Know the Place

Golden Temple

The Golden Temple, located in the city of Amritsar in Punjab, is the most famous temple of the Sikhs. The temple was built in the 16th century. However, the famous dome of gold after which it is named was added only 250 years later in 1802. The Golden Temple is built on a 67 square feet marble structure in the middle of a pool. Even though the temple is a sacred pilgrim spot, it does not contain any idol (the Sikh religion does not believe in worshipping idols) but it does have a central seat of honour - can you guess what that houses? The Guru Granth Sahib, the scared book of the Sikhs, which has the teachings and devotional hymns of the Sikh religion. The Sikhs have a custom of organizing a free lunch service for the poor. This service is called the langar and the Golden temple has one of the biggest langars. The langar at the Golden Temple serves around 20,000 people every day. On festive occasions like Guru Nanak Jayanti, the number of people who attend the Guru ka langar can go up to 100,000! There are two storeys in the Golden temple. The second storey is the one covered with gold. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, one of the greatest Sikh rulers (see accompanying picture) ordered 400 kg of real gold leaf for the purpose. The same quantity purchased today, would cost a whopping Rs. 17,60,00,000!

India Gate

Situated on the Rajpath in New Delhi, India Gate (originally called the All India War Memorial) is a monument built by Edwin Lutyens to commemorate the Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Afghan Wars. The foundation stone was laid on 10 February 1921 by the Duke of Connaught. The names of the soldiers who died in these wars are inscribed on the walls. It was completed in 1931. Burning under it since 1971 is the Amar Jawan Jyoti (the flame of the immortal warrior), which marks the Unknown Soldier's Tomb.
Inscribed on top of India Gate in capital letters is the line:
To the dead of the Indian armies who fell honoured in France and Flanders Mesopotamia and Persia East Africa Gallipoli and elsewhere in the near and the far-east and in sacred memory also of those whose names are recorded and who fell in India or the north-west frontier and during the Third Afgan War.
The shrine itself is a black marble cenotaph with a rifle placed on its barrel, crested by a soldier's helmet. Each face of the cenotaph has inscribed in gold the words "Amar Jawan" (Immortal Warrior). This cenotaph is itself placed on an edifice which has on its four corners four flames that are perpetually kept alive.
The 42 metre tall India Gate is situated such that many important roads spread out from it. Traffic passing around India Gate used to be continuous till the roads were closed to the public due to terrorist threats. The lawns around Rajpath are thronged by people during the night, when the India Gate is lit up. The India Gate also has some resemblance to the Arc de Triomphe of Paris.

Charminar

The Charminar is an imposing monument, which reflects the glory of the Qutub Shahi dynasty. It is a massive square structure, 56 m (183.72 ft) high and 30 m (98.42 ft) wide. This monument is built entirely of granite and lime mortar. It has 4 minarets one on each of its corners. These fluted minarets are attached to the main building and rise towards the sky to a height of 56 m (183.72 ft). Each minaret of the Charminar has a double balcony. A small bulbous cupola crowns each of these beautiful minarets, which is decorated with petal like formations. A short pointed spire crowns all the minarets.The four grand arches of the Charminar face the four cardinal directions. Once upon a time each of these arches led to four royal roads. Each of the four arches is decorated on its sides with a row of small arched niches. The Charminar is a two-storied building with the first floor being covered. The elegant balconies on this floor provide excellent vantage point for viewing the surrounding areas. There is a small mosque on the top floor of the building, which can be reached by climbing a total of 149 steps. The mosque is situated on the western side facing the Muslim holy city of Mecca. There are as many as 45 prayer spaces on this floor, which does not have a roof on top of it. It is said that people thronged this mosque to offer Friday prayers, during the reign of the Qutub Shahi dynasty in Hyderabad. This mosque is the oldest surviving mosque in the city of Hyderabad. The panoramic view of the city from the top is simply breathtaking.The Charminar is a unique blend of the Indo-Islamic style of architecture that flourished in India during the medieval period. The beauty of this enchanting monument is accentuated every evening when it is illuminated.