Connections from the past

The image of India is synonymous with the image of the Taj Mahal. So much so, that you are bound to witness tens of hundreds of people line up in front of the ticket counter even before the opening hours are initiated. The crowds of people that come from across the globe at the dawn of sunrise hope to catch the sun rays falling perfectly on the Taj which creates the illusion of a halo. I have witnessed first hand, the early risers all ready with their cameras and tripods in order to catch the first look of Taj. My dad being one of the sun catchers, tried and hoped to do the same. It so happened that he was accompanied by me and mom.  But this post is not commemorating the grandeur of the Taj Mahal. This post is about the tomb of I’timād-Ud-Daulah, also called the “Little Taj” and is the underdog in the list of grand Mughal monuments to be ever built. Its fame is dwarfed by the member of the seven wonders coexisting in Agra. Its beauty and architecture remain sadly under appr...

Gwalior is an ancient city located in Madhya Pradesh. According to legend, the city is named after a saint named Gwalipa. The story goes that a Prince by the name of Suraj Sen had lost his way in a forest and came across this old sage. This sage took the Prince to a lake and the water from that lake not only quenched his thirst but also cured him of leprosy. The Prince was so grateful that he built a wall around the lake which came to be known as the Gwalior fort. Eventually the city that grew around it also adopted the name Gwalior. This city is a beautiful amalgamation of various cultures. It brings together Indo-Islamic and Maratha culture because of the presence and influence of Muslim and Maratha rulers in the past.  The fort of Gwalior is one of the major attractions of the city that exists in the valleys of huge rocky hills that surround it. The fort has had a long history with different dynasties and rulers coming in and settling here. The date for the construction...

Nasiruddin Humayun was the successor of Zahirrudin Babur, founder of the Mughal empire in India.He ruled in territories of North India from 1531–1540 and again from 1555–1556. In 1540 he lost the kingdom to Sher Shah Suri. Humayun which means ‘the fortunate one’ proved to be ironical. He was at the receiving end of bad luck. He died at the age of 47. He was descending the staircase of his library at Purana Qila (literally meaning old fort) when his foot was caught in his robe and he tumbled down several steps and hit his temple on a rugged stone edge.  Humayun’s tomb was commissioned by his wife Haji Begum and was paid by from her own money. It is believed to be designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect especially brought in for this purpose. The date of its construction cannot be ascertained. It is believed that the tomb was built after 9 – 15  years after of Humayun’s death. The thing to note here is that this place wasn’t even the original resting place of t...