Sidi Bashir Mosque is located opposite to the city railway station in Ahmadabad is one of the historic monument. This mosque was completed in 1452. Unfortunately the body of the mosque was later destroyed in a war between the Marathas and Gujarat Sultanate. But even today the minarets and arched central gateway still remain intact.
Each of this minarets is 100 feet tall and has 3 levels with intricately carved balconies. A gentle shaking of either minaret after climbing to a height of 84 feet results in the other minaret vibrating after a few seconds, though the connecting passage between them remains free of vibration.
Due to this mysterious feature the minarates of mosque are also called Jhulta Minar or Shaking Minarets. The actual reason behind this phenomenon is not yet known.
This minaret strong enough to withstand the pressure of fast moving trains that pass from a close distance. This architects has attributed to the way these minarets have been built layer by layer. The motifs on this minaret are of exceptional craftsmanship.
Yaganti is located at a distance of 75 kms from Tadipatri in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This place is nestled in the middle of some hostile terrain like the the dry, rocky region of Erramala Hills.
This place is not on the regular tourist track. People who wish to visit the temples here or interested in rustic beauty of nature must visit this place.
Places of interest here are:
We left Bangalore by 5:00 a.m and reached this place around 4:00 p.m after covering Lepakshi, Tadpatri, and Belum Caves. It was hectic but very nice places to see.
When we were in Adalaj to visit the ancient well near Ahmedabad we could spot several common birds in the vicinity. One of them is White Pigeon.
They were sitting on the tree in between the leaves.
In Melkote there are two important temples. The Cheluvanarayanaswamy Temple is one of the most ornate temple located in the center of the town.
The temple complex has a main unit consisting of a Garbhagraha and an Ardhamandapa, a narrow pillared corridor, a Mahamandapa and a small Mukhmandapa. There is a large courtyard surrounded by a prakara wall with a broad pillared closures on its inner and outer sides.
In the narrow pillared corridor, the pillars are carved beautifully. The carvings on the pillar are very unique. No two pillars of the corridor are identical. The uniqueness of the each of pillars can be seen in the above snap.
The timings at the temple are, 9.00am to 1.00pm and 5.30pm to 8.00pm. During Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the timings will be from 11.00am to 2.00pm and 5.00pm to 8.00pm.
Note Photography is strictly prohibited inside the temples but people can carry their cameras along with them.
A glimpse of India in black and white. Check other posts that will give you more details about this place.
A view from hillock at Avani
A tour of Diu is not complete without visiting the magnificent St. Paul’s Church. It was built in 1600 A.D. by the Jusuits as seminary and was subsequently rebuilt in 1807 A.D.
The church dedicated to Our Lady of Immaculate Conception. The most attractive part of the the church is its impressive Gothic facade considered to be the most elaborate of any of the Portuguese churches of India.
The front elevation or facade of the church is very detailed.
The interior of the church is decorated with intricately carved very beautiful wood work.
The altar has the statue of St. Mary. carved out of a single piece of Burmese teak Its interior has elaborate and impressive design with delicate volutes and shell.
Hebbal Lake in north Bangalore is favorite spot for joggers, photography enthusiasts and birds. Here are some shots of the birds around the lake.
On the eastern flank of ancient civilisation that is nearly 4000 years old town Lothal the architects of the town had created dockyard and a warehouse to support naval trade.
The warehouse was built close to the dockyard on a plinth of mud bricks approximately 11 ft high. A long wharf connected the dockyard to the main warehouse.
This was the place where goods were checked and stored. It was divided into 64 rooms of around 3.5 square meters each, connected by 1.2 meter wide passages.
Only 12 of these cubical blocks have survived test of time.
A glimpse of heritage of India in black and white. Check other posts that will give you more details about this place.
Jog Falls is the magnificent water falls in the Western Ghats just 100 Kms from Shimoga city. This beautiful water falls is formed when Sharavati river plunges from a height of 829 feet in four magnificent cascades namely Raja, Rani, Roarer and Rocket.
This is the tallest waterfalls in India that is situated in the dense evergreen forests of Western Ghats. The water does not stream down the rocks, instead it thunders down the slope losing contact with the rocks.
The lush green surroundings enhance the beauty of the waterfalls. It is also known as Gerusoppaa Falls. The best time to visit the Jog is in winter when the sky is clear of the mist.
The place is well connected by rail and road. It is just 100 kms from Shimoga on NH26.
At Jakkur Lake in north Bangalore you can come across many colorful birds. One of them is Green Bee-eater.
They are richly coloured bird.This is a slender bird that is 9 inches long with about 2 inches of elongated central tail-feathers. The entire plumage is bright green and the crown and upper back are tinged with golden rufous.
A black line runs in front of and behind the eye. The iris is crimson and the bill is black while the legs are dark grey.
They feed on insects, especially bees, wasps and ants. They can be seen mainly in grassland
This small town is 15 kms from the Goa State capital Panjim. In the 16th century it was occupied by Portuguese.
It is a popular tourist destination. Some of the interesting places are:
- Candolim Beach
- Aguada Fort
- Sinquerim Beach
Other places of interest nearby are:
A glimpse of heritage of India in black and white. Check other posts that will give you more details about this place.
Mandvi Gate in Vadodara is a historical monumnet dating back to the Mughal period. This gate resembling a pillared hall was built by Sultan Muzaffar some time between 1511 and 1526 AD.
It is at the centre of the walled city where the roads leading to the 4 gates crosses. This square-shaped structure has three arched openings on each of its four sides.
After successive renovations and last one in 1856 AD, today the gate is a four-storied concrete structure with a clock fitted on the top.
When we were in Somnathpur to visit the ancient Chennakeshav Temple we could spot many common birds. One of them is Indian Mynah.
It is an omnivorous open woodland bird with a strong territorial instinct. It has adapted extremely well to urban environments.
Sikkim is one state that my family has been planning to visit for last 3 years. This has been getting postponed for one or another reason, but finally it happened in the last month.
Located in the Himalayan mountains, this beautiful place is characterised by mountainous terrain is a very lovely destination. The original inhabitants of Sikkim, called it Nye-mae-el, meaning "Paradise".
The entire state is hilly, with an elevation ranging from 280 metres 8500 metres with summit of Kangchenjunga peak forming the state's highest point. The state has 28 mountain peaks, more than 80 glaciers. Numerous rivers originate from the snow covered Himalayan mountains. The major river of the state is the Teesta River.
It is one of the few states in India to receive regular snowfall. The green cover for the state is provided by the thick forests. We covered length and breadth of the State by visiting important places in East, West, South and North.
The entire state has roads built on the mountains with never ending high, low, twists and turns. It was a exciting trip with skilled local driver taking us around. We shall cover each of these places in more detail.
A glimpse of heritage monuments of India in black and white. Check other posts that will give you more details about this monument.
