PALACE OF WIND'S

                                    

"The Palace of  Winds" or  "The Palace of the Breeze" or Hawa Mahal, is located in Jaipur (Rajasthan), India. It was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, and designed by Lal Chand Ustad in the form of the crown of Krishna, the Hindu lord. Its unique five-storey exterior is also akin to the honeycomb of the beehive with its 953 small windows called jharokhas that are decorated with intricate latticework. The original intention of the lattice was to allow royal ladies to observe everyday life in the street below without being seen, since they had to observe strict "purdah" (face cover).

Built of red and pink sandstone, the palace is situated on the main thoroughfare in the heart of Jaipur’s business centre. It forms part of the City Palace, and extends to the Zenana or women's chambers, the chambers of the harem. It is particularly striking when viewed early in the morning, lit with the golden light of sunrise.

CHARMINAR...FOUR TOWER'S

Charminar  built in 1591 AD, is a landmark monument located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India. The English name is a transliteration and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers", the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches.The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India.The Charminar is on the east bank of Musi river.To the northeast lies the Laad Bazaar and in the west end lies the granite-made richly ornamented Makkah Masjid.

Sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, the fifth ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty built Charminar in 1591 AD,shortly after he had shifted his capital from Golkonda to what is now known as Hyderabad. He built this famous structure to commemorate the elimination of a  plague epidemic from this city. He is said to have prayed for the end of a plague that was ravaging his city and vowed to build a masjid (Islamic mosque) at the very place where he was praying. In 1591 while laying the foundation of Charminar, Quli Qutb Shah prayed: "Oh Allah, bestow unto this city peace and prosperity. Let millions of men of all castes, creeds and religions make it their abode, like fish in the water.

The mosque became popularly known as Charminar because of the two Urdu words char, meaning four, and minar, meaning tower, combined to form Charminar. It is said that, during the Mughal Governorship between Qutb Shahi and Asaf Jahi rule, the south western minaret "fell to pieces" after being struck by lightning and "was forthwith repaired" at a cost of Rs 60,000.In 1824, the monument was replastered at a cost of Rs 100,000.In its heyday, the Charminar market had some 14,000 shops. Today the famous markets known as Laad Baazar and Pather Gatti, near the Charminar, are a favour, of tourists and locals alike for jewellery, especially known for exquisite bangles and pearls respectively. In 2007, Hyderabadi Muslims living in Pakistan constructed a small-scaled quasi replica of the Charminar at the main crossing of the Bahadurabad neighborhood in Karachi.

Tirupati Balaji Temple

Shree Tirupati Balaji Temple is located near Chittoor in the state of Andhra Pradesh (India). It is almost around 67-km away from Chittor. Tirupati is one of the most famous and highly religious pilgrim centre in India. It also an attraction point for worldwide tourism. The ancient and sacred temple of Sri Venkateswara is located on the seventh peak, Venkata Hill (commonly known as Venkatachala) of the Tirupati Hill.

This historic shrine of Sri Venkateswara is famous all over the nation and the pilgirms stand in line for hours together to obtain a glimpse of the presiding deity for a few fleeting seconds. The shrine is located on a hill at Tirumala, a cluster of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam with an elevation of 0.853-Km (2, 800ft's.) above the sea level. It is assumed to be the richest temple in the world. This temple is a vibrant cultural and philanthropic institution with a grand history spanning several centuries.