Buland Darwaza (Hindi: , Urdu:

, pronounced [blndd dd raza]), meaning 'high' or 'great' gate

in Urdu. It was built by Akbar to commemorate victory. It is located in Fatehpur Sikri, which is located 43 km away
from Agra, India. It is also known as the "Gate of Magnificence." Buland Darwaza or the loft gateway was built by the
great Mughal emperor, Akbar in 1601 A.D. at Fatehpur Sikri. Akbar built the Buland Darwaza to commemorate his
victory over Gujarat. [1]

Architecture[edit]
The Buland Darwaza is made of red and buff sandstone, decorated by white and black marble and towers above the
courtyard of the mosque. The Buland Darwaza is symmetrical in plan and is topped by large free standing kiosks, which
are the chhatris. It also has at top center the Buland Darwaza style roof terrace edge gallery-kiosks on the roof, stylized
buckler-battlements, small minar-spires, and illuminating inlay work with white and black marble. On the outside a long
flight of steps sweeps down the hill giving the gateway additional height. It is 40 metres high and 50 metres from the
ground. The total height of the Structure is about 54 metres from the ground level. It is a 15-storied high gateway that
guards the southern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri.
A Persian inscription on eastern archway of the Buland Darwaza records Akbar's conquest over Uttar Pradesh and the
victory in Gujarat in 1601. An inscription on the central face of the Buland Darwaza throws light on Akbar's religious
broad mindedness.
It took 12 years to build.

Inscription[edit]
On the main gateway an Islamic inscription written in Persian reads "Isa (Jesus), son of Mary said: 'The world is a
Bridge, pass over it, but build no houses upon it. He who hopes for a day, may hope for eternity; but the World endures
but an hour. Spend it in prayer for the rest is unseen.'"

Reason[edit]
Buland Darwaza, the triumphal Gateway, was erected by Akbar in 1601 in commemoration of his victory over Khandesh
and Ahmednagar in Southern India. Buland Darwaza is the greatest monumental structure of Akbars entire reign. Even
now it has no parallel and is the largest, loftiest and most stately in the whole of India. In its own class, it is one of the
greatest in the world. Here, marble and sandstone have been used in effective combination in its decoration, which only
the masons of the Mughal period knew. The inlaid marble work in the arches and the Hindu style of architecture in the
gallery above the entrance are worth a visit. The total height of the Gate above the pavement is 176 ft.
The great gate itself is quite plain. The three horizontal panels of buff stone noticeable in Badshahi Darwaza are also
present here. The plain red sandstone spandrels are framed n white marble with a flower like ornament inlaid in white
marble at the apex of the arch, and a flattish rosette, centered with the narrow panel above it, on either side. The
cusped ornament, large and bold in fact, but small and delicate when seen from below, is carried down below the
springing of the arch. Two pieces have been broken off from the left hand side and eight from the right.
Sant Eknath (15331599) was a prominent Marathi sant, scholar, and religious poet. In the development of Marathi
literature, Eknath is seen as a bridge between his predecessorsDnyaneshwar and Namdevand the
later Tukaram and Ramdas.

Origins[edit]

The precise dates are uncertain, but it is traditionally held that Eknath lived during the last three-quarters of the
sixteenth-century CE. Legend also says that he was born to aBrahmin family at Paithan, that his parents died while he
was young and that he was then raised by his grandfather, Bhanudas, a hero of the Varkari sect.[1] Some sources say
that Bhanudas was his great-grandfather.[2] It is possible, but not certain, that his guru, Janardan, was a Sufi.[3]

Writings[edit]
He wrote a variation of the Bhagavata Purana which is known as the Eknathi Bhagavata, and a variation of
the Ramayana which is known as the Bhavarth Ramayan. Eknath wrote Rukmini Swayamwar Hastamalak, which was
comprised 764 owees and based on a 14-shlok Sanskrit hymn with the same name by Shankaracharya.
His other works were the Shukashtak (447 owees), the Swatma-Sukha (510 owees), the Ananda-Lahari (154 owees),
the Chiranjeewa-Pad (42 owees), the Geeta-Sar, and thePrahlad-Wijaya. He introduced a new form of Marathi religious
song called Bharood, writing 300 of them. He performed them in varkari sampradaya. He wrote variations of Bharuds in
other languages. He also wrote 300 religious songs in the Abhang form. He was also a preacher, and gave many public
discourses.
Eknath initiated in Maharashtra a movement called Wasudewa Sanstha. It involved house-to-house visitations by
individuals known as Wasudewa, who, standing in front of peoples' houses, spread religious messages
through bhajans (ballad

