Monuments Of South India

 

Monuments of South India show strong Dravidian traditions and are located in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh as well as the Union Territories of Puducherry and the Lakshadweep


Monuments of South India lie untouched and resplendent along the shores of the three oceans that surround and protect its beauty.

The region is separated from the north by the Vindhya Range and insulated on the east and west by the eastern and Western Ghats. Consequently culture, architecture and heritage of the place have remained largely untouched.

Classification of Monuments of South India
Monuments of South India are mainly of two types: religious and historical.


















Religious Monuments of South India The Religious Monuments of South India constructions  took place in the form of churches and mosques.  Carved mainly out of stone, the most distinctive features of the South Indian Temples are their Gopurams or large towers, at the entrances.

 The southern region has a rich heritage of ancient sacred architecture, with world famous temples at
Madurai, Thanjavur, Mamallapuram and Kanchipuram

Churches, on the other hand, mainly came into being after the coming of Christianity in India.
 A number of beautiful churches, such as,
San Thome Cathedral, St Mary's Church and many more were constructed.


Historical Monuments of South India: Chennai in Tamil Nadu was one of the first strongholds of the British in India. Historical monuments comprise of the palaces and forts.  However, there are a number of palaces of the 16th and 17th centuries which are examples of the Historical Monuments of South India.

• Lotus Mahal
: The Lotus Mahal built in 1575 at Vijayanagara, is a remarkable example of the blend of Hindu-Muslim construction style.

• Chandragiri

:  The palace has a prominent pyramidal tower, but the arcaded facade is treated with a series of orthodox Muslim arches.

• Palace of Tirumalai Nayak


• Padmanabhapuram Palace
: The Padmanabhapuram palace in Kerala built by the Portuguese, contain a fine series of murals depicting scenes from the Hindu epics.

Monuments of South India are a must-see for tourists looking to understand and appreciate the cultural legacy of India.

Read more : Monuments of South India

The Historical Forts in Goa

The forts in Goa were mostly built by the Portuguese rulers to secure their territories from invasions from mighty rulers like the Marathas. They form an important part of the historical monuments of Goa and attract tourists from different places throughout the year.

Fort Naroa
Fort Naroa is located on the Island of Divarin Goa, was built by the Muslims and was abandoned in 1834. Currently, the fort now stands in complete ruins but an old garrison church is adjacent to the fortress that still serves the locals.


Rachol Fort
Rachol Fort in Goa is famous for its rich historical significance involving the battles of Vijayanagar and Bijapur. This magnificent fort is situated adjacent to the Rachol Seminary, about 7 km away from the town of Margao.


Chapora Fort
Chapora Fort in Goa was built by the Portuguese in the year 1617 and was constructed to secure the occupied territory in Goa by the Portuguese. But in the later years, the Portuguese abandoned the fort in 1892. Presently nothing but the ruins of the fort remains.


Cabo de Rama Fort
Cabo de Rama Fort of Goa derives its name from the Hindu God, Lord Rama. Believed to be a fort of the Hindus, the fort is said to have taken over by both the Portuguese and British people.

Many more, forts are there in Goa.... for details information,
Here is a great site that you should checkout:
Goa is a state on the western coast of India, within the region known as the Konkan. One of the best place to visit. It is small in size... but it is a place of love.

First Battle Of Panipat

First Battle of Panipat took place between Babur and Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. It was fought in the year 1526 A.D. at Panipat, few miles away from Delhi. It marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire. This was one of the earliest battles involving gunpowder firearms and field artillery.

Strategies of First Battle of Panipat
Babur’s forces consisted of 15,000 men and had only 15 to 20 pieces of field artillery. Lodi had one lakh men along with hundred war elephants. However Babur scored over Lodi because he had guns which he used to scare the elephants away. The scared elephants trampled Lodi’s own men. For about a week, both the armies faced each other and engaged in skirmishes. The real battle started on the morning of 21st April 1526 A.D. and by noon it was over.
 
The weapons, the Tulghuma method of warfare and superior generalship of Babur, on the one hand, and the weaknesses of Ibrahim Lodi, on the other hand, were responsible for the success of Babur in this battle. Babur was experienced and a more capable commander than Ibrahim whom he described in his Memoirs as ‘an inexperienced young man careless in his movements, who marched without order, halted or retired without method, and engaged without foresight’. Babur had fine artillery, a more effective mobile cavalry and he used better war-tactics while Ibrahim had no artillery and fought in a traditional way depending on his war-elephants which having no experience of facing fire-arms and destroyed their own army in panic. Ibrahim’s army was not well-organised. He had lost the sympathy of the Afghan-nobility as well as the loyalty of his subjects. Mostly his army consisted of hastily collected mercenary soldiers. Therefore, though the Afghans fought bravely, they proved no match to the well-trained army of Babur. Ibrahim Lodi was lay dead on the field and his army was destroyed. Ibrahim Lodi was abandoned by his vassals and generals. It marked the reign of the Mughals in India. The first battle of Panipat was significant in a way because it was one of the earliest battles which involved the use of gunpowder firearms and field artillery.

