A Visit To A Historical Place
A Visit To A Historical Place
A Visit To A Historical Place
Essay No. 01
The Taj Mahal is the most magnificent building in India. It is called
‘one of the seven wonders of the world.” It was built by the Moghul
Emperor Shah Jahan in the sweet memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz
Mahal. Twenty thousand workmen including some European masons
worked day and night for twenty years to build it. It cost the Emperor
several crores of rupees.
I had a keen desire to visit this famous building of the world. At
last the day came when my long-cherished desire turned into reality. Last
year I had an occasion to attend the marriage of a friend of mine. This
gave me a chance to see this master-piece of artistic design. As I came
close to it, I was struck by its unique structure. It is a marvel in marble. We
went to the underground room where Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal lie
buried. Our minds went back to the times of Shah Jahan when he built this
building at a high cost.
In the moonlit night, its glory and splendor become unique. It is
an intoxication and a delight to watch this marvelous feat of workmanship in
a full moonlight night. I have seen several buildings but none presents such
a glorious view. It is matchless in beauty.
Some historians have named it “the crown of the world.”
Someone has rightly called it a ‘poem in marble.’ In short, it is a paradise
on earth. It is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. The crimson rays of the
sun at the time of sunset, enhance its beauty and glory.
I was reminded of the English lady who, on seeing the Taj, had
said to her husband,” If you promise to build a monument like the Taj in my
memory, I am ready to die right now.”
Essay No. 02
The places of greatest historical value in Delhi and of wide interest to the
students and common people alike are the Qutab Minar and the Red Fort.
One who has not seen the Qutab Minar and the Red Fort in Delhi cannot
be said to have seen Delhi at all.
Last Sunday, the Principal of our school arranged a special trip for the
senior students to visit the Red Fort. Many of them had already seen the
Red Fort but the Principal desired that they should see it again for better
knowledge under proper guidance.
A special bus was hired for the purpose and all students of the class 10th
were invited to join the trip. We all reached the school punctually where a
special bus was ready to take us to the Red Fort. We reached the Red Fort
at ten in the morning and the teacher-in-charge of the trip, who was a
teacher of history, bought tickets for all of us. After buying tickets we
stepped into the Red Fort. Along the entrance there were two rows of
shops selling fine objects of arts and handicrafts. In the Mughal time this
area was known as the Meena Bazar and here the princesses and the
queens of the harem made their purchases
Then we crossed a lawn and made our way into another gate. Here our
tickets were checked. This building is known as “Naubat Khana.” It was the
Royal Drum House. Royal musicians used to play musical instruments here
in the Mughal times five times a day.
Beside Rang Mahal there is Khas Mahal. It has a beautiful marble screen.
A scale is carved on the screen, indicating rigid justice which ruled
supreme during the Mughal times. Then there is Diwan-e-Khas, the Hall of
Private Audience where only selected people could meet the King, such as
the ministers, the princes, the princesses and the queen’s. Here was
written the Persian couplet which means:
“If there be paradise on earth,
The Red Fort also has War Memorial Museum, which exhibits weapons of
war used in the First World War. Here in Red Fort was the famous Peacock
Throne and the Kohinoor diamond which Nadir Shah removed to Iran. The
throne was dismantled and broken into pieces. The kohinoor diamond
today is found in the British crown.
Red Fort has now been renovated and it has added to the beauty of the
Fort
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Pakistan is full of historical buildings. They present the picture of glorious past. I had an
opportunity to visit historical city of Thatta during last summer vacations.
During my stay at Thatta I visited famous Shah Jahan Mosque. It was built during the reign of
just Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 17th century.
The mosque is an example of Mughal architecture and art. Whole the building is built of red
stones and bricks. There is also work of colourful local tiles. When I entered the mosque I was
impressed with its architectural beauty. It is a beautiful model of Muslim Engineering and
Architecture. There is proper arrangement of light without electricity. There is natural system of
air-conditioning and there is auto-echo system in the building and there is no need of loud
speakers during Aazan, sermon or saying prayers.
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It is situated at very approximately places at the bank of Yamuna River. It is located in front of
the Chandni Chowk market in Delhi. It is very beautifully designed from inner and outer side. It
has a big and grand museum inside having residues the Mughal time as an historical asset.
There is a Diwan-e-Am as a hall of Public Audience. It also has a Diwan-e-Khas for meeting
purposes.
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He ordered the highly skilled and professional architectures to design and built a Red Fort using
red sandstone at the west bank of the river Yamuna. It has a museum, beautiful structures like
Rang Mahal, Moti Mahal, Diwan-i-Aam and Diwan-i-Khas. The surroundings of the pavilion have
been decorated using precious gems, valuable stones, and silver linings. Diwan-i-Khas is
beautifully designed and has its walls engraved with following text “If there is anywhere
Paradise on earth, It is this, it is this, and it is this”. A Diwan-i-Aam is also built inside it as a Hall
of public audience. Another superb structure like Pearl mosque or Moti Masjid is built near the
Rang Mahal. Shah Jahan was very famous Mughal emperor and known as the “prince of
builders”. At every Independence Day, the Prime Minister of India hoists a national flag here
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Sheesh Mahal (means Sheesh-mirrors and mahal-palace) is situated in the northern and
southern sections. There is a well designed Khas Mahal (Emperor’s Palace) as a special room for
private purposes like worship or sleeping. A nice balcony in designed using the white marbles
projecting towards the banks of Yamuna River. There is a well designed Peacock Throne. The
text “if there is a paradise on earth, it is this, it is this, and it is this” is engraved on the walls of it.