Teachings[edit]
Eknath was one of the earliest reformers of untouchability in Maharashtra, working as he was in the late Middle Ages. In
times when Brahmins even avoided the shadow and the voice of an untouchable, he publicly showed courtesy toward
untouchables and frequented them.
South America is a continent located in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively
small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be considered as a subcontinent of the Americas.[1]
It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east by the Atlantic Ocean; North America and
the Caribbean Sea lie to the northwest. It includes twelve sovereign states
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana,Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, and Venezuela
and two non-sovereign areas French Guiana, an overseas department ofFrance, and the Falkland Islands, a British
Overseas Territory (though disputed by Argentina). In addition to this, the ABC islands of the Netherlands may also be
considered part of South America.

The geography of South America contains many diverse regions and climates. Geographically, South America is
generally considered a continent forming the southern portion of the American landmass, south and east of
the PanamaColombia border by most authorities, or south and east of the Panama Canal by some. South and North
America are sometimes considered a single continent orsupercontinent, while constituent regions are infrequently
considered subcontinents. Geopolitically and geographically, all of Panamaincluding the segment east of the Panama
Canal in the isthmusis generally considered a part of North America alone and among the countries of Central
America.

Climate[change | change source]

The climate in most of South America is usually tropical.[3] It is humid (dry) tropical and tropical savanna in the north. It is
humid subtropical in the southeast. Rainfall is different depending on the place. The Atacama Desert is one of the driest

places in the world. In the Amazon basin, the average rainfall is 2,000 millimetres (79 in). The Brazilian plateau receives
rainfall between 1000 and 2000 mm.[3] Temperatures can also be very different. The usual temperature in the mountains
is 15 C (59 F) degrees, while temperatures in the Tropics can be more than 38 C (100 F) degrees.[3]

Natural resources[change | change source]

The soil in Argentina's Pampas is among the best in the world. Brazil's soil is very good for growing coffee.[3] A great
number of minerals have been found. Few, however, have been mined.[3] Among those that were mined
are iron, manganese, gold, and gemstones.[3] The tropical forests are rich in valuable trees, like mahogany, ebony,
and rubber.[3]Oil is also a resource
iSouth America's natural vegetation follows closely the continent's climatic zones. In the Amazon Basin and other tropical-rainy regions are vast
rain forests. Here, dense stands of tall hardwood and softwood trees cover vast areas. In the Amazon Basin much of the forest is being cleared
and burned to provide land for settlement and farming. Farther from the Equator, as rainfall decreases and a dry season begins, the rain forest
gradually gives way to less dense tropical forest and then to grasses n

some places.[3]

6 Must See Animals of South America

The Animals of South America have been the inspiration of both writers and directors to produce books and movies telling tales
of epic adventures or sheer horror. Meet the protagonists and make up your mind for yourself.

1. Andean Condor

The king of the sky, the Andean Condor (Vultur gryphus) is an absolute stunning sight when spotted. It is the largest flying bird
on our planet, with a wingspan of up to 310 cm. (122 inches).
Condors are the national bird of Bolivia, Colombia, Chile and Peru and play important roles in folklore and mythology of South
America.
The Andean Condor's diet consists mainly of carrion and occasionally sick or young animals. It feeds on dead deer, squirrels,
mice, rabbits and other small mammals.
The place to view the majestic Andean Condor is from the Cruz del Condor at the Colca Canyon in Southern Peru. The condors
start taking to the sky from below the lookout area. Watching a condor soar through the sky takes your breath away.

