India castle. Abandoned fortresses of India

There are many beautiful palaces in India. Each of them is magnificent in its own way - be it bright colors, arches and domes, or beautiful gardens. Many of the palaces are still the official residences of the royal family, while others have been converted into luxury hotels. From the famous Mysore Palace to the floating Jal Mahal, here are some of the most beautiful palaces in Indian palaces.

Shesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) is the most famous part of Jaipur Amber Fort. Paintings and flowers carved from glass cover the walls and ceilings, giving the palace its name.

The intricate design of the five-story Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds in Jaipur, was due to the fact that it was supposed to allow women of the royal family to watch the festivities outside the palace, since they were not allowed to appear in public.

Udaipur at the City Palace is a complex of 11 beautiful palaces with gardens, gates, courtyards, terraces and corridors on the shores of Lake Pichola.

The Mysore Palace in the state of Karnataka in southern India is still the official residence of the Maharajas of Mysore. The palace was completed in 1912 and is a mixture of several styles of architecture: Hindu, Muslim, Raiput and Gothic.

Mysore is the most impressive and most beautiful of Indian palaces at night.

A stunning architectural masterpiece built of white marble, the Taj Mahal is India's most famous monument. It houses the tomb of the wife of the former Mughal emperor.

Both a luxury hotel and residence of the royal family of Jodhpur, Umaid Bhawwan Palace is set on 26 acres and is entirely built of sandstone, giving it a unique look.

Known as the Palace of Water, Jal Mahal looks like it is a floating city in the middle of the Sagar River in Jaipur. The building has four floors below the surface of the water. The imposing palace has now become an exclusive high-end restaurant.

Fatehpur Sikri is translated as the city of victory. Built by the Mughal emperor in the 16th century as the capital of the empire - and then abandoned due to lack of water - the complex of temples, palaces and monuments is made entirely of bright red sandstone.

The City Palace, built in the 18th century by the ruler of Amer, is now part of Jaipur.

In the City Palace, there are other palaces: Chandra Mahal, where the museum is now located, and Mubarak Mahal.

Built in the city of Hyderabad in the late 19th century, during the reign of the Nizams, Chowmahalla Palace was the place where the royal family entertained their guests.

The Nizams were part of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, which ruled until 1948.

Lakshmi Vilas Palace is one of the grandest in Vadodara - formerly known as Baroda - a city located in the western state of Gujarat. The Vadodara royal family still resides here.

It took 6 million rupees to build this beautiful palace. The palace boasts gardens, a golf course and magnificent interiors filled with chandeliers, artwork and mosaics.

Bangalore Palace is located in the southwestern state of Karnataka and is owned by the same family, which also owns the Mysore Palace.

It is built in the Tudor style, making it an interesting landmark that contrasts with many of the other buildings around it. The floor patterns are fantastic.

Originally built in 1835 for the beloved maidservant of the Queen of Jaipur, Rambaj Palace was later converted into a hunting lodge and renamed by the reigning Maharaj: Sawai Ram Singh II. It is now a luxury hotel.

A 17th century palace converted into a luxury hotel, Jagmandir Palace sits on its own island in Lake Pichola in Udaipur. Guests are ferried to the palace, often referred to as the "garden of heaven."

Often referred to as the central Agartala, the Uzhdayantha Palace was built in 1901 by the 182nd Maharajas of Tripura in northeastern India. The only part of the palace open to visitors is the museum located in the palace, which houses cultural artifacts and memorabilia.

Fortress palace Amber (India)

Amber Fort is considered one of the finest fortified structures in India. Construction began in 1592 by Manom ​​Singh I. It is located in the northern suburbs of Jaipur. The Amber Fort is surrounded by hills, and the fortress wall extends into the distance along the ridges of the peaks for many kilometers. The name "amber" comes from the name of the goddess Amba, also known as Durga. There is another fortress on the mountain peak - Jaigarh. On the one side of the mountain, it guards the approaches to Amber itself, and on the other side - to Jaipur.
The fort was built in the Rajput architectural style, which was characterized by strict, clear lines and massive external forms. Inside the building there are many balconies, columns, gazebos are richly decorated.
You can climb to the fort on an elephant, on foot or by jeep. For the convenience of tourists, a separate road has been made for each type of movement.


