Hidden treasures - Young World Club 
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Hidden treasures

  • POSTED ON: 7 Sep, 2018
  • TOTAL VIEWS: 1198 Views
  • POSTED BY: Madhuvanti S. Krishnan
  • ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points

There are monuments that go beyond the Taj Mahal, Sanchi Stupa, Qutub Minar, Hampi ruins, and others that instantly come to the mind. These lesser-known ones also abound in beauty, grandeur and style.

THIRUMALAI NAYAKKAR MAHAL, MADURAI: A fusion of Dravidian and Rajput styles. Photo: Wikimedia CommonsTHE TOMB OF SUFI SAINT MUHAMMAD GHAUS, GWALIOR: In memory of a mystic. Photo: Culture TripSALIM SINGH KI HAVELI, JAISALMER: Home to 38 balconies, each with its own distinct design. Photo: Wikimedia CommonsMATHO MONASTERY, LEH: Offers stunning views of the Indus Valley and the Ladakh Range. Photo: Getty ImagesKANCH MAHAL, AGRA: Jahangir’s Shikargah, or hunting lodge. Photo: Wikimedia CommonsBIDAR FORT, KARNATAKA: Built in the form of an irregular rhombus on the edge of the plateau. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Jharkhand’s Maluti temples can be found in the small town of Maluti and its houses over 70 terracotta temples. Built under the Baj Basanta dynasty, this is one the India’s endangered historical sites.

If you are in the mood for some cultural fervour coupled with nature’s breathtaking magnificence, then, Leh’s Matho Monastery is the right place for you for, shrouded in serenity, it offers you a surreal view of the Indus valley and the Ladakh range.

While most architectural wonders from a bygone era served purposes of war or were in memory of sufi saints, war heroes, or kings, the Kanch Mahal in Agra was originally a palace built specifically for the royal ladies of the Mughal family. This building is a fine example of the domestic architecture of the Mughal era. It is named for the beautiful tile work on the red stones that embellish its walls.

Then there’s the Thirumalai Nayakkar’s Palace, a 17th-century palace built in 1636 AD by King Thirumalai Nayak, of the Nayaka dynasty, who ruled Madurai from 1623–1659. Its most notable feature is stucco work done on the arches and domes of the palace. There are a total of 248 pillars, and the palace is deemed a national monument.

Have you heard of the City of Whispering Monuments — Bidar? According to the book Bidar Heritage, published by the state Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, of the 61 monuments listed by the department, 30 are tombs located in and around the city, which explains the name. Situated in the Deccan plateau, the fort, a 15th-century creation is a Bahmani monument, which was built when Sultan Alla-Ud-Din Bahman shifted his capital from Gulbarga to Bidar.