. Piranha

The Piranha (Pygocentrus Piraya) is a carnivorous sweet water fish that lives mainly in the Amazon Basin of South America.
They are about 15 to 25 cm. (6 to 10 inches) long. The feature that made them the protagonists of many horror tales are their
razor sharp teeth.
Piranhas are harmless to humans (I have swum in rivers with piranhas while traveling in the Amazon Basin). Their diet exists
mainly of small fish.
Have a close encounter w

3. Capybara

The capybara is a semi-aquatic herbivorous animal and the largest of living rodents. It is native to most of the tropical and
temperate parts of South America east of the Andes.
Capybaras live in big herds and grow between 105 and 135 cm (40-55 inch) in length, and weigh 35 to 65 kg (75-140 lbs).
The capybara spend most of their time on the banks of rivers, feeding in the mornings and evenings. Their diet consists of
vegetation such as river plants and bark.
Have a close encounter with a Capybara

4. Southern Right Whale

This magnificent animal comes to the waters of Argentina's Pennsula Valds (Patagonia) to breed. Spotting a Southern Right
Whale is a breathtaking sight and you can almost touch them when you set out on a boat from Puerto Pyramides.
Adults may be between 11-18 meters (36-59 feet) in length and up to 80 metric tons (88 short tons) in weight. Southern Right
Whales (Eubaleana Australis) spend the summer months in the Southern Ocean feeding, probably close to Antarctica. Animals
migrate north in winter for breeding and can be seen around the coasts of Chile, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, Australia and
New Zealand. The total population is estimated to be 7,000 to 8,000.

5. Anaconda

The Anaconda is one of the biggest and heaviest snakes of the world. There have been sightings of anacondas at over 10
meters (32.8 feet) in length (although most are considerably smaller) and can weigh up to 250 kg (551 pounds) and have a
girth of more than 30 cm (11.8 inches) in diameter.
The best two known species are the Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus) and the Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus). Their
habitat are the swamps and rivers of the dense forests from the Amazon Basin.
Anacondas are carnivorous. Their diet exists of capybaras and other large rodents, tapirs, deer, peccaries, fish, turtles, birds,
sheep, dogs and aquatic reptiles. Anacondas occasionally prey on jaguars.
Have a close encounter with an Anaconda

6. Giant Tortoise

The Giant Tortoise is an animal that can only be found on the Galapagos Islands (Ecuador). It is an impressive sight; a giant
tortoise can weigh over 225 kg (500 pounds) and measure 1.8 m. (6 feet) from head to tail.
There are 15 recognized species of tortoises, all generally considered to be members of the single species Geochelone
Elephantopus.
The 15 species of tortoises can be divided into two general morphotypes:domed and saddle-backed. In the domed tortoises,
the front edge of the shell forms a low line over the neck while in saddle-backed tortoises, the front edge arches high over the
neck. Four species are extinct. The Charles Darwin Research Station in Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz Island) on the Galapagos
Islands, has a breeding program running.
Have a close encounter with a Giant Tortoise

h America is relatively rich in mineral resources. However, they are highly

localized: few countries have a good balance of fuels and raw
materials within their boundaries, and two countries, Uruguay and
Paraguay, are nearly devoid of mineral wealth. Nevertheless, South
American economies have traditionally relied on a foundation of mining,
fishing and forestry, agriculture, and non-exportable manufactures.
Large quantities of oil and natural gas are found in several areas within
South America. The greatest quantities are located in the sedimentary
layers surrounding Venezuelas Lake Maracaibo and the adjacent
Caribbean coastal margin. Venezuela also has major deposits of oil and
natural gas in the area surrounding El Tigre. The country is one of the
worlds largest oil producers and exporters. The Venezuelan governments
seizure of operational control of foreign-owned private oil operations in
2007 had important implications for the region. That same year, the
natural gas reserves and oil industry of Bolivia (centred in the eastern
lowlands around Santa Cruz) were nationalized. Since 1972, Ecuador has
also been a major oil exporter, exploiting fields in the Amazonian region
east of the Andes.

There are many environmental issues currently growing in South and Central
America. Some of the most problematic issues are deforestation, pollution, and
overuse of pesticides. These things are hurting the environment and are impacting
the rest of the world as well.
Deforestation is a big problem, especially in Brazil where the rain forest is being cut
down for lumber, and animal habitats are being destroyed. Animals are losing homes
and the forest's are becoming limited for living supplies. while loggers are using the
trees to sell as lumber, habitats and creatures living in the rain forests are gradually
dieing out. Deforestation usually takes place due to agricultural needs. This leads to
problems with over usage of pesticides that are usually to help with farming.
Pollution also is a major problem because most countries are polluting their air and
water, especially around cities. Population in Central and South America is becoming
a big problem as well because resources are being used and lost and places are
getting overpopulated, adding to the pollution.