Top 15 Historical Monuments In India

India’s a country rich in culture and history. It had one of the earliest civilizations in the world, i.e., the Indus valley civilization. However, there are some historical sites other than the Taj Mahal and Qutub Minar which show a mixture of great architecture and the use of technology. 

Here’s a list of the top 15 historical monuments in India:

1. Fatehpur Sikri Fort

Fatehpur Sikri fort is situated in UP, which was the capital of the great Mughal emperor, Akbar. Red sandstone was used to build the entire site, which included the dargah of Salim Chishti with the mighty Buland Darwaza and a group of forts. Though everyone knows about its history, the technology used on the walls here is also commendable. The hollow walls helped people listen to things from a distant place. That is why the phrase was used, “Diwaro ke bhi kaan hote hai’ [The walls can hear too!]

2. Buland Darwaza

The Buland Darwaza in the Fatehpur district of UP was made by Akbar as a sign after the victory against Gujrat in 1572. It is the largest gateway in the world.

3. Sheesh Mahal

The sheesh mahal is one of the greatest innovations of medieval architecture in India. The glass design of the mirror palace reflects even a small amount of light and lights up the entire hall. It is something very pleasing to see.

4. Bada Imambada or Bhul Bhulayya

The Bada Imambada is situated in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Nawab Asaf-ud-daullah commissioned the building for the Shias to gather and celebrate different ceremonies. The most striking feature of the Imambada is that it has thousands of interconnected passageways, which lead to other passageways. So it is very difficult to identify the real ways at once. It is basically a zig-zag puzzle where you can go missing!

5. Talatal Ghar

Talatal Ghar was an army base of the Ahom kingdom of Assam. It was a seven-storeyed structure, of which three stories were above the ground, and the rest were underground. There were two secret tunnels that led to the Dikhow river for security purposes. Now the tunnels and underground stories are sealed by the government.

6. Daulatabad Fort

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq shifted his capital from Delhi to Devagiri and named it Daulatabad. The forts of the city reflect the typical Islamic architectural style. The amazing fact about the Daulatabad fort is the gap in the walls, from which hot oil came out during the time of its use. It was a tactic to escape the attackers.

7. Humayun’s Tomb 

Constructed by Humayun’s wife Haji Begum, this tomb is situated in Delhi. But a lesser-known fact is that its design has inspired the great Taj Mahal. The raised platform, Char Bagh pattern, etc., of the Taj Mahal was inspired by this tomb. 

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8. Jantar Mantar

The Jantar Mantars were built by Maharaja Jai Singh in the 18th century. The largest among the five Jantar Mantars is the one in Jaipur. These were the sites with astronomical measurements. They were scientifically so accurate that they could say the local time with an accuracy of 2 seconds.

9. Vithala Temple

Vithala temple at Hampi, Vijayanagar, is one of the greatest examples of architecture of that time. The fun fact about it is that it has 56 pillars with different musical notes, and they produce musical notes in a certain manner if the thumb is pressed properly.

10. Gol Gumbaz

Situated in Bijapur, Karnataka, it is the second-largest tomb in the world. However, its hollow walls have been surprising archaeologists for years now. The way to the hollow walls is not found yet. Moreover, it is also wondered why such a design for a tomb was used.

11. Hawa Mahal

This structure was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. The palace sits in the city palace and extends to the women’s chamber. As the name suggests, it was used by the royal ladies to sit and enjoy the wind during the summer days. Jaalis or lattice is present on the windows so that the breeze can pass by and create a natural air cooler within.

12. Tomb Of Telangani 

This is the tomb of Malik Maqbool, a prime minister of the Delhi Sultanate. It was built by his son Junan Shah. The architectural importance of this tomb is that it is the first octagonal tomb in India. After that, many tombs, like Sher Shah Sur’s tomb in Sasaram, Humayun’s tomb in Delhi, and Mumtaz Mahal’s tomb in Agra, follow the same pattern as this.

13. Tomb Of Itma-Ud-Daulla

The tomb of Itma-Ud-Daulla is situated in Agra, built by Noor Jahan. Noor Jahan was the queen of the emperor Jahangir. This is the Tomb of Giyasbeg, the father of queen Noor Jahan. The structure is important because, for the first time, Pietra Dura and white marble were used in medieval architecture. Pietra Dura is a mosaic work that is done using semi-precious stone. After this, Shahjahan used both white marble and Pietra Dura in his building structures widely.

14. Teli Ka Mandir

Teli ka mandir is situated in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. It is a basic Dravid architectural style temple but with a Sikhara. Sikhara is usually seen in the Nagara style of architecture. It is the only Dravida temple with Sikhara. So it shows a blend of both styles.

15. Huge Monolith Statue Of Bahubali

The huge structure of Bahubali or Gomateswara is a Jain figure situated in Shravanavelagola, Karnataka. He was the son of Rishabha, the first Jain Tirthankara. The importance of the figure is not only religious but the type and height also are important. The statue is cut out from a single monolith, and its height is 57 feet. It is not only famous among the Jains but also among history enthusiasts.  

Conclusion

So these were the historical monuments in India that have people in awe from all over the world. If you ever get a chance, do make it a point to experience the classics!

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