Cosmic Dish
A medieval cosmic dish; this is not going to receive any TV channels, but back in its heydey, astronomers used it to help them calculate eclipses, and predict major cosmic events. (Note the marker at the intersection of the wires at the center). Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook + this on [...]
Jaipur’s City Palace – Ridhi Sidhi Pol – the Peacock Gate
The last in this series of the four gates from Ridhi Sidhi Pol at Pitam Niwas Chowk in Jaipur’s City Palace – this is the Peacock Gate situated in the Northeastern corner of the courtyard. It is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and associated with autumn. Each of these gates has a spiritual connection that is [...]
Jaipur’s City Palace – Ridhi Sidhi Pol – the Lotus Door
The third in the series from Ridhi Siddhi Pol and Pitam Niwas Chowk at Jaipur’s City Palace, the Lotus Door is reminiscent of the summer. It is dedicated to Lord Shiva and his consort Parvati Devi, and lies in the Southwest Corner of Pitam Niwas Chowk. These doorways are a true reflection of the colours [...]
Jaipur’s City Palace – Ridhi Sidhi Pol – the Rose Gate
The second of the four gates of Jaipur’s Pitam Niwas Chowk; Ridhi Sidhi Pol’s Southeast Gate known as the Rose Gate is dedicated to the Goddess Devi and is representative of the Winter Season. Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook + this on Google+ share via Reddit Share with Stumblers Tumblr it [...]
Jaipur’s City Palace – Pitam Niwas Chowk – Leheriya
Jaipur’s City Palace is home to its Royal Family (now, a very ceremonial title, but back in the days of their reign. they were true royalty). Their palace is open to tourists on a regular basis, where one can view the various nooks and corners of the palace, and their intricate designs that are part [...]
Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar
There are a couple of these around India, and they are the oldest observatories in the world. Life in India has a lot to do with what is written in the stars. The Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments. It was built by Maharaja [...]
The Bagaan
The Agra Fort is a UNESCO world heritage site (one of three in Agra) and is a site with a lot of Indian history about it. While it has been around since the first Mughal Emperor, Babar, it took its real shape in its current form during the reign on of Shah Jahan. It is [...]
Dakshineshwar
The waters of the Ganges are considered sacred among Hindus, and over the centuries, several very noteworthy temples have been erected by both kings and common men and women. The Dakshineshwar Kali Temple lies towards the end of the Gangetic plain, just outside Calcutta, or Kolkata as it is now known, on the banks of the [...]
Welcome to Sikandra
Having posted several images of his father’s tomb, and an image of the interior, it was merely a matter of time before I got around to posting a picture of the exterior. This is Sikandra, tomb of the third Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Sikandra is one of the three major attractions of Agra (the other two [...]
The tomb of the second Mughal Emperor
Today’s post is yet another rendition of Humayun’s tomb… I’ve presented it in the past both from the inside, and from the outside, from the top, and from the ground level. This perspective is a little away to the right from the main entrance, in an area that was under restoration in January 2011. There [...]
Audience for the Royals
A few days ago, I had published a photograph of the Diwan-e-Am (the Hall of Public Audience) at New Delhi’s Red Fort. This image above is from the Diwan-e-Khas – the Hall of Private Audience. Cloistered within the interior walls of the fort, these chambers were reserved for the Emperor to grant audience to his [...]
The Concourse at Changi
Have you ever been in a rush to catch a plane while travelling from one continent to another? I’ve rarely faced this dilemma - and it has something to do with me being a bit of a nervous traveler. I have to get to the airport as early as possible, to avoid any possibility of a delay [...]
The Diwan-e-Am at the Red Fort
The Red Fort in New Delhi is one of the most historic buildings in India. It is here that the Indian national flag was raised for the first time in Independent India. Consider this – the entire city of New Delhi was – at one time – contained within the walls of the Red Fort. [...]
The first shot from the 5D Mark II
This is the first shot that I took with my 5D Mark Mark II – Singapore is a great place to buy electronics. It is one of the cheapest places in the world to pick up a good deal, thanks to the absence of import duties (one of the good things about shopping at a [...]
The Terrace of a Tomb
I’ve posted a couple of images of Humayun’s tomb in the past. A world heritage site and all, it is quite a large structure in its own right, and is well worth a visit if you’re in New Delhi. To truly appreciate the structure, you need to go in, and up to the upper level [...]
Jaigarh framed
I spent several years in the United States of America and have now lived for four years in Australia. Whenever, I mention to people that I’m from India, one of the most common reactions that I get from people is “you have such amazing colours!”. No other place in India is more colourful than the [...]
Shangri-La off Orchard
You either really like Singapore, or you don’t care for it much. Either way, you have to hand it to the Singaporeans – they do hospitality very well – be it for the business traveller, or the casual traveller. I had spent a little over 36 hours during my stopover to buy a camera, and [...]
Jaipur’s City Palace
A throwback to ths times where the title of Maharaja meant something, Jaipur’s city palace still stands to this day and serves as residence to the royal family of the Maharani of Jaipur. It is the centrepiece of the pink city, a private residence to the family that opens its doors to the public through [...]
The Pearl Mosque
Somewhat of a misnomer, this…. this is the Moti Mahal which resides in the corner of Agra Fort. The Mughals came from Persia and were of Islamic faith. When they migrated to India, they brought their faith with them. As they became more powerful, they built their fortified cities, and within them, they built their [...]
Khas Mahal
The Khas Mahal in New Delhi’s Red Fort is one of the best examples of the Mughal Architecture. Built by the fourth Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, this section of the Red Fort is cast together in white marble. The open plan layout of the living quarters is typical of Mughal architecture, with canals set within [...]
