Commercial Spaces
By: Gurudiksha Kaur Hidden gem of delhi; Ishq e dilli, a sound and light show organised in Old fort. This show is not to be missed if you have an interest in History. The show runs in both languages, Hindi and English. This 1 hour show shows you the rich history, literature and culture of India, primarily Delhi in the most entertaining way. The tickets are reasonably priced at 100 INR. The show is on one wall of the fort, where there are two minars, and a rampart.
As the show progresses, one gradually goes into the past of the city, into the medieval surroundings. One feels like living those bygone days, the rajputs, the time of the sufi saints, the sultanates and the mighty Mughals! The story of the city is very ornately told. A piece of advice from our side: be careful and wear full sleeves, or put on mosquito repellant, as there may be a lot of mosquitos, the show is held in the open.
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By: Gurudiksha Kaur Chandra mahal is the main residence of the descendants of the royal family of Jaipur. This 7 storey building is inside the City Palace. Yes, a Palace inside another Palace. Sukh Niwas, Sri Niwas and Shobha Niwas, and blue room is a part of Chandra Mahal. The grand Sukh Niwas apartments, completely covered in wall paintings and filled with furniture and artworks from around the world, it’s still used for entertaining special guests.
The other apartments include the Sri Niwas, decorated with mirror work and painted plaster, and the superbly decorated Shobha Niwas, where the royal family still celebrate Diwali. The blue room looks really pretty with all the blue and white detailing. City Palace personifies architectural excellence in each and every detail. If you are planning to visit, be ready to get awestruck. By: Shankh Chatterjee Mughal architecture can be spotted all over the subcontinent of India. The architecture was born when Babur entered India and became the emperor and started building various buildings but only a few survive till date. The real boost in Mughal architecture came when Akbar came into power. Starting from Fatehpur Sikri, Agra fort and Humayun’s tomb, most of Akbar’s buildings survive till date and all in good condition giving a lovely view into the time of Mughal power in India. Mughal architecture really flourished when Shahjahan came into power. He built some of the most well known buildings and the most famous one of all, the Taj Mahal. The Mughal architecture is a combination of Persian, Islamic, Turkish and South Asian. There are a few signature styles that can be found in all Mughal buildings, they will have large bulbous domes and the buildings are surrounded by minarets. The buildings never have any sought of humans made on their walls because they believed that that was reserved for Allah’s creation. Most Mughal buildings only have arabic script in the form of decoration because that is the only part that they thought was valid decoration and something that was created by man and could be used on the walls of the forts and palaces. The wonderful monuments that we today look at and marvel at as tourists, were all once thought of and created by man by way less technology than us. Imagine how good their skills must have been to make such engineer ically sound buildings which used to house thousands of people. The monuments not only have wonderful design but also architecture which people have been inspired by for centuries and still partially use and modern day designs. The Mughal architecture left its imprint on us and will always be a part of the history and legacy of the India.
