2. Islamic tomb built in a span of 22 years (1630-1653) by Mughal emperor Shajahan for his wife Mumtaz. Combination of Hindu and Indo-Islamic architecture. Huge white marble terrace on which rests the famous white marble dome, flanked by four tapering minarets. Within the dome lies the jewel-inlaid cenotaph of the queen. It is situated in city of Agra in northern India.
3. Dating back to 4th century A.D., the Iron pillar of Delhi bears Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script which states that it was erected in honor of the Hindu god, Vishnu, and in the memory of the Gupta King Chandragupta II(375-413). It highlights ancient India's achievements in metallurgy. The pillar is made of 98 per cent wrought iron and has stood 1,600 years without rusting or decomposing.
4. Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh constructed it (1799) to offer women of the court a vantage point, behind stone-carved screens. This five-story, structure is 50 feet high but less than a foot in thickness and is made up of small casements, each with tiny windows and arched roofs with hanging cornices, with carved sandstone grills, finials and domes. It is situated in north-western state of Rajasthan.
5. An elegant piece of Afghan Architecture, built by Qutub-Ud-Din-Aibak in A.D. 1193, Qutub Minar is 72.5 meters high and one has to climb 379 steps to get to the top. The diameter of the base is 14.3 meters while the top floor measures 2.7 meters in diameter. It is made of red and buff colored sandstone and is the highest tower in India. It was built to celebrate the victory of Mohammed Ghori of Afghanistan over the Rajputs in India. Qutub Minar is situated in Delhi.
6. Maharajah Jai Singh II of Jaipur constructed five astronomical observatories in west central India between 1727 and 1734. The observatories or "Jantar Mantars" as they are commonly known, incorporate multiple buildings of unique form, each with a specialized function for astronomical measurement.
7. Janjira is corruption of the Arabic word Jazirah, which means an island. This fort, built on an island in the 15th century AD, with strong walls 40 ft high is intact even after being battered by the sea waves for 500 years. This fort was never conquered by its enemies for 350 years. It once boasted of 500 canons and still has all its 19 Burj (watch-towers) in good condition. This island fort is situated in the Arabic sea near the west coast of India, in state of Maharashtra.
8. Tomb of a wealthy Muslim merchant, who renounced all his worldly belongings before embarking on a pilgrimage to Mecca. Over 800 years old, this tomb built in sea near the famous city of Mumbai (Bombay), is linked to the mainland by a path that is annually submerged for a few days in the high monsoon tide.
9. Ajanta caves, thirty in number, were made in 2nd century BC-AD. The themes are religious and centre around Buddha. Paintings are done on ground of mud-plaster. Ellora caves are rock-cut shrines representing three different faiths, Buddhist, Brahmin and Jain, known for their striking proportion, elaborate workmanship architectural content and sculptural ornamentation. Both these caves are located in western state of Maharashtra.
10. Mausoleum of Muhammad Adil Shah II (1627-57), located in the city of Bijapur, was built in 1659 by the famous architect, Yaqut of Dabul. The structure consists of a massive square chamber measuring nearly 50 m on each side and covered by a huge dome 37.9 m in diameter making it the largest dome in the Islamic world.
11. The Surya - mandir (sun - temple) of Konark, derived form the words Kona (Corner) and Arka (Sun), is known not only for its architectural grandeur but also for the intricacy and profusion of sculptural work. The entire temple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter, with a set of spokes and elaborate carvings. Seven horses drag the temple and two lions guard the entry, crushing the elephants. It is situated in southeastern state of Orissa.
12. Built by Mohammed Quli Qutub Shah in 1591, Charminar is beautiful colossus in granite, lime, mortar and, some say, pulverized marble. It is ac great tribute to aesthetics which looks sturdy and solid from a distance but as one moves closer, it emerges as an elegant and romantic edifice. The essence of Islamic architecture, of which it is a grand example, rests in the deployment of arches, minarets and domes in a harmonic whole. It is situated in city of Hyderabad in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
13. The Vithala temple complex at Hampi in state of Karnataka has 56 musical pillars, which are constructed such that when struck, each one emits a unique musical tone. The Virupaksha temple, site of the ancient city of Vijayanagar, is the main center of pilgrimage at Hampi. It has three towers, which rise to a height of 160 feet and are nine tiered. It dates back to the first half of the fifteenth century.
