Signature of reverence

Tajmahal,Agra

                                                       “.......... a drop of tears,
                                                        On the cheek of time, dazzling and white,
                                                         This Tajmahal”
                      from the lines of poem “ Shahjahan” by Rabindranath Tagore

I was awestruck by the first sight, and charmed by the unique manifestation of love. Tajmahal was in front of me, doused in soft warmth of the Sun and adorned in the glistening snow white crown, like a grand celebration of love. I was gleefully stared at the spectacular Tajmahal, the heavenly creation on earth. Tajmahal, where a flawless painting on a huge structure of white marble has been interlaced the ever green symbol of love and romance of Emperor Shah Jahan. The spectacular result of 22-years hard work of an assemblage of finest artisans mingled their exquisite creativity with the doleful shades of an emperor in memory of his beloved wife.

Tajmahal,the poem of love on white marble

History has numerous examples of ruthless bloodsheds but, the Tajmahal is an exception to introduce us with the humane qualities of an emperor rather than his achievements as a warrior. It is the finest example, where love has achieved an overwhelming success over the fury of blood sheds. I felt the symbol of eternal love through its speechless presence was saying-“at last love rules.”

droplet of tear on the cheek of eternity,Tajmahal

“Tajmahal” the expression of deepest heartfelt pain of an emperor to depart from his beloved wife is portrayed in the architectural wonder on the bank of Yamuna. It is perhaps the greatest single building on earth designed to house the human remains. Built by Mughal emperor Shahjahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaj after her death in 1631 and Shahjahan was buried by his son Aurangzeb beside Mumtaj after his death in 1666. Entirely built of White marble and based on Persian architecture, the architectural design known as interlocking arabesque has been used in construction. Each element of the structure can stand on its own and integrate with the main structure. The Tajmahal was named a United Nations World Heritage site in 1983.

The landmark of conquest

Qutub Minar, Delhi

In glimmer of Sun, the array of derelict and roofless structures in the premises of Qutub Minar, Delhi took us to a voyage of history. The voyage that emphasizing on the love for art, took us thousand years back to experience how a new form of art was born with Muslim invasion in India. The tallest stone tower on earth, Qutub Minar emerged unstintingly upright with its ever spectacular semblance and immediately hypnotised us with its discriminating beauty. The architectural legacy on red sandstone, embellished with Arabic inscriptions appeared like splendid piece of art.

The frieze from the Arabic texts

The premise of decrepit roofless structures, with the thousand years old upstanding and spectacular minaret was like a reminder of medieval History of India. The assortments of decrepit structures survived through centuries are the witness of important phase of Indian history. It has witnessed beginning of a new era of art and architecture with political conquest, which evolved and attained the height of excellence.

embellished body of Qutub Minar, Delhi

It is among the top rated and most visited tourist destination and one of the top Indian monuments recognised worldwide. The impressive architecture with 238ft. height is considered as a landmark of the beginning of Muslim rule in India. Qutub Minar, Delhi. The UNESCO World heritage site was built 1192 by Qutub-ud-Din-Aibak and sultan`s successor and son-in-law, Iltutmis, completed it. In 1368 Firoz Shah Tughlak constructed the fifth and the last storey. The development of architectural styles from Aibak to Tughlak is quite evident in the minaret.

array of colonnade in the Qutub Minar complex 

I was surprised to know that Qutub Minar is not the tallest or the oldest minaret on earth. But, the aura of history associated and impressions architectural development that is imprinted on this architecture is matchless.

Qutub Minar,Delhi

India has a history of numerous invasions, apart from mass killing which also had a tremendous impact on its pre-existing art and culture but, at the end nobody acclaimed immortality except their unique impressions of love for art.

Statue of bereft grit

Purana Qila,Delhi

The panoramic lake, abutting boundary of Purana Qila, Delhi might have kept the fort insuperable from enemies is now used for boating. The breathtaking view of crowned gateway of the decrepit fort was like a reminder of a bereft grit. According to History, I was standing at Indraprastha, the capital of Pandavas of Mahabharata. Purana Qila is also popularly known as the fort of Pandavas. It was built, demolished, re-built and renamed several times and through the ages different human civilizations have kept here their impressions of existence.

Entrance of Purana Qila,Delhi

In the premises of crumbling ruins of Purana Qila, excavations have revealed the settlements and construction works during Sunga, Saka, Kushana, Gupta era dating back to even third century B.C., was like a treasure of curiosity for the History lovers and like a natural treatise of human civilizations. The area under vast stretch of derelict ramparts was a symbol of power and happened to be erstwhile capital of Rajputs, Mughals, Afghans, where the trumpets of war elephants, sound of hooves of horses of warriors reverberated or a place once it was filled with bustles of human activities now bereft of human habitation and deserted.

Qila-e-Kuhna mosque,or Sher Shah mosque,Purana Qila,Delhi

It was inexplicably ecstatic experience to share the soil for awhile, within the vast stretch of rampart, I was standing at a place where the greatest warriors of History have laid their footprint, the creepers have overrun the stone walls with their banners of existence like numerous settlements existed and vanished towards extinction. It was rather like a walk of present age, on numerous human settlements buried under the earth.

The crowned gateway of Purana Qila,Delhi

Mughal emperor Humayun, named the place Dinpanch and it served the as capital of Humayun and Sher Shah Suri during their reign. The structures survived over centuries of the decrepit fort have their own story to tell about the incidents and mishaps of History happened here. The library also called Sher Mandal where Humayan slipped from stairs and died or the spectacular Qila-e-Kuhna mosque built by Sher Shah Suri in 1541were still upright. The silent witness of many incidents it was the place where the Humayun was buried initially before his body was shifted to its existing place and it is the place where dreams of a Hindu King shattered after second battle of Panipat, or served as the shelter for refugees after partition of India.

In the approaching evening we finished our Purana Qila visit and before leaving, once again I looked back. Like mirth of destiny the gloomy desolate capital was like waiting, might be looking towards regaining its lost sheen.