vijaynagar. He is known for his title Gajabetegara (a hunter of elephant). 

9-b

Notes

Krishnadevaraya had inflicted a crushing defeat on Isma'il 'Adil Shah of Bijapur on the 19th March, 1520. 

10-c

Notes

The court of Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya was adorned by the 'Ashtadiggajas'' (eight elephants), a collective title given to his eight Telugu scholars and poets whose contribution the world of Telugu literature is immense.