General Outline

India

Landmarks of Delhi, India

• India Gate
• The Lotus Temple
• Humayun's Tomb 

Landmarks of Kolkata, India

• Shaheed Minar
• Victoria Memorial
• Dakshineswar Kali Temple

Landmarks of Mumbai, India

• Global Vipassana Pagoda
• Elephanta Caves
• Gateway of India

Questions Answered

• History
• Who was it built?
• Why was it built?
• How big or tall is it?
• Fun facts
• Sources 

Delhi: India Gate

History:

• The India Gate was built in 1931 and is located in the center of Delhi.
• After India obtained independence, the India Gate became known as the India's Army Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Amar Jawan Jyoti).
• On January 26, 1972, the Prime Minister uncovered the India Gate.
• Every year on January 26, the President of India along with other top political leaders pay their respect at the India Gate.

Who built the India Gate?

• The India gate was designed by Edwin Lutyens.
• It was inspired by the Arc de Triomphe, which is located in Paris

Why was the India Gate built?

• The India Gate was built to commemorate the lives of the soldiers that died in the war against Afghanistan, the war against Pakistan, and World War I.  
• The India Gate has also become a picnic spot for many civilians.

How big is the India Gate?

• The India Gate is forty two meters high.
• It is made of red sandstone and granite.

Fun Facts:

• The gate was first named "All India War Memorial."
• The names of the soldiers that died in the war were inscribed on the walls of the India Gate.

Sources:

• http://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/history/reason-behind-constructing-india-gate
• http://www.indianholiday.com/best-of-india/monuments/india-gate.html

Delhi: The Lotus Temple

History:

• The temple was built from 1980-1986, costing 10 million dollars.
• In December 1986, the temple was consecrated and opened to the people. 
• It was one of the only seven mashriqs in the world during the early twenty first century. 
• It was named the Lotus temple because the structure looks like a lotus flower, which is a symbol of purity, divinity, beauty, and love.
• This structure sends a message of immorality. 

 Who built the Lotus Temple?

• The temple was built by and Iranian architect named Fariborz Sahba.
• He won enthusiasm and praise from the public for the Lotus Temple even before it was finished.

 How big is the Lotus Temple?

• It is set on an elevated plinth in a twenty-six acre of gardens, which are surrounded by nine pools bordered by red sandstone walkways.
• The marble structure has the height of 130 feet.
• The temple has twenty seven independent marble "petals", which are put into groups of three to form nine sides.
• 2,500 people can fit inside the central prayer hall in the temple.
• The mashriq represents the mystical properties of the number nine with its nine sided construction. 

Why was the temple built?

• The Lotus Temple was built because the architect, Fariborz Sahba believed that India was losing its spiritual qualities.



Fun Facts:
• The temple has received several awards, including The Citation Award and the American Concrete Institute Award.
• This is the most visited site in India.

Sources:

• http://historyinworld.blogspot.com/2011/07/lotus-temple-history.html
• http://www.indianmirror.com/temples/lotus-temple.html



Delhi: Humayun's Tomb

History:

• The Mughal Emperor, Humayun, died in 1565.  
• The tomb was finished being constructed in 1572.
• This structure is the first example of Mughal architecture in India.
• The Taj Mahal was inspired by Humayun's Tomb, the century after it was built.
• Humayun's Tomb is the connection between the Gur Emir , the tomb of his ancestor and the Taj Mahal, the tomb of his descendent.  
• The tombs of the deceased emperor's ancestors were buried in the garden of Humayun's Tomb during the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries.

Who Built Humayun's Tomb?

• Humayun's widow, Hamida Benu Begum, began the construction of her husband's tomb.
• Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, who was Persian, built and finished the tomb.
• The architecture of the tomb is strongly influenced by Persian and Indian architecture.
• The architect constructed this structure in the center of  Persian-style garden with a quadrilateral form.

Why was it built?

• This structure was built as a tomb for the deceased Mughal emperor and to commemorate him.

How Big is Humayun's Tomb?

• The tomb is 47 meters high and has a breadth of 91 meters high.
• The tomb was built on top of a 7 meter high platform.
• The building is made out of red sandstone while the actual tomb is made out of yellow and black marble.
• The structure is two-stories and is crowned with a white Persian-style dome.

