environmental science class 5th chapter summary

1. RED FORT
The Red Fort stands as the result of the decision of Shahjahan in 1639, to shift his capital
to New Delhi from Agra. Within eight years, Shahjahanabad was completed with the Red
Fort-Qila-i-Mubarak (fortunate citadel)-New Delhi's seventh fort.
Specimen of artisitic brilliance- red fort:
The Red Fort stands witness to the glorious Indian history and architecture. This fort built
behind red sandstone walls gives the fort its name. The Red Fort or Lal Qila reiterates the
period of Moghul magnificence. This famous citadel comprises of massive audience halls
and marble palaces. The architecture was accentuated with precious stones when
constructed.
The two main gateways are the Lahore Gate and the Delhi Gate.
The Red Fort is to be entered by the Delhi Gate, that leads to the Hathi Pol or Elephant
Gate.
The Diwan-e-am and the Diwan-e-khas are pavilions from where the king addressed the
common people and the elite respectively.
The Rang Mahal is a water-cooled apartment for the royal ladies and in the basement of
the fort there is a market where one can buy traditional Indian goods at very competitive
rates.

2. LOTUS TEMPLE
Located in Kalkaji in the south of Delhi, it is lotus shaped and has
rightly been given the name. It is made of marble, cement, dolomite
and sand. It is open to all faiths and is an ideal place for meditation
and obtaining peace and tranquility.
It is a very recent architectural marvel of the Bahai faith. The Bahá'í
Faith is the youngest of the world's independent religions. Its
founder, Bahá'u'lláh (1817-1892), is regarded by Bahá'ís as the most
recent in the line of Messengers of God that stretches back beyond
recorded time and that includes Abraham, Moses, Buddha,
Zoroaster, Christ and Muhammad.

3. QUTUB MINAR
In 1199, Qutub-ud-Din raised the Qutub Minar either
as a victory tower or as a minaret to the adjacent
mosque. From a base of 14.32m it tapers to 2.75m at
a height of 72.5m and a valid reason why it took two
decades to complete this monument.
Its a red sandstone tower covered with beautiful and
striking carvings and is inscribed with verses from
the holy Quran. Qutub Minar is still the highest stone
tower in India as well as one of the finest Islamic
structures ever raised and Delhi's recognised
landmark. The sultan's successor and son-in-law,
Iltutmish, completed it.

4. HUMANYU’S TOMB
Humayun's tomb lies on the Mathura road near its
crossing with the Lodi Road. High rubble-built walls
enclose here a square garden divided initially into four
large squares separated by causeways and channels, each
square divided again into smaller squares by pathways
('Chaharbagh') as in a typical Mughal Garden.
The lofty mausoleum is located in the centre of the
enclosure and rises from a podium faced with series of
cells with arched openings. The central octagonal chamber
containing the cenotaph is encompassed by octagonal
chambers at the diagonals and arched lobbies on the
sides, their openings closed with perforated screens.

5. INDIA GATE
At the center of New Delhi stands the 42m high India Gate, an
"Arc-de-Triomphe" like Archway in the middle of a crossroad.
Almost similar to its French counterpart war memorial. It
commemorates the 70,000 Indian soldiers who lost their lives
fighting for the British Army during the First World War and
bears the names of more than 13,516 British and Indian soldiers
killed in the Northwestern Frontier in the Afghan war of 1919.
The foundation stone was laid by His Royal Highness, the Duke
of Connaught in 1921 and was designed by Edwin Lutyens. The
monument was dedicated to the nation 10 years later by the
then Viceroy, Lord Irwin. Another memorial, Amar Jawan Jyoti
was added much later, after India got its independence. It is in
the form of a flame that burns day and night under the arch to
remind the nation of soldiers who laid down their lives in the
Indo-Pakistan War of December 1971.