By: Shankh Chatterjee Palaces are quite common in the Indian subcontinent, every city or every village has one from the time when the royals ruled their own land with their own rules. The times have changed and now no one pays taxes to the royal family anymore. Few of the royal families in the country were rich enough to keep going as a figurehead in their area and continue to inspire people and uphold their stature of being a royal. Since then times have gotten hard and maintaining large sprawling palaces are now becoming a nuisance, either they stay shut most of the year or they just simply rot away while the royals can’t afford to look after them. It is becoming an even bigger problem for those royals and nobles who have more than one palace, doesn’t it kind of make you wish that they would give us one. Well now that’s possible, many palaces around the country are now being converted into 5 star hotel properties. The royals sell the palaces or they go into a partnership with the hospitality company and change the palace into a heritage hotel. These hotels let you experience the royal life for a few days. It helps the royals maintain their shine and their heritage while making money, it certainly lets us explore a new lifestyle that most of us have only heard of and dream of living. The commercialization of the palaces have gone viral in the past few years and new heritage hotels keep coming up every year. They certainly come with a hefty tariff but there are plenty of people willing to pay that amount of money to live in these palaces for a little while. Some of the good ones which have gained major coverage are: Jehan Numa Palace Hotel, Bhopal: This hotel was inaugurated on the month of September, 1983. The hotel was created by the grandsons of the Nawab Sultan Jahan Begum of Bhopal who was the original founder of the Palace. Now the 5 star property stands tall in Bhopal as one of the most coveted properties in the district as well as the state. The interiors are mostly made of wood with a deep brown polish and crown moldings across the walls and pillars throughout the property. The floor is Italian marble with swords and other weaponry and paintings from the original royal family adorned on the walls. Taj Falaknuma Palace, Hyderabad: This property is one of the most coveted and well known properties of the country, it is also counted amongst the most expensive hotels of the country. The palace was the home of the Nizam of Hyderabad and now since Taj has taken over, the hotel has become a beacon of luxury and class in the country. The hotel is well known for weddings as well as hosting various dignitaries from around the world. The venetian chandeliers, grand marble staircases and large outdoor terraces all add to the royal nizam life. The entrances are adorned with canons and horse drawn carriages and upon entering the building you realize that you have entered into another world altogether because of the moldings on the walls and the furniture that is partially the original from the royal family. Samode Palace, Jaipur: The hotel which brings your childhood fantasy of living like a king to life. With 475 years of heritage and history with it, the Samode Palace has the aura of true Rajputana royalty. Freshly manicured lawns, beautiful mirror work, exquisite frescos and towers lined from one side of the property to the other. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur: Apart from being recognized as one of the most celebrated heritage hotels, Taj Lake Palace is also voted the most romantic heritage hotel in India and as one of the top luxury hotels in the country. No wonder we have included this marvel in our list of ultimate romantic vacations ideas in India. The tastefully done rooms and suites convey the element of lavishness, accompanied with a brilliant view of the lake and Aravali Hills. The architecture is a fine fusion of the Mewar’s diverse history of ethnic cultures with the European elements. Sheesh Mahal, Orchha:
Being a rather small hotel, it still manages to bring the eerie feeling along with grandeur to anyone who walks through the door. It offers the opulence of the royals and the old world charm of a fort. The hotel is inside the main fort building of Orchha and is a favourite of many who have visited the place. By: Shankh Chatterjee Frescoes in India have been a major part of Indian art and has been lost since a long time due to decrease in demand. The frescoes can be as old as the ones that can be found in Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad (2nd century BCE). Frescoes have always been a way to communicate the various stories of mythology and to document major events of the time. Frescoes truly emulate the phrase that a picture speaks a thousand words.
Frescoes have not only been featured in caves but have also been part of a long lost culture of decorating walls of Havelis and Palaces. Most Palaces in India have frescos spotted all over them with various depictions of mythological events. Depending on the frescoes we are able to understand what was that particular room used for and which faith or which gods did the king follow. Most of the frescoes are usually mythological events which are depicted to show the purpose of the room or its occupant but sometimes it is used to show what the, then king believed in and wanted his subjects to be aware of. Since very few people knew how to read and write in those times and religious teachings were the only kind go teaching which was coveted, frescoes were given special importance and soon it had become a status symbol of the kings or emperors to adorn their walls with frescoes to show their knowledge and their wealth. Frescoes have mostly not been maintained and the trend of frescos has died, but has recently picked up in the form of street art which is just an evolved version. An art form so pure and so wonderful such as frescos should be preserved but have not been given any attention for a long time, now that finally it has been realized what a great piece of wealth these frescoes are in mentions of our history and heritage, the government has started to take steps to either preserve them or start restoring some of them which are still in the condition to do so. Some great places to go and check out some wonderful frescos are: Orccha Ajanta Caves, Aurangabad Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur |
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