Who won the first battle of panipat??...

To know information of first battle of  panipat in detail ,

Here is a great site , that you should checkout :  First Battle of Panipat

Forts in Maharashtra

Maharashtra is fortified by over 350 forts. Every brick of these forts boast of the glorious history of the great Maratha rulers. Most of the forts are associated with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who glorified the Maratha Empire and is believed to have developed almost 13 forts. The forts are now serving as great tourist spots.

Forts in Sindhudurg District
Sindhudurg Fort and Vijaydurg Fort are the two prominent forts of Sindhudurg district, which are also popular tourist spots:


Vijaydurg Fort: Located in Devgarh taluka of Sindhudurg district, this is one of the oldest, which was built by Raja Bhoj II of Shilahar dynasty in the 13th century. The fort, also known as the "Gibraltar of the East" since it was impregnable is surrounded by the Arabian Sea from three sides.


Sindhudurg Fort: It is one of the most excellent sea forts of Maharashtra, which is located on the shore of Malvan taluka in the Konkan region. The fortress was constructed by Shivaji. Surrounded by rocks, the fort provided natural protection from enemy ships and gave the Maratha naval ships a secured base in the western sea.

Forts in Raigad District
Some of the popular fortsof Raigad district are Avchitgad Fort, Birwadi Fort, Ghosale Gad Fort, Karnala Fort, Khanderi Fort, Kolaba Fort, Korlai Fort, Kothaligad Fort, Lingana Fort, Fort Mangad, Mrugagad Fort, Murud-Janjira Fort, Padargad Fort, Padmadurg Fort, Prabalgad Fort, Revdanda Fort, Sagargad Fort, Sarasgad Fort, Sarjekot Fort, Sudhagad Fort, Surgad Fort, Talagad Fort, Tungi Fort, Underi Fort, Vikatgad Fort etc. Some other forts in this district are:


Raigad Fort: This is located in the Sahyadri mountain range in Mahad taluka. This hill fort is elevated up to 820 meters above sea level. It was initially under the control of Chandrarao More of Jawali and captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj when he defeated ‘More’ in a fierce battle in 1656 CE, following which he renamed it Raigad and made it his capital.


Dronagiri Fort: This hill fort is a best place for trekking as it is situated close to Uran and Karanja. This fort was strategically important in the bygone era. The entire fort area is encompassed by dense forests.


Forts in Ratnagiri District ,

Forts in Nashik District ,

Forts in Palghar District .
And many more,  to know in detail

Here is a great site you should checkout:  Forts in Maharashtra

Characters in Ramayana

 

The characters in are instrumental in narrating the entire Sanskrit epic. Most of the characters like Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman and others are considered as deities according to Hindu mythology.

Characters in Ramayana
Following are the different characters in Ramayana:

Lord Rama: He was the son of King Dasaratha and Queen Kausalya. He was the prince of Ayodya. He is an ‘avatara’ of Lord Vishnu and was married to Sita.

Sita: She was the daughter of Mother Earth adopted by King Janaka. Sita married Lord Rama, and she is also regarded as an ‘avatara’ of the Goddess Lakshmi.

Ravana: Ravana was a devil who performed penance for a long time until Lord Brahma appeared before him and granted him a boon.


Lakshmana: He was the son of King Dasaratha and Queen Sumitra. He was dedicated to his brother and followed him throughout many adventures and hunts.  He is ascribed as the incarnation of ‘Ananta Sesha’, the 1000 headed Naga.


King Dasaratha: Dasaratha was the emperor of Ayodhya, father of Lord Rama, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna.

Kaushalya: She was the first queen of King Dasaratha and the mother of Lord Rama. She had a wonderful and liberal character.


Bharata: He is famous for his love and devotion towards his elder brother Lord Rama.

Lord Hanuman: He was the advisor of Sugriva. He was the son of Anjana and Kesari and he is believed to be an avatar of the supreme Lord Shiva. He was a guardian spirit, the offspring of a nymph and the Wind God.

Surpanakha: She was the sister of Ravana who was a powerful demon. She tried to seduce Lord Rama and kill Sita, but Lakshmana attacked her.