6. JANTAR MANTAR
A unique structure raised in 1724, now lies in the heart of
Delhi's commercial centre near Connaught place. This is the
Jantar Mantar, one of several astronomical observatories
raised by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Jaipur.
The various abstract structures within the Jantar Mantar
are, in fact, instruments that were used for keeping track of
celestial bodies. Yet, Jantar Mantar is not only a timekeeper
of celestial bodies, it also tells a lot about the technological
achievements under the Rajput kings and their attempt to
resolve the mysteries regarding astronomy.

7. CITY PALACE
The City Palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani
and Mughal art and architecture. The City Palace complex
houses several palatial structures. In the heart of the old
Jaipur city, the City Palace occupies a large area divided into
a series of courtyards, gardens and buildings.
Jai Singh built the outer wall but other additions were made
much later, some right up to the start of this century. The
former Maharaja still lives in part of the palace. The City
Palace sprawls over one-seventh of the area of the walled
city. It houses the Chandra Mahal, Shri Govind Dev Temple
and the City Palace Museum.

8. HAWAL MAHAL
The Hawa Mahal, literally meaning, palace of the winds is an important
landmark of the city of Jaipur - the Pink City of India. Travel to Jaipur is
considered incomplete without a trip to the Hawa Mahal. It is an
interesting building, although it is actually little more than a façade.
Probably, this honeycombed building was originally built to facilitate the
women of the royal household to watch the everyday life and
processions of the city.
There is no definite record as to why Hawa Mahal was built, only
conjecture. It certainly was not meant for residential purposes. That
becomes clear if one were to view this unusual structure from the rear
side. There is a total lack of ornamentation on the inner face of the
building. The chambers of Hawa Mahal are plain and mere mass of
pillars and passages leading to the top story. It does not seem to be part
of the same building.

9. LAKE PALACE
The shimmering Lake Pichola surrounds the Lake Palace with a
unique mystique, all its own. The Lily pond seems to carry that very
mystique inside, in the centre of the palace. Here, dining is a pleasure
during the day. And magic at night. The effect is that of time coming to
a standstill. Nothing intrudes your privacy, peace and tranquility.
Leaving you to wonder if paradise can be this serene.
The Lake Palace Hotel is in fact a white marble palace that seems to
float miraculously on the still waters of Lake Pichola. Probably the
most romantic hotel in the world, this 250-year old palace offers
guests a unique blend of serenity and opulence. Founded in 1568 by
Maharana Udai Singh, the Lake city of Udaipur is often referred as the
'Venice of the East'. Studded with extravagant palaces, hilltop
fortresses, awe-inspiring temples and romantic gardens filled with
blossoming trees, this 'City of Dreams' is, not surprisingly, a favourite
with travellers, both Indian and Foreign. A fantasy island palace
shimmering on mirror-calm Lake Pichola, the Lake Palace is one of the
most romantic hotels in the world.

10. UMAID BHAWAN
The Umaid Bhavan Palace is situated in the royal city of Jodhpur,
Rajasthan, 5 kms. From Jodhpur airport and 6 kms. from Jodhpur
Rly station. Umaid Palace is one the world's biggest palaces built
in twentieth century. The palaces of yesteryears have now been
converted into luxury and grand luxury hotels. A portion of this
palace now comprises of a hotel and a museum.
Maharaja Umaid Singh of Jodhpur commissioned the London
firm Lanchester and Lodge to build the royal abode and 15 years
later the Maharaja got this spectacular sandstone palace, the
Umaid Bhawan Palace.The Palace was started as project to
provide employment to famine stricken farmers. The palace
stands on 26 acres of land out which 15 acres is gardens.

11. FATEHPUR SIKRI
Fatehpur Sikri is 37 kms from Agra is built a city predominantly
in Red Sandstone and is called Fatehpur Sikri. This town was
built by the Mughal Emperor, Akbar. He had planned this city as
his capital but shortage of water compelled him to abandon the
city. After this within 20 years, the capital of Mughals was
shifted to Lahore.
Fatehpur Sikri was built during 1571 and 1585. Today this ghost
city has a population of about 30,000. This deserted city has
retained many of the old structures, because of the efforts of
the Archaeological department.
Fatehpur Sikri is one of the finest examples of Mughal
architectural splendour at its height. Though the city is in ruins,
it is a place to visit if one comes to Agra.But in real terms
Fatehpur Sikri is a place where one should spend some time.
The sunset over the ruins is sight to cherish.