Fun Facts:

• Humayun's Tomb is the first garden-tomb in India.
• Graceful arches are located in the perimeter of the building.
• This structure earned the name necropolis of the Mughal Dynasty because no other structure contains such a high number of tombs of emperors and their relatives.
• The center chamber is the shape of an octagon with corner chambers, which contain the tombs of members in the royal family.  

Source:

• http://www.humayunstomb.com/

Kolkata: Shaheed Minar

History

The Shaheed Minar is formally known as the Ochterlony Monument. Construction started in 1825 and ended in 1848. In August of 1969, it was renamed the Shaheed Minar. The government that is control now, decided to illuminate the tower during evenings and allow visitors to the top of the monument. The architecture is based on Egyptian, Syrian, and Turkish artistic styles. It is located at Esplanade in central Kolkata.

Who built it?

It was built by J.P Parker and money for construction was paid from public funds. 

Why was it built?

It was originally built as the Ochterlony Monument to honor Major General Sir David Ochterlony's victory over the Gurkhas in the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1825. Ochterlony was the commander of the British East India Company. In 1969 it was rededicated to the freedom fighters of India. These were martyrs who sacrificed their lives during the freedom movement of India and was named "Shaheed Minar". In Bengali that means "Martyr's Tower."

                                                    Major General Sir David Ochterlony

How high is it?

                                                        The structure is 48 meters tall.

Fun Facts

• To reach the top of the monument you must climb 218 steps.
• Many parades and rallies begin here. 

Connections

Major General Sir David Ochterlony is connected to the monument because it was originally built for him. 

Sources 

• http://indiancolumbus.blogspot.com/2011/07/shaheed-minar-kolkata-india.html
• http://www.ixigo.com/shaheed-minar-kolkata-india-ne-1359009
• http://www.mapsofworld.com/travel/destinations/india/shaheed-minar

Kolkata: Victoria Memorial

History

The Victoria Memorial is a massive building made of marble located in Kolkata, India. It was built from 1906 to 1921. Construction was funded by many India states, people of the British Raj, and the British government in London. In total, it cost about ten million dollars. It was later turned into a museum.

Who built it?

The Victoria Memorial was built by William Emmerson and the gardens were designed by Lord Redesdale and David Prain. The design includes a mixture of British, Mughal, Venetian, Egyptian, and Islamic architectural influences. The building itself is made of white Makrana marble.

Why was it built?

The Victoria Memorial was built as a dedication to the memory of Queen Victoria.

How big is it?

The building is 338 ft. by 228 ft. and has a height of 184 ft. On top of the central dome there is a a figure of the Angel of Victory which is 16 ft tall. In total the memorial has 25 galleries, such as the he Royal gallery, the National Leaders gallery, the Portrait gallery, Central hall, the Sculpture gallery, the Arms and Armoury gallery, and Calcutta gallery. The Royal gallery contains contains portraits of Queen Victoria and and her husband Prince Albert.The museum contains many different illustrations showing Queen Victoria's life.

Fun Facts

• The memorial was first opened to the public on December 21, 1921 by the Duke of Windsor. 
• Soon after India gained independence in 1947, a National Leaders Gallery consisting of portraits and relics of the freedom fighters was added to the memorial to try and preserve national pride. 

Connections

Queen Victoria is connected to the memorial because it was built for her.

Sources

• http://mocomi.com/victoria-memorial-facts/
• http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-monuments/victoria-memorial.html
• http://www.victoriamemorial-cal.org
• http://www.culturalindia.net/monuments/victoria-memorial.html
• http://www.aviewoncities.com/london/victoriamemorial.htm

Kolkata: Dakshineswar Kali Temple

History

The Dakshineswar Kali Temple was built between 1847 and 1855. The temple was built because of a vision Rani Rashmoni had. Soon after the vision she purchased land in the village of Dakshineswar, where the temple was built. Construction cost nine hundred thousand rupees. The architecture is Bengal inspired. The temple has three storeys and has nine spires split into two storeys. It also stands on a high platform with a flight of stairs.

Who built it?

The temple was built in 1855 by philanthropist Rani Rashmoni.

Why was it built?

