India/Pakistan The Thar Desert is a realm of ancient beauty, history and legend. Spreading out along much of the border of modern day India and Pakistan, the Thar Desert has served as the frontier between the western world (Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East) and the eastern world (India, China and the Far East) since ancient times. Unlike most of the world’s … [Read more...]
BANDARPUNCH & SWARGAROHINI
India (6,316 m) –Famous Multi-Peaked Ridge in Himalayas Mount Bandarpunch and Mount Swargarohini are two mountains with over half a dozen peaks between them which together constitute one of the world’s most famous multi-peaked mountain ridges. The main mountain, Bandarpunch, has three peaks, of which Bandarpunch I is the tallest. Its name means the Tail of the Monkey. The … [Read more...]
BATTLE OF ASAL UTTAR (ASAL UTTAR BATTLEFIELD)
Khemkaran, India (1965 AD) The Battle of Asal Uttar was arguably the most important and one of the most decisive battles in the various post-independence wars between India and Pakistan. It was also one of the largest tank battles to be fought in Asia following the Korean conflict. The battle ended a Pakistani invasion of India and roughly settled the border that has existed … [Read more...]
BATTLES OF PANIPAT (PANIPAT BATTLEFIELD)
Panipat, India (1526 AD & 1556 AD) The two battles of Panipat roughly bookended the earliest Mughal invasions of Northern India. They pitted the armies of the Timurid kingdom of central Asia under some of its most gifted leaders against the waning might of the now-long established Delhi Sultanate. Both engagements were decisive Mughal victories. The first battle in 1526 … [Read more...]
BATTLES OF TARAIN (TARAIN BATTLEFIELD)
Taraori, India (1191 AD & 1192 AD) The two battles at Tarain, fought a year apart, were the decisive engatements that ultimately led to the dominance of Islam in Northern India. The first battle in 1191 was a Hindu victory, but only postponed the inevitable onslaught from the west. The second battle in 1192 was a decisive victory for the Muslim army of Muhammad Ghori. … [Read more...]
GOLDEN TEMPLE
Amritsar, Punjab The Harimandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, is the most sacred site in the world for Sikhs. Sikkhism, one of four religions to have evolved in India, is currently the fourth most prominent religion in the country. Much of India’s Sikh population live in the state of Punjab and regularly visit the shrine, while most other Sikhs in India and around … [Read more...]
LOTUS TEMPLE
Delhi, NCT The Lotus Temple in Delhi, more properly known as the Bahai House of Worship, is one of India’s newest major pilgrimage sites. It is a religious center of the Bahai faith, the latest of many faiths introduced to India. This huge steel and marble structure is among the most spectacular works of modern architecture in the Subcontinent. Designed to look like an … [Read more...]
MOTI MOSQUE
Delhi, NCT The Moti Mosque is part of the architectural legacy of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, the son of famed builder Shah Jahan. Like his father, Aurangzeb ruled a great realm that covered most of India, and like his father he endeavored to adorn many of its cities with civic improvements and architectural marvels. Though he did not rival his father in the latter, he did … [Read more...]
JAMA MASJID – DELHI
Delhi, NCT Many cities grew in magnificence under the reign of Shah Jahan, but few benefited as much from his patronage as the city of Delhi. Delhi, which had previously served as a capital during the age of the Sultanate of Delhi, was established as the capital of the Mughal Empire by Shah Jahan in the early 17th century. The city was rebuilt with many new civic buildings and … [Read more...]
JAMA MASJID – AHMEDABAD
Ahmedabad, Gujarat The Jama Masjid of Ahmedabad, also known as the Jumma Mosque, was the largest mosque constructed in India prior to the arrival of the Mughals. Part of a fort complex built in the early 15th century, the Jumma Mosque is arguably the most magnificent mosque of the era. Other than its missing minarets, it is also one of finest surviving examples of pre-Mughal … [Read more...]