12. TAJ MAHAL
No word can justify the beauty of the Taj Mahal. A wonder of the world,
the Taj Mahal in Agra is a monument which no other in the world can
match its beauty and grandeur. Called the most beautiful temple in the
world, the white marbled mausoleum at Agra has become the epitome
of a man's love for a woman.
Synonymous with India, the Taj Mahal is undoubtedly the epitome of
India tourism. India travel is incomplete without experiencing the Taj
Mahal. This supreme temple of love, standing gracefully by the sacred
Yamuna at Agra, is set amongst the serene ambience of a well laid out
garden. The massive white marble structure was built in the 17th
century by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in memory of his beloved
wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan was so disheartened by her death
that the royal court went in mourning for two years and there was no
music, no dancing, no celebrations and no feasting for two years.
After such a long period when he recovered his consciousness Shah
Jahan decided immortalize their love in the form of the Taj Mahal. He
had selected the place for the Mahal Taj in Agra so that he could see it
from his personal palace at Agra Fort.

13. GATE WAY OF INDIA
Mumbai's principal landmark, the Gateway of India is a huge archway on
the water's edge at Apollo Bunder. It is the starting point for most
tourists who want to explore the city. This famous monument was built
to commemorate the visit of the first ever British Monarch, King George
V and Queen Mary in 1911.
The Gateway was built by the British and designed by the architect
George Wittet. The first stone was laid by the then Governor of Bombay
on March 31st, 1913. The Gate was formally opened in 1924.
It is 26m high structures, complete with four turrets and intricate
latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. Ironically, when the
British Raj ended in 1947, this colonial symbol also became a sort of
epitaph: the last of the British ships that set sail for England left from the
Gateway.

14. MYSORE PALACE
The Mysore Palace, built is Indo-Saracenic style with
domes turrets, arches and colonnades, the palace is a
treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from
all over the world. The tastefully decorated and inticrately
carved doors open into luxuriously decorated rooms.
The palace has now been converted into a museum, which
treasures the souvenirs, paintings, jewellery, royal
costumes and other items, which were once possessed by
the Wodeyars. It is said that the palace displays the largest
collection of gold items, quantity wise. The Durbar hall of
the palace has an ornate ceiling and many sculpture pillars
which are said to have been painted with gold.

15. AJANTA CAVE
Located In Maharashtra, 100 kilometers from the city of Aurangabad.
The Ajanta Caves were discovered accidentally by a British Captain,
John Smith in 1819, while on a hunting expedition. Aurangabad can
be reached by flight or train, or even by motored down to from
Manmad , the nearest railhead being 55 km north at Jalgaon city of
Maharashtra, India.
These 3rd-century caves are fine achievements by Buddhist monks
and are considered the finest masterpiece of Buddhist art and
architecture.The caves are cut from the volcanic lava of the Deccan
and are set in beautiful blooming surroundings. These historical
manmade caves comprise of beautiful paintings on the walls and
ceilings that depict the life of the Buddha. At Ajanta, the paintings on
the walls, illustrate the events in the life of Gautama Buddha.

16. ELLORA CAVE
Ellora has 34 caves with intricate interiors and ornamental
facades. The 12 Buddhist Caves depict Lord Buddha in
various poses. The 17 Hindu Caves embody carvings of the
Hindu Gods- Siva, Vishnu, Durga, Parvati and animals. The
5 Jain caves include figures of the Jain saints. The most
fascinating structure is the magnificient Kailash Temple
hewn out of a single rock and is three storeys high. The
grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount
Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, with his full might is a
landmark in Indian art.