Historical places in India with pictures and information

I am a history student and need to complete a dissertation on historical places in India. I would like some help with knowing about some of the famous places in India when I was searching there was an endless amount of historical places. The only most common and popular place I know is the Taj Mahal.

The help which I require from the forum is to list historical (or at least the famous) places in India with pictures and information, including where it is in India. Which I would then put together into my words and add in a few extra things to complete my dissertation.

 

Not quite sure what you're looking for but I'll give it a shot. This is Humayun's tomb in Delhi. The Emperor Humayun was the second emperor of the Mughal Empire which was an Islamic Empire. It was built between 1569-1570.

 

Hello, @Captain! Welcome to the forum!

The country of India is very rich when it comes to heritage sites and historical monuments. You'll find that every city has a temple or a monument wirth visiting. This is what makes the country a major tourism hub in Asia and also in the world. Here are some of the best historical places to visit in India:

1. Taj Mahal - You can find the Taj Mahal in the banks of the Yamuna River in the city of Agra. This is perhaps one of the most popular monuments or palaces in the country. When you hear the country India, the Taj Mahal immediately comes to mind. It was Shah Jahan who commissioned the building of this palace, to house the tomb of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their third son. The construction of the palace started in 1643 although it took 10 years more to complete it. The estimated price for the cost of building the Taj Mahal is about 32 million rupees. The Taj Mahal is the best example of Mughal architecture at its finest. This is also one of the UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. It has several structures: a garden, Mumtaz Mahal's tomb (the central focus of the Taj Mahal) and other mausoleums.

2. Agra Fort - This is just 2.5 kms from the Taj Mahal. It's also located in Agra and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The structure of the fort has been there since the 11th Century but what we see now has been the work of the Mughals. Akbar and his grandson, Shah Jahan, made the most improvements and renovation to the fort. Unfortunately, Shah Jahan also demolished a lot of the buildings built by previous rulers in the fort to make way for his white marble buildings. There were about 500 buildings recorded by Abul Fazal, before Shah Jahan destroyed them.

3. Mysore Palace - You can find this in Mysore in Karnataka. The rulers of Mysore, called the Wodeyars, resided here during their reign. There are different palaces inside the palace complex. The most popular one is the Mysore Palace in the Old Fort which was built by Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV. The architectural style of the palace is Indo-Saracenic, with a blend of Hindu, Muslim, Rajput and Gothic styles. There are also numerous tunnels in the palace leading to other palaces and confidential places. The palace complex also houses several temples inside.

4. Brihadeshwara Temple - This is locally known as Tanjai Periya Kovil. This was built by Raja Raja Chola I and was completed in 1010 CE. The Brihadeshwar Temple, along with three other temples, is considered as the Great Living Chola Temple by the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temple tower here stands at 30 metres and it's considered as the highest in the world. At the entrance, there's a statue of Nandi at about 4 metres high. The temple is made entirely out of granite. It has a main temple and smaller temples. You can also find murals in the walls of the temple.

5. Fatehpur Sikri - This is a city in the Agra District of Uttar Pradesh. The whole city is a great example of Mughal architectural style. The city sits on a rocky ridge which is about 3 kms in length and 1 km in width. Most of the structures of the palace city were made using red sandstone. The Jama Masjid was one of the first structures built in the city. Other notable structures in the city are: Panch Mahal, Tomb of Salim Chishti and Anup Talao.

6. Khajuraho Temples - These are a group of Hindu and Jain Temples in Madhya Pradesh. They are an example of the Nagara style of architecture. They were also declared as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples were built by the Chandella Rulers between 900 AD to 1130. It is said that every Chandella Ruler has built at least one temple each in their lifetime. Many of the temples are dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva although you can find other deity images as well. Over 90% of the sculptures in the temple depict the daily lives of people then. The other 10% depict sexual themes.

7. Konark Sun Temple - You can find this in Konark in Odisha. It is believed to have been built by Narasimhadeva I. The temple is in a shape of a gigantic chariot complete with stone wheels, pillars and walls. It is also an UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is an example of the Kalinga style of architecture. The wheels of the temple are actually sun dials which can be used to accurately determine the time.

8. Jaisalmer Fort - This is one of the largest forts in the world, not just India. It was built by Rawal Jaisal in 1156 AD. It was built using yellow sandstone, hence it's as if it's camouflaged against the Thar Desert. For that, this fort is also known by the name Golden Fort. This was also declared as an UNESCO World Heritage Site. Inside, you'll find the Raj Mahal, Laxminath Temple and Merchant Havelis.

9. Great Stupa - The Great Stupa is the oldest stone structure in India. It was originally commissioned to be built by Ashoka the Great in the 3rd Century BCE. There are other stupas in Sanchi but they were added much later than the original stupa. You can find various Brahmi inscriptions in the stupas too.

10. Qutb Minar - This is the tallest brick minaret in the world. The Qutb Minar Complex is another UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located in the Mehrauli District of Delhi. It was Qutb Al Din Aibak who initiated the work for the Qutb Minar. It is about 72 metres in height. There are numerous inscriptions in the Qutb Minar which made way for the discovery of its history.

There you go. There are many more historical places in India but these are my favourite ones. I hope this can help you! Good luck on your dissertation.