The path to Amber begins on the shores of the artificial lake Maota. The first courtyard of the fort is called Jaleb Chowk. There are many souvenir shops here. The gate of Suraj Pol leads to it. Through the Chaendra Paul gate, you can go to the temple dedicated to Narasingha, one of the incarnations of the god Vishnu. Here is the Jagat Shiroman temple with a large prayer hall. Outside the Singh Paul Gate is the Official Audience Pavilion. Its vaulted roof rests on forty columns, the tops of which are represented by the heads of elephants with raised trunks. There is a terrace nearby with a magnificent view.

Republic of India (Hindi भारत गणराज्य , Bhārat Gaṇarājya, eng. Republic of India) is a state in South Asia. India occupies seventh place in the world by area, the second most populous and the largest democratic country in the world by population. India borders Pakistan to the west, China, Nepal and Bhutan to the northeast, Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east. In addition, India has maritime borders with Maldives in the southwest, with Sri Lanka in the south and Indonesia in the southeast. The disputed territory of the state of Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with Afghanistan.

India is home Indus Valley Civilization and other ancient civilizations. For most of its history, India has been the center of important trade routes and has been renowned for its wealth and high culture.

Religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism originated in India. In the first millennium AD, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam also came to the Indian subcontinent, which had a great influence on the formation of the diverse culture of the region.

In the period from the early 18th century to the middle of the 19th century, India was gradually colonized by the British Empire. Having gained independence in 1947, the country has made great strides in economic and military development. By the end of the 20th century, India's economy had become one of the fastest growing in the world. In terms of the nominal volume of gross domestic product, India ranks 12th in the world, and in terms of purchasing power parity, it ranks fourth. The high level of poverty and illiteracy of the population continues to be an urgent problem.

Historical summary:

The first traces of their presence on the territory of India (paleotic choppers of the Soan culture in Punjab) date back to the 2nd interglacial period more than 100 thousand years ago. (Northern India, as well as Europe, experienced periods of glaciation).

In the south of India, about the same time, there was also a culture called Madras.

The cradle of the entire Indian - the Ganges valley, as it is assumed, did not exist at that time - there was a shallow sea.

The oldest evidences of settled agricultural cultures - settlements - were discovered in Baluchistan and Sindh and date back to 4 thousand BC. In those days, the climate of India, especially in the North-Western part, was significantly different - much more humid. The entire Indus basin was covered with forests; now almost waterless Baluchistan was irrigated by deep rivers, which made it possible for numerous agricultural tribes to exist. The inhabitants of the settlements lived in mud brick houses, made high quality ceramics and already used metal. Their religious beliefs were in many ways similar to the beliefs of other agricultural communities in the Near and Middle East, associated with the cult of fertility and the mother goddess.

HARAPPIAN CIVILIZATION

In 3 thousand BC in the Indus valley, the so-called Harappan civilization was formed - so named after the modern name of the settlement on the left bank of the river. Rvi in ​​the Punjab, where one of the largest cities of this civilization was once located. The second famous large city of this civilization - Mahenjo-Daro - is located on the right bank of the Indus, about 400 km. from its mouth. In Kalibangan, near the border of India with Pakistan, at the mouth of the ancient river Saraswati (now almost dry), another city was found belonging to this civilization. A large number of smaller towns and settlements are also known. In general, the Harappan civilization occupied a huge territory even by modern standards - about 1500 km from north to south.

Mahenjo-Daro and Harappi supposedly originated in the middle of the 3rd millennium BC. and existed at least in the 2nd millennium BC. It is obvious that even then these cities maintained contact with the civilizations of Mesopotamia. The Harappan civilization was most likely theocratic, that is, it was ruled by priests.

Both cities were built according to a similar plan - a citadel with battlements and public buildings inside, around which was a city that occupied an area of ​​more than a square kilometer. Perfectly straight streets divided the city into quarters. The building material for the buildings was usually extremely high quality fired bricks.

Houses with a height of 2 floors were also built according to the same plan - a suite of rooms around a rectangular courtyard. The entrance to the house was usually not from the street, but from a side street; all windows faced the courtyard.

The houses had rooms for ablutions - a kind of "bath" with a system of drainpipes that go into the city sewer. The city sewerage pipes ran under the streets and were covered with special brick slabs.

One of the oldest swimming pools in the world, measuring about 11 X 7 m, is opened in Mahenjo-Daro.

