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 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 [...]
Diwan-e-am at Amber
The concept of the Diwan-e-Am or “Hall of Public Audience” was not limited merely to the Mughals. The Rajputs employed the same concept too. This is the Diwan-e-Am in the Amber Fort, which sits in the main entrance way of the palace of Maharaja Man-Singh, perched high above the rest of Jaipur. A popular destination [...]
Cenotaphs at Mandore
The ‘Mandore gardens’, with its charming collection of temples and memorials, and its high rock terraces, is a major attraction of Jodhpur. The gardens house the Chhatris (cenotaphs) of many rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Marwar. Prominent among them is the chhatri of Maharaja Ajit Singh of Marwar, built in 1793. The gardens [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Jaigarh
In the backdrop of the more famous Amber Fort lies the Jaigarh fort in Jaipur. This fort sits atop a hill that looks down upon the royal complex of the Amber Fort and is connected to its more illustrious cousin by an underground tunnel that was designed for the inhabitants of Amber to make good [...]
Courtyard of Kings
Hidden away within the walls of this art-deco materpiece is this court yard in the Umaid Bhawan Palace. This piece of architecture brings together traditional Rajput architecture with art-deco and has been well maintained. The palace is now part private residence, part exclusive hotel and part tourist destination and museum, seated deftly atop the highest [...]
The Marble Cloister
Jaipur is one of the major stops along India’s Golden Triangle. One if its major drawcards is the Amber Fort – home of the Rajput kings from their glory days of the past. The fort is one of several fortified structures built on the Aravali hills and is linked via a tunnel to Jaigarh. This [...]
Jaisalmer Fort – the eastern wing
A quick one today – the view of the eastern wing of the Jaisalmer fort. Not much more to say, beyond the fact that its a living fort with over 4000 people living within… a fact that you will be able to more than make out as your approach this monument. Bookmark on Delicious Digg [...]
Bemoustached Rajput
This is one of many images that are still lying on my hard drive awaiting post processing and was taken during my trip to India in January this year. This gentleman is one of the many attendants at the city palace in Jaipur. The city palace is home to the royal family of Jaipur. While [...]
Amber Fort
Rajasthan is full of forts. The Rajputs spent a lot of their time fighting the Mughals in the 14th through 17th centuries. Some forts are not very nice to visit. The Amber fort, however, is one of the nicer forts to visit. Perched up on one of the many hills that make up the Aravalli [...]
Sarvato Bhadra Chowk
Jaipur’s City Palace was, and still is, home to the royal family of Jaipur. The palace is intricately decorated across different wings, and while it is open to tourists, it is well and truly a private residence, that is bustling with the activity of all the staff who keep it running smoothly. Pictured here is [...]
The Umaid Bhawan Palace
Built on top of Chittar Hill, the highest point in Jodhpur, the Umaid Bhawan Palace is one of the largest private residences in the world and exhibits a marraige of art deco and classical Indian architecture. While the palace still operates as a private residence to the erstwhile royal family of Jodhpur, it is predominantly a [...]
Infinity above
The ancient town of Mandore lies to the north of Jodhpur and is home to the Mandore Fort and the Mandore Gardens. Built in 1973, it houses a charming collection of temples and memorials, high rock terraces and the Chhatris (cenotaphs) of many rulers of the erstwhile princely state of Marwar. Prominent among them is the [...]
Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer Fort is one of the largest forts in the world. It is situated in Jaisalmer city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It was built in 1156 AD by the Bhati Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal, from where it derives it name. The fort stands proudly amidst the golden stretches of the great Thar Desert, [...]
Palace of the winds
The facade of this building still makes one wonder what it must have been like in the peak of its glory. The Hawa Mahal or Palace of the Winds is one of Jaipur’s most recognisable and well known landmarks. It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Usta [...]