Jatayu: Jatayu was a powerful golden eagle who spoke in the voice of a human being. He died protecting Sita from Ravana.


Shravan Kumar: He was as a dedicated son who carried his blind parents on his shoulders for a pilgrimage tour.

Kumbhakarna: He was Ravana's brother. He had a huge physique with unlimited strength. He used to sleep for six months at a time before waking up and eating everything he could see.


Lava: Along with Kusha, Lava was one of the student to whom Valmiki taught the Ramayana which he received from Narada.  Lava was the king of Sriwasti, in northern Kosala. He was the founder of the city of Lahore, which is named after him.

Kusha: Kusha was one of the twin sons of Lord Rama and Sita. The other son is the Lava. He was born in a forest after Sita had been banished from Ayodhya.
and many more characters are their in ramayana

To know in detail read here : Characters in Ramayana

Kottige, Mangalore Cuisine

The Jackfruit leaves lend a lovely flavour and fragrance to these Idlis and the taste is unmatched with the regular Idli.

It is usually a festive preparation made by Mangalorean Hindus but is available all year round in some hotels in Mangalore.

‘Kottige’ is also known as ‘Khotto’ and it is called as ‘Gunda’ in Konkani.

Kottige is usually served in the hotels for breakfast; it is usually paired with "Chutney" and "Sambhar".
Nowadays people don’t spend time in making these baskets as these baskets are available readily made in Mangalore market.

To know, how these yummy fully tummy dish is prepared visit here : Kottige, Mangalore Cuisine



Tips for Kottige
While opening tear the leaves carefully so that the Kottige can slip out of the basket without getting stuck to the leaves and loose its shape.

Do not overcrowd the steamer with the baskets while steaming but make sure there is not much of gap in between the baskets.

Indian Vegetable Dishes, Indian Food

Indian vegetables Dishes are a synagogue to the vegetarians of India. Indian cooking places vegetable to the pedestal of an all rounder.
It is hardly confined to side dishes rather they are turned into appetizers, snacks, soups, main dishes, relishes, pickles, conserves, desserts, sweets, breads and beverages.
 Any vegetable can be cooked in all these forms, using different ingredients and techniques.

Some of the famous Indian vegetables dishes are discussed below;


Gobhi Matar Rasedar is a simple yet tasty curry made with cauliflower and peas.

Dum Aloo is one of the common Indian vegetable dishes with almost neutral taste that allows them to absorb deeply the flavours of spices.



Tari Aloo is a simple entree which has become known in all of India.


Matar Paneer  is a delicacy that all Indians love.


Read more : Indian Vegetable Dishes, Indian Food

" To be healthy, Vegetables are Good"

Indian Cuisine is incomplete without Indian vegetables

Vegetarian dishes in India are easy and simple. 

Architecture in South India, Indian Monuments

Architecture in South India comprises the architectural creations in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.











In Karnataka, during the middle Ages, temple building has shown its originality, in the architecture of the Hoysala period. Bijapur in Karnataka is renowned for its Muslim architecture.
The heart of Andhra Pradesh is the former feudal kingdom of Hyderabad.

The Mughals did not extend their empire so far south.
The temples here are built in the Dravidian style of architecture.

History of Architecture in South IndiaThe origins of the Dravidians style can be observed in the Gupta period. In South India more than the architecture, it is the Hindu temples linked to history and Hindu mythology that are famous and are major pilgrim centres even today. The history of South India reveals the several significant rulers and dynasties which have ruled over it, such as, the Cheras, Cholas, Pallavas, Chalukyas, Pandyas and the western Ganga dynasty.

Features of Architecture in South India
 Hindu religious architecture comprises a major segment of the architecture of south India. Vimana is known as the shape of the major temple tower.

The temples of Pattadakal and Aihole in Karnataka depict the origin of the south Indian architecture.





The temples, Hampi reflect some of the best Hindu architectural pattern. Badami in Karnataka is one of the fascinating places in the South.

The Bhutanatha groups of temples reflect the Chalukya style of architecture.

Apart from Hindu temples there are Islamic, Jain, colonial and Buddhist architecture which are prevalent in South India.

Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh has Charminar which is an Islamic memorial tower. Golconda was a prominent Islamic capital in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The three cities of Gulbarga, Bijapur and Bidar in the north of Karnataka have many structures reflecting south Indian Islamic architecture.

Jain temples were built on the west coast. Colonial architecture in south India is seen in the city of Mysore in Karnataka.

 It is designed in the Indo-Saracen style with a blend of European, Islamic and Hindu architecture.

The Napier museum in Trivandrum in Kerala is built on the colonial style of architecture.

Read more : Architecture in South India, Indian Monuments