In the Harappi, north of the citadel, a large granary with a size of 45 X 60 m was discovered. Studies show that the main crops of the Harappan civilization were wheat and barley. Buffaloes, goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys, dogs and various poultry have already been tamed.

To the surprise of archaeologists, none of the structures at Mahenjo-Daro and Harappi have been identified as a temple.

There was already a written language, most likely of a pictographic nature, numbering about 270 characters. Many of these signs are displayed on seals found during excavations. Unfortunately, despite all attempts, the writing of the Harap civilization has not yet been deciphered.

Around 1500 BC, a powerful earthquake occurred, which destroyed many cities of the Harappan civilization, and all the same, invaders from the west invaded the Indus Valley, who finally destroyed this culture. There is still no established opinion whether they were already Aryan tribes, or earlier conquerors.

There are numerous theories of the origin of the Aryans. Trying to summarize the most reasonable of them, we can say that around 2000 BC, somewhere on the territory of modern Ukraine lived barbarian tribes: rather tall, fair-skinned people. They were almost the first in the world to tame horses and harness them to light high-speed carriages with spokes. These tribes were mainly engaged in cattle breeding and a little agriculture.

At the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, due to some reason (overpopulation? Drought?), These tribes set in motion and subsequently populated vast territories from Ireland in the west to India in the east. They conquered local peoples and mingled with them, forming the ruling elite.

The penetration of the Aryans into India was not a one-time action, but a process stretching over hundreds of years. This period in the history of India is called Aryan or Vedic. It was in this era that the greatest monuments of Indian and world culture were created - the poetic epics "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana". (However, there are opinions that these ancient epics were created much earlier - about 6000 thousand years BC, that is, when the Aryans still lived in their ancestral home).

The Aryans did not create an urban civilization, the economic basis of their existence was shepherding and agriculture, a very important place in the economy was occupied by cattle. The horse was also extremely important in the life of the Aryans, but was used mainly for military purposes.

It was in the Vedic era that the main estates (castes) were formed. The family, which was the basic unit of the Aryan society, is strictly patriarchal, the marriage is monogamous and indissoluble. Numerous finds during the excavation of dice testified to the passion of the Aryans for gambling. They also loved intoxicating drinks (soma and surah).

The material culture of the Aryans reached a high level of development. They mastered the art of processing bronze, made weapons and tools from it (it should be noted that ancient copper mines were found in the supposed ancestral home of the Aryans).

LATE VEDIAN PERIOD

About 5 centuries passed between the invasion of the Aryans into the Indus Valley and the Age of Buddha. During this time, the Aryans moved further east down the Ganges, their culture adapted and changed to local conditions. It was in the east that new kingdoms emerged, which later played a significant role in Indian history. Many researchers believe that the "Mahabharata" and "Ramayana" reflect the events that took place during this period. However, there are still too many mysteries here - and it is still impossible to conclusively confirm or date anything.

THE AGE OF BUDDHA. MAGADHO-MAURI STATE.

In the era that later became known as the era of Buddha, the center of Indian civilization is moving eastward. Here four kingdoms arise and reach their heyday: Koshala, Magadha, Vatsa and Avanti, which eclipsed the ancient country of Kuru in Punjab both economically and politically. In the middle of the 1st millennium BC, one of them - Magadha - manages to create, in fact, the first Indian empire, whose possessions included the entire Ganges basin and almost all of Northern India, with the exception of Rajasthan, Sindh and Punjab.

Around 326, Alexander the Great, after the conquest of the Achaemenid Persian empire and a campaign in Bactria, overcomes the Hindu Kush and invades India. Alexander's troops cross the Indus and enter the Punjab. Alexander defeats the troops of the Punjabi king Pora and begins an offensive inland, but under the threat of a mutiny in his troops, he is forced to turn back.

After the death of Alexander, one of Alexander's military commanders, Seleucus, Nicator in 305 BC again invades India, however, apparently, is defeated by the Emperor of the Magadho-Maurysuk state of Chandraguta.

Around 269 BC. Ashoka became the emperor - later, one of the greatest rulers of India. According to Buddhist sources, Ashoka illegally seized the throne, killed all possible rivals and began to rule as a tyrant, but eight years after accession to the throne, the king became a completely different person morally and spiritually and began to pursue a new policy. He abandoned the usual territorial expansion, and the internal policy was significantly relaxed. He banned the sacrifice of animals, even replaced the traditional pastimes of Indian kings - hunting - with pilgrimages to Buddhist shrines.