It was built because Rani was on a pilgrimage to the Hindu city of Kashi to express her devotions to the Divine Mother where she had a vision of the Divine Mother in the form of Kali. In the vision the Divine Mother told her to install a beautiful statue of her in a temple on the banks of the Ganges River where people could worship her. The idol of goddess Kali was included on May 31, 1855. 

How big is it?

The land where the temple was built on is 20 acres. It's 46 feet wide and over 100 ft tall. There is a silver throne located in the temple and it contains a 21 1/2 inch idol of Lord Krishna and a 16 inch idol of Radha. 

Fun Facts

• The Dakshineswar Kali Temple area contains a large yard around the temple consisting of rooms. In these rooms there are twelve shrine dedicated to Shiva (Kali's companion).  
• There is also a temple dedicated to Radha-Krishna, a bathing ghat on the river, and a shrine dedicated to Rani Rashmoni. 

Connections

There aren't any famous people connected to this structure, but many nearby residents and tourists enjoy visiting. 

Sources

• http://www.dakshineswarkalitemple.org
• http://www.ixigo.com/dakshineswar-kali-temple-kolkata-india-opening-visiting-timing-hours-closed-days-ne-1163089
• http://sacredsites.com/asia/india/temple_of_dakshineswar.html

Mumbai: Global Vipassana Pagoda

History and General Description

Construction for the Global Vipassana Pagoda began in the year 2000 and was done by 2008, meaning it took eight years to complete. Even though it was done by 2008, it was officially open to the public on February 8, 2009. This structure is about 97.46 meters high covering more than 36,000,000 meters! 

Who Built It and Why?

This wonderful structure was built by many architects and designers, including engineers: Ar. Prvez Dumasia, N.R. Varma, Chandubhai Sompura, and Aurangabad M.S. This structure was built to serve as a place of peace and harmony to the people of India. It was also built to honor the Buddha, his teachings, and all the monks who practice his teachings. 

Fun Facts

• The structure can seat over 8000 people.
• It is the largest stone dome built without any supporting pillars.

Connection

One famous person or god that is associated with this structure would be Buddha because this dome was dedicated to him and built for him.

Sources

• www.globalpagoda.org/
• www.earth-auroville.com
• www.tripadvisor.com
• https://www.dhamma.org

Mumbai: Elephanta Caves

History

The Elephanta Caves were built around the late 5th century. It took about one century to build it because the construction was done by the end of the 6th century. The caves cover about four square miles of Elephanta Island at high tide and about six square miles at low tide. They're about 1.5 miles in length with two hills on the side that are as high as 500 feet.

Who Built Them?

The Elephanta Caves were built by the Rashtrakutas, which were the last group of people to claim these caves.

Purpose 

The Elephanta Caves were built in order to honor certain gods. Most Indians, to this day, are polytheistic which explains the honoring of many gods at the time.

Fun Fact

One of the sculptures in the caves shows Lord Shiva bringing down the Ganges River down to Earth, letting it drip down from his tangled hair.

Connection

One famous person that would be associated with the Elephanta Caves would be Lord Shiva, due to the fact that these caves were dedicated to him.

Sources

• whc.unesco.org
• www.tripadvisor.com
• asi.nic.in
• www.sacred-destinations.com
• elephanta.co.in

Mumbai: Gateway of India

History

The Gateway of India was a structure that took quite a long time to be built. It's construction began on March 31, 1911 and was completed in the year 1924. Meaning that it took about thirteen years for this wonderful structure to be finally be completed. It has a height of twenty six meters and a width of fifteen meters. It cost the Indian Government about 2.1 million INR (Indian currency) to build this structure, which is now an official landmark of Mumbai.

Who Built It?

George Wittet was the amazing architect who built this structure, along with some help from the government and construction workers at the time.

Why Was It Built?

This structure was built to commemorate the visit of the first British monarchs, which at the time were King George V and Queen Mary.

Fun Facts

It used to be used by the fishing community since it lies right along the water's edge in Mumbai.

It used to be the first structure that foreigners would have gone to see in India. It faced three terror attacks but is still standing.

Sources

www.indiatvnews.com

en.wikipedia.org

www.tripadvisor.com

www.goibibo.com

www.mumbai.org.uk