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Cultural
Panorama
Explore
India through its rich, vast and diverse cultural heritage
Of all
the places and structures that feature in the UNESCO World Heritage list,
India boasts of 23 cultural and 6 natural sites in its midst. It is a known
fact that India is a cultural pot pourri, and each destination has something
unique to offer. While many of our monuments, structures and locales have
received international recognition as heritage sites, there are many more
that missed the mark but yet are worth travelling to visit. A trip to
popular historical places is the best way to get a sneak peek into the
past. Every aspect of these heritage structures speaks volumes of the sheer
brilliance of the people of that particular era in the form of their
craftsmanship, skills, planning and politics, all of which laid a
foundation to the India of today. A heritage vacation is also a nice way to
introduce the kids to the various facets of India...
WHERE: TOWARDS EAST INDIA
MUST-VISIT: Apart from monuments, the East has
immense natural beauty that works in its favour. The Sun Temple of Konark
in Orissa was built in the 13th century and serves as an example of Orissan
architecture of the Ganga dynasty. The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, better
known by its nickname as Toy Train, is a two feet narrow gauge railway that
operates between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal. The
Kaziranga National Park in Assam is home to two-thirds of the world’s one
horn rhinoceroses. You can also see elephants, wild water buffalo, swamp
deer and a variety of birds in this area.
WHERE: TOWARDS WEST INDIA
MUST-VISIT: While the West portion of the
country has its share of flora and fauna it is the man made structures that
found their way on to the list of world heritage sites. The intrinsic
sculptures in the Ajanta and Ellora caves in Aurangabad, Maharashtra depict
the outstanding architecture of the craftsmen of the era. Another world
heritage site in West India, that most of us have, at some point visited or
passed by is the Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai. The railway
terminus was built in 1887, by the British. One can see influences of
Victorian Italianate Gothic Revival architecture and Indian (Mughal and
Hindu) traditional design in the structure.
WHERE: TOWARDS NORTH INDIA
MUST-VISIT: North India boasts of 10 UNESCO
declared world heritage sites. Of these, the Taj Mahal in Agra, has even
been declared as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. While the Taj
Mahal is lauded for having a blend of Muslim and Indian architecture, there
are more magnificent structures in North India to check out. You must see
the Mahabodhi Temple complex at Bodh Gaya, Bihar, built by Emperor Ashoka
in 260 BC. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments, in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh,
has medieval Hindu and Jain temples, which are known all over the world for
the intricate and erotic carvings on them. If you are on a religious
outing, you can visit the holy sites of Sri Harmandir Sahib (The Golden
Temple) in Amritsar in Punjab and Dilwara Temples of Mount Abu in
Rajasthan, which have gained fame as heritage sites. Also check out the
Keoladeo National Park, a popular bird sanctuary created 250 years ago in
Rajasthan.
WHERE: TOWARDS SOUTH INDIA
MUST-VISIT: There are many heritage sites to
visit in South India. The group of Pallava monuments at Mahabalipuram in
Tamil Nadu, the Vijayanagar monuments at Hampi in Karnataka and the
Chalukya monuments at Pattadakkal, Karnataka being among the earliest few
structures to be included in the prestigious list of World Heritage Sites.
The Mountain Railway in the Nilgris district in Tamil Nadu, and the great
Chola temples at Darasuram and Gangaikondacholapuram in Tamil Nadu are also
some of the must-visit sites in South India.
Compiled by Sujata Reddy ETTR1301010
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