According to tradition, thanks to the son (brother?) Of Ashoka - Mahendra (Mahinda), Sri Lanka converted to Buddhism.

Emperor Ashoka died around 232 BC, apparently having already lost power by this time. Ashoka's heirs ruled India for about 50 years.

THE AGE OF INVASION

In 183 BC. power in the result of a palace coup seized by Pushyamitra Shunga, one of the military commanders of the last Maurian king Brihadrahti. The new king returns to the old Hindu religion. There is a gradual "erosion" of the Maurian kingdom - many principalities depart from it and become independent.

At this time, on the northwestern borders of India, as a result of the collapse of the Seleucid empire, the independent Hellenistic states of Bactria and Parthia were formed. The Bactrian Greeks begin their expansion into the server-western India. They capture most of the Indus Valley and Punjab and raid far into the Ganges Valley. Subsequently, this Greek state in the northwest of India disintegrates into tiny Greco-Bactrian kingdoms.

In the 2nd century. BC hordes of nomads from Central Asia (known from Chinese sources under the name Yuezhi) moved westward, pushing the Scythians. The Scythians, under pressure from the north, attacked Bactria and captured it, and subsequently, pressed by the same nomads, defeated Parthia and the Greek kingdoms of northwestern India. The power of the Scythians (Sakas, Shaks) extended to Mathura itself. The earliest known Scythian king who ruled in India was Maues (80 BC?).

In the 1st century. AD Kunjuly Kajiva from the Yuezhi Kushan tribe concentrated power over Bactria in his hands, and then he managed to capture northwestern India. One of his followers, Kanishka, manages to concentrate power over a significant part of Central Asia and northwestern India (up to Varanasi) in his hands. Under Kanishka, Buddhism began to penetrate into Central Asia and the Far East.

Kanishka's successors ruled northwestern India until the middle of the 3rd century, when King Vasudeva was defeated by Shapur I, a representative of the new Iranian Sassanid dynasty. Northwest India falls under Iranian influence.

In the 1st century. BC - 4 c. AD on the Deccan peninsula, several new kingdoms arise (Orissa, the kingdom of the Satavahans) that existed for several hundred years.

In the south of India in Tamil Nadu during this period, there are several Tamil states. Good sailors, Tamils ​​invade the island. Lanka and for some time capture its northern part. Tamils ​​had close trade relations with Egypt and the Roman Empire.

THE AGE OF THE GUPTS

In 320 A.D. In the history of India, Chandra Gupta appears, whose descendants largely restored the power of the Maurian Empire.

Under his successor Samudragupta (circa 335-376), a great empire was again created in India, stretching from Assam to the borders of the Punjab. The Shaks (descendants of the Scythians), who ruled northwestern India, manage to shake the Gupsky Empire, but in 338, Chandra Gupta II finally defeated the Shaks.

At the end of the reign of Kumaragupta I (415-454), northwestern India again underwent an invasion of northern nomads, known from Byzantine sources as the Huns.

His son Scanlagupta (circa 455-467) succeeded in rebuilding the empire.

At the end of the 5th century. the Huns again moved to India and, starting in 500, Western India was in the hands of the Hunnic kings. In 530 Narasinhgupta expel the Huns, but by 550 AD the Gupta empire ceases to exist.

As a result of Harsha (606-647) from a side branch of the Gupta dynasty, he regained control over a large part of the empire from Gujarat to Bengal.

After the death of Harsha, a great turmoil begins. - the incessant alternation of strife between local dynasties. In 812, the Arabs captured Sindh.

In 986, the emir from the city of Hansa in Afghanistan, Sabuktigin, undertook the first raid on northwestern India. From 997, his son Mahmud began to make systematic campaigns against the rich Indian kingdoms.

The alliance of Indian kings, organized to repel Mahmud, was defeated in 1001 near Peshawar. By 1027, Mahmud annexed to his state all the northwestern regions and the Punjab, together with the Arab state of Sindh.

