Laxmi Vilas Palace at Vadodara is one of the most elegant palaces and in size it is four times the size of Buckingham Palace.
Maharaja Sayajirao III commissioned Major Charles Mant to build this magnificent palace and it was completed in 1890 by by R.F. Chisolm. The grounds surrounding the palace has been landscaped by William Goldring.
The architecture of the palace has right mix of Indian, Islamic, and European styles. Through the big arched entrance an elephant can easily pass with a howdah on his back.
The ornate Darbar Hall with Venetian mosaic floor, Belgium stained glass windows and walls with intricate mosaic decorations has been a venue of music concerts and other cultural events for the Royal family.
The colorful interiors of the palace is as impressive as the exterior. While The floor has multi-colored marble and mosaic tile every nook and corner of the palace showcases various works of art.
The palace houses a huge collection of sculptures in bronze, marble & terracotta. The palace is open to public from 11 a.m - 5 p.m and and an audio tour is available. It is closed on Mondays.
At Shravanabelagola on the Indragiri hill there are various ancient monuments all over the hillock. One among them is Wodeyar Mantap.
It is in the North West direction of the enclosure surrounding the Gometshwara statue. In this mantapa one can see a four sided stone erected with inscription on it in all the directions.
The inscription details that Wodeyars of Mysore bailed out Jain Temples in this area.
In Konarak, the Sun Temple Complex has few more temples other than the main Sun Temple. The notable among them is to the west of the main temple popularly called Mayadevi Temple.
Built in 11th century AD, the temple facing east comprises of sanctum and a porch standing over a raised platform. The top portion of the sanctum and porch are missing.
It is believed to have been dedicated to one of the wives of Lord Surya. However, the image of Sun God in the temple indicates that it may be a temple built earlier than main temple.
The interior of the porch is notable for their beautiful sculptural work.
On the external side the temple exhibits lot of sculptural marvels. One of the interesting sculpture is that of a crocodile.
Kamakshi Shrine in Ramalingeshwara Temple Complex at Avani is one of the simplest temple with not much carvings on it that are associated with other ancient temples in this complex.
The temple has a sanctum, hall and a open porch. Only notable feature of this temple is the pillars which are of cylindrical type. The pillar has decorative carvings on them.
Nawab Mahbat Khan controlled the city of Junagadh from 1851 to 1852. In the year 1892 over his grave a tomb is built architecture of which is exquisite. The tomb is known by the Mahbat Maqbara.
The architecture is a mix of Hindu, Islamic and European. Its striking appearance makes it one of the city's most important historical landmarks.
Notable European features are the floor-to-lintel French windows and Gothic columns alongside the doors and windows.
Sadly, today this historic monument is in a neglected state and surely deserves better attention for one of the unique architecture it showcases.
In Gir Sanctuary went for Safari in an open jeep and we could see some birds flying around. We spotted 2 adultRose-ringed Parakeet sitting on the tree branches.
The adult male sports a red or black neck ring. They have distinctive green color and on average measure 40 cm in length, including the tail feathers.
In the wild, this is a noisy species with an unmistakable squawking call. They feed on seeds, nuts, buds, fruits, vegetables, nuts and berries.
Mahadev Govind Ranade was a founding member of the Indian National Congress. He was a well known public figure as he was Indian scholar, social reformer and author. He published books on Indian economics and on Maratha history. Below
He was a founder of the Social Conference movement and he opposed child marriage, the shaving of widows' heads, the heavy cost of marriages and other social functions. He was a staunch supporter of widow remarriage and female education. While he valued India’s history, he encouraged the acceptance of change, believing traditional social structures, like the caste system, should accommodate change, thereby preserving India’s ancient heritage.
This is thirtieth in the series on the rich cultural heritage of ancient temples in India. The ancient temples showcase sculptural work that is unmatched anywhere in the world.
A beautiful Shivalinga at Parasurameswara Temple in Bhubaneshwar, the unique feature is that there are several miniature Shivalinga carved on it. It is said t there are all together 1000 on them.
The tomb of founder Sultan Ahmed Shah of Ahmedabad is located adjacent to Jama Masjid, the city’s main congregational mosque.
This is one of the few royal tomb and it was built in the first half of the 15th century AD.
Built on a square plan, it is built on a raised platform. It consists of a central hall, four small chambers and a pillared portico. One of the key features of the mausoleum is the profusion of jali screens.
