Qila Rai Pithora (Mehrauli) (1180 A.D.) - The Legacy of Delhi Vol 3

(In this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays I am bringing to you the third part of this historical series The Legacy of Delhi.) As you drive towards Qutb Minar (in Mehrauli) (from the direction of Saket) a massive wall, which seems as old as time, runs parallel to the road. That wall was a major part of the fortifications of the first city of Delhi (based upon archaeological evidence) built by one of the famous rulers of India Prithviraj Chauhan...

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Iron Pillar of Delhi and Arch of Quwwat ul Islam Mosque

Today the Black and White Thursday photo of the week shows the arch ruin of the Quwwat ul Islam mosque and the Iron Pillar of Delhi. The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque (Might of Islam) (also known as the Qutb Mosque or the Great Mosque of Delhi) was built by Qutb-ud-din Aybak, founder of the Mamluk or Slave dynasty and expanded further by other sultans who succeeded him. The arch ruin of the mosque is a part of the mosque complex with the actual mosque...

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SurajKund (Lake of the Sun)

The Black and White Thursday photos of the week which I am posting today shows the ancient Suraj-kund (the word Kund means a lake or a reservoir) (seasonal in nature), located near Delhi (built in the 10th Century by the King Suraj Pal of Tomar Dynasty). It was constructed in the backdrop of the Aravalli hills with an amphitheater shaped embankment. The embankments were later renovated by Feroze Shah Tughlaq of the Tughlaq Dynasty in the 14th Century...

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Indraprastha (1400 B.C.) - The Legacy of Delhi Vol 2

(In this edition of Delhi-iteful Tuesdays I am bringing to you the third part of this historical series The Legacy of Delhi.)  Around 1400 B.C. there existed besides the banks of the River Yamuna (as per the ancient Indian text or epic 'The Mahabharata') the magnificent city of Indraprastha. It was the capital city of the kingdom of Pandava brothers and ruled by Yudhishthir(the eldest Pandava). It is next to the location of this fabled city...

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Sarva Dharam Sthal (Gurudwara Guru Dongmar Sahib)

For this edition of Black and White Thursdays we are going to an extremely revered temple of Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists which is located besides the beautiful Guru Dongmar Lake. This temple is over a thousand years old and was the spot where holy sage Guru Dongmar (Padmasambhava) sat and meditated for a few years. For Sikhs this temple is of utmost significance as Guru Nanak visited it (during his third journey around 1516 AD) to provide support...

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Guru Dongmar Lake

This Sunday will sees the return of Sikkim Sojourn, my journeys in and notes about Sikkim, India. I resume writing my travelogue over Sikkim from the day when I visited Guru Dongmar Lake. Enjoy the post !  Guru Dongmar Lake Location Board besides the lake Sitting in the SUV and moving forward, we see the greenery melt away before our eyes. Giving way to a brown and barren horizon where the air is cold and thin. As we leave the...

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Guru Dongmar Lake - Black and White Thursdays

For this edition of Black and White Thursdays I am presenting you the immortal picture of Guru Dongmar Lake, Sikkim, India. It is the one of the worlds highest lake. This lake is a significant part of Indian religion and history as Buddhist Tantrik guru, Guru Padmasambhava(Dongmar) practiced various rituals besides this lake over 1000 years ago. What makes this lake even more significant is the fact that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak visited...

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