THE AGE OF THE GREAT MOHOLS

The Mahmud dynasty in Afghanistan was driven out by a new dynasty, one of its representatives, known as Muhammad Guri, continued the conquest of the Hindu states. Its commander Qutb ud-din Aybak occupied Delhi, another commander Muhammad ibn-Bakhtiyar moved down the Ganges and devastated Bihar, then, almost without meeting any resistance, occupied Bengal. Since the beginning of the 13th century. and up to the 18th century. Muslim conquerors dominated northern India. In 1206, Muhammad ibn-Bakhtiar was killed and his commander Qutb-ud-Din, a freedman slave, became the first sultan of Delhi. It was Qutb-un-Din who laid the foundation for the Delhi Sultanate (1206-1526). During the existence of the Delhi Sultanate, several dynasties were replaced: Gulams (1206-1290), Khilji, (1290-1320), Tughlaka (1320-1413), Sayyids (1414-1451), Lodi (1451-1526). During the reign of Muhammad Tughlak, they managed to conquer practically all of India, with the exception of the South and Kashmir.
In 1398, the Delhi Sultanate was attacked by Timur, the ruler of Samarkand. The sultanate began to disintegrate into separate parts, towards the end of the 16th century. it included only Delhi and its immediate environs.
In the 15-16 centuries. in South India there was the Hindu Vijainagar empire and the Muslim Bahmanid empire.

In 1498, the Portuguese first appeared off the coast of India and began to gain a foothold on its western coast.

At the beginning of the 16th century. on the ruins of the Delhi Sultanate, a new powerful empire begins to form, the founder of which was a native of Central Asia Babur. In 1526 he invaded India. In the battle of Panipat, he defeated the troops of Ibrahim Lodi and took the Delhi throne. This is how the state of the Great Mughals was founded.

Initially, the empire of the Great Mughals was limited to the interfluve of the Ganges and Janma, but already under Babur's grandson Akbar (1556-1505), all of North and Central India and Afghanistan were conquered.

During the reign of Akbar's son Jahangir (1605-1627), the first British ambassador arrived in India.

Akbar's grandson Shahjahan (ruled 1628-1658) moved the capital from Delhi to Agra.

The last of the great Mughals, the son of Shahjahan Aurangzeb (1658-1707) ascended the throne, imprisoning his father in the Red Fort of Agra. After the death of Aurangzeb, the Mughal empire collapsed.

ARRIVAL OF EUROPEANS

Vasco da Gama, the first European to make his way to India, landed in the area of ​​the modern city of Calcutta in 1498.

In 1600, the British East India Company was founded. Her first ship arrived in India in 1608.
In 1613, the company, by decree of Emperor Jahangir, received the right to trade.
In 1640, the Fort of St. Geogrius was founded by the Company on the East Coast of India in the area of ​​the modern city of Madras.
In 1668, on the West Coast of India, for 10 pounds, the Company acquired the island of Bombay, where a trading post was established.
In 1690, Calcutta was founded on the site of a village transferred to the Company.
Gradually, the East India Company takes control over the entire Ganges delta.
As a result of several Anglo-Mysore wars in 1799, Mysore and Hyderabad in South India annexed. At the beginning of the 19th century. conquered by Maharashtra, in 1829 - Assam, 1843 - Sind, in 1849 - Punjab. By the middle of the 19th century. practically all of India fell under the rule of the British crown.

In 1857, a powerful Sipai uprising (Sipai - Indians who served in the Anglo-Indian army) broke out, which was called the First Indian War of Independence. The uprising was suppressed, but Britain revised its policy towards India. In 1858, the East India Company was liquidated, and India became the possession (colony) of the British Empire.

Colonial domination of Britain continued until 1947. Resistance to British domination has always existed, and since the 1920s it has been gaining momentum. In 1947, Britain was forced to make a decision to grant independence to India. According to this law, on the site of British India, two dominions are created - India and Pakistan. Pakistan includes the predominantly Muslim western and eastern regions of India. Later (in 1971) the eastern regions separated from Pakistan and the state of Bangladesh was proclaimed here.

INDEPENDENT INDIA

• On January 26, India became an independent sovereign republic.
• In 1951, the first general elections were held in the country.
• In 1954, India annexed the French colony of Pondicherry.
• In 1961, India became one of the founders of the Non-Aligned Movement. In the same year, the Portuguese colonies of Goa, Daman, Diu were annexed to India.

India and the sights of India occupy a special place among the countries of South Asia. India is located on the Indian subcontinent, surrounded by Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Afghanistan, has an area of ​​almost 3.3 million km 2 and a population of over 1.2 thousand million people. The natural and relief conditions of the country are diverse - from the majestic ranges of the Himalayas to the fertile valleys with the great rivers Ganges, Brahmaputra and Indus.

Sights of India - photo and description.

This legendary land has preserved ancient cities and temples, which are considered a true treasury of the world heritage of history and architecture. On the territory of India, there are 30 sites under the protection of UNESCO. Therefore, it annually attracts millions of tourists who want to get acquainted with its history and culture. Most of the architectural monuments of ancient India that have come down to us are a unique mixture of cultural and building traditions not only of different regions of the country, but also of the principles of foreign architecture that influenced them.

The visiting card of the country and the most recognizable landmark of India can be called one of the seven wonders of the world - in Agra. It was erected by order of Emperor Shah Jahan on the banks of the Yamuna River in memory of the beloved wife of the ruler. More than 3 million tourists from different countries come here every year to look at this magnificent architectural monument, built of snow-white marble and stroll through the picturesque park, laid out next to it.

Minaret of Qutub Minar in Delhi.

No less famous is the landmark of India, the Qutub Minar minaret, located in Delhi. It is considered the tallest structure of its kind in the world. Its construction, which began in 1199, took over 150 years. The material for the construction was the remains of 27 destroyed Hindu temples. Due to the corrugated surface of the walls, created by alternating round and acute-angled edges, the 72-meter tower that rises into the sky seems light and airy. There are 379 steps leading to its top.

Pillar of Chandragupta.

Next to the minaret, on the territory of the complex of ancient ruins, there is an iron pillar of Chandragupta, which came out from under the hammer of ancient blacksmiths in the 4th century BC. The height of this cultural landmark of India is more than 7 m and its weight exceeds 6 tons. The uniqueness of the creation of human hands lies in the fact that, despite the almost 100% iron content in it, it does not rust. According to local legends, if you embrace this column and make a wish, it will certainly come true. Therefore, in order to keep the post from intrusive visitors, it was fenced off and armed guards were set up.

Fortress Amber.

One of the examples of the palace and defensive structures of India is the Amber fortress, located near Jaipur. A rocky hill near Lake Maota was chosen as the site for its construction. Tourists can go up to the fortress on foot or drive up by car, and exotic lovers can ride elephants.

There are many interesting places on the territory of the complex, including the Museum of Iron Figures and the "Ganesha Gate" leading to the royal chambers, where you can stroll through the magnificent "Hall of a Thousand Mirrors".

Another attraction of India - the Lal-Kila complex, or the Red Fort, will eloquently tell tourists about the greatness of the Mughal dynasty. It consists of many structures built in the Muslim architectural tradition of red sandstone. The height of the walls of the octagonal fortress reaches 33 meters. The interior design of the halls and columns amazes with the elegance of ornaments, intricate mosaics made of marble, openwork wrought iron gratings and weightless domes. There are several museums on the territory of Lal Qila, where you can get acquainted with ancient treasures and personal belongings of members of the dynasty.

One of the pearls of Buddhist temple construction is the Ajanta Caves. This is an ancient monastery, which consists of 29 temples and numerous monastic cells, carved into the thickness of the rock. Work on the creation of this ensemble began in the 2nd century BC. and continued until the 7th century A.D.

The beautifully preserved colorful wall paintings and carefully carved Buddha statues give the caves their uniqueness. The Indian monastery is located at a considerable distance from civilization, so you can get into it only as part of an excursion group.

There are many sights in India, among which are ancient temples erected by Krishna. However, there are many modern buildings dedicated to this deity. One of them stands in New Delhi on Mandir Marg Street. The Lakshmi-Narayana Temple is built of white and pink marble blocks in the Nagar style. The decoration of its numerous towers, arches and galleries amazes with the elegance of the carvings performed by the master stone cutters. Pilgrims and tourists can relax in a cozy park with fountains, laid out near the temple, meditate in man-made caves or buy souvenirs in the shop located at the temple.

Nearby is a landmark of India - the Lotus Temple, erected in 1986 and resembling a lotus flower in its outlines. It is one of the most visited places in India. Its 27 marbled petals create a lasting impression on visitors, especially in the evening, when they are illuminated with special lighting.

In 2005, a new landmark of India was built - the Akshardham temple of pink marble, eclipsing even the Taj Mahal in its splendor. This is a whole complex, which, in addition to the temple, includes a park area, man-made canals with light and music fountains, sculptures, souvenir shops and numerous cafeterias. All gorgeous marble finishes have been handcrafted.

Trains of tourists stretch to Madurai, a temple city located in South India and dedicated to the goddess Meenakshi. This architectural ensemble, covering an area of ​​more than 6 hectares, is surrounded by high walls and 12 majestic towers decorated with painted miniature sculptures. There are about 730 of them in the Western Tower alone. Tourists can look into the local museum, which houses many different interesting exhibits.

A little unusual for Europeans are the temples of Khajuraho, decorated with bas-reliefs with scenes from the Kamasutra. The complex of these religious buildings covers an area of ​​more than 20 km 2. Out of 85 buildings, only 22 have survived to this day, the rest were destroyed by Muslim troops. The art of the ancient builders made it possible to create the impression that each temple was carved from a solid mass and decorated with stone lace and figurines.

The skill of the ancient builders is evidenced by the Chand Baori well, built in the 9th century to collect groundwater and rainwater. This grandiose 13-tiered reservoir, equipped with 3.5 thousand steps, which made it possible to collect water in any place, has a depth of more than 30 m.

In addition to temples, among the popular attractions in India, there are many museums, exhibits of which will tell about the history and life of this beautiful, truly amazing country, saturated with aromas of spices and exotic incense.

When I once again made an attempt to put things in order in my photo album (as I have already said, until 2007 I took pictures with a film camera), I discovered another layer of excellent photographs that I had never really published. They need to be scanned, aligned in Photoshop, a lot of fuss. But yesterday I set aside two hours and finished some of these photographs to mind, completely digitizing my trip to India in 2007. And there are so many interesting things! In less than a month, I crossed the country from Srinagar in the north to Tiruchirapalli in the far south and from Darjilling in the east to Udaipur in the west. Yes, these photos are not of the best quality, because they were filmed, they were lying in the closet for 6 years and fading. But those wonderful places that are depicted on them are worthy of interest no matter what. Today we will talk about the huge romantic Kumbalgarh fortress in the mountains of Rajasthan and the impressive Jain temple in Ranakpur.

No, you know, this is incomprehensible to the mind! Readers go to the tag "India" and see a couple of abusive articles about dirty Indian trains, plus the odd looking steam museum in Chennai. The question arises, what, apart from the stations of various Indian cities and the museum of steam locomotives, I have not seen anything in India? We will definitely change the situation, because if we don’t get down to business now, then these photos will be lost completely, I’ll just forget about them because of the busy travel schedule and all kinds of worries. Moreover, he had previously restored justice and brought to mind the photographs from previous trips to and.

So, Kumbalgarh is one of the largest fortresses in India, inferior in size only to the fortress in Jalsaymer, by the way, this is also in Rajasthan, about 5 hours drive from Kumbalgarh. Built by Maharaja Kumba in the 15th century, it can be considered a real masterpiece of medieval oriental fortification art. There is everything that is associated with a mighty, mystical and romantic fort. Moreover, located high in the mountains, the fort is visible from afar, and the views both from its walls and towards it are just on the verge of fantasy. Now attention: the walls of the fortress stretch for 36 (!) Kilometers, encircling the hills around; in some ways it all resembles the Great Wall of China. Inside there were 360 ​​temples, of which only a dozen have survived to this day.

Actually, here they are, the surviving temples -

I don't often take pictures against the background of sights, but I couldn't resist here, it's too cool -

There is no way without our monkey friends. The length of their tails is amazing -

Just some men near the fortress -

Rural landscapes: an ox turns a water wheel, driving water from a spring into irrigation ditches -

A kid with a little brother is watching the process -

Ranakpur is a landmark of a different order than the fortress at Kumbalgarh. But, like the fortress, this temple is also the very best, because it is the largest Jain temple complex in the world. It was built in 1439 and is located 20 kilometers from the fortress, so visiting both can be combined by negotiating with taxi drivers in Udaipur, which is about 100 kilometers from here. The roads in these places are surprisingly good, so you will be able to do everything during daylight hours. Surprisingly, I did not see a single tourist in the temple, and even the locals were only a few people. Surprising for such an impressive and stunning piece of architecture. And even more surprising is that no one collected money for entry, no one bothered with intrusive services of guides (for India - nonsense, here everyone is trying to "spud" you at every step) and so on. Paradise place -

At the exit from the temple, we were met by constant monkeys -

Uncle, give me a banana!

In the evening we returned to the city of Udaipur, which is no less interesting than the fortresses and temples listed above, but I will tell you about it next time -