There is a Shah Burj is designed in the palace for the emperor’s private conclaves and relax in
privacy. A Moti Masjid also called Pearl mosque which was added in the palace by the emperor
Aurangzeb. It contains three domes and looks very elegance. North to the Moti Masjid, there is
a Hayat Baksh means a Mughal garden which was built by the Shahjahan.
There is a Royal Tower of Shah Burj where lively gatherings and feasts was held. Red Fort of
Delhi is considered as the greatest of Mughal Palaces and known as the heart of Shah Jahan’s
empire. Red Fort has become a grand and attractive place for the tourists from the India as well
as abroad and serving the country for many years. Last year I went to the Red Fort with my
parents where I enjoyed a lot and got lots of knowledge about the fort including its history.
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I consider Konark temple the best and the most important of all. Due to this
famous temple, the place where it is situated is also named Konark. It is in
fact a historical place.
I had an opportunity to visit this historical place during the Surya Puja
festival last year. The proposal of visiting the Sun-temple Konark was first
given by my friend Chandrakanta. The proposal was accepted unanimously.
We were five friends. We undertook the journey to Konark by a taxi
We reached the place by 9 A.M. The place is situated in the district of Puri.
The location of the temple is near the Chandrabhaga. The marine drive is
surrounded by numerous trees and provides sweet charming scenery to the
place.
The legend behind the Sun temple Konark is very interesting. The temple was
built by Langula Narasingha with the help of twelve hundred artists led by
the head artist named Bisu Maharana. The artists had to work ceaselessly for
twelve years to build the temple. The artistic carvings in the temple and the
designs of the lively horses are sufficient to give Konark a position amongst
the Seven Wonders of the World.
The temple of Konark is important for the reason that it is the abode of the
Sun-God. The horses that draw the chariot look like living horses. The temple
had much magnetic power that could even destroy the ships of the enemies
by attracting them from a considerable distance.
In the Hindu mythology there is a tale that prince Samba, the son of Lord
Krishna had been cured of his leprosy disease by austere penance before the
Sun God for great many years. Following this mythological tale, the people
of Orissa celebrate the festival of Samba Dasami in every winter season.
We observed the temple for four hours in minute details and had our
photographs by the side of the horses. The temple is not in good condition
now due to the saline impact of the sea. But the artistic designs remain
immortal. Although we were overjoyed, tears rolled down our eyes when we
saw the huge temple in ruins. The art of cutting stone into fine pictures
surprised us. The architectural beauty of the temple impressed us very much.
The Sun-temple is also called the Black Pagoda of Orissa. The chariot of the
Sun-God has twenty four wheels driven by seven horses. The wheel stands
for peace and progress. The temple bears the evidence of the greatness of the
architecture of Orissa. It has impressed me a lot. I shall never forget my visit
to this place
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Mohenjo-Daro
Mohenjo-Daro is probably the most attractive historic lace in the country which is
famous all through the world. It is part of the Larkana District of the province of
Sindh and it is just at the right bank of the mighty River Indus. The archeological
ruins of the place take us back into the history till 3000BC. So, this makes it a 5000
years old city which is the oldest civilization known to man after the Chinese. It was
also the urbanized and the largest civilization in South Asia. They were first
discovered in the year 1922 but, it was the year 1965 when significant excavations
were completed. Now, people come from all over the places to witness this historic
site.
Lahore Fort and the Shalamar Gardens
These places in Lahore tell about the charismatic approach of the Mughal dynasty
when it comes to making some really attention-grabbing beautiful constructions.
They both are distinct places and the royal complexes of the unforgettable Mughal
era. The Fort is very prominently located in the northwest part of the Lahore city
which has been renovated several times all through its history. The Shalamar
Gardens on the other side is the Royal Mughal Gardens with beautiful lawns,
fountains and beautiful constructions. It was built by Shah Jahan in the year 1642.
Makli
Makli is actually a necropolis in the famous and the historic city of Thatta. The
history of Makli dates back to the 14th century. People flock here from different
parts of the country and even from outside Pakistan for witnessing the amazing
mausoleums and the monuments in the country. The best thing about the place is
that it is built with the use of some really top quality stone, glazed tiles and the
bricks which represents the actual Sindh civilization of the time.
Takht-i-Bahi
The literal meaning of Takht-i-Bahi is the ‘spring throne’ which refers to the
monastic complex of the Buddhists dating back to the 1st century BC. It is situated
right up a 152 m hill and the place is about 16 km from Mardan city and some 80
odd km from the Peshawar city. It has four major parts which are its Stupas courts,
monastic complex, tantric complex and a temple complex.
Taxila
Taxila is a great archeological site which is very much approachable and nearby the
capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad. The history of this city takes us back to the
Gandhara period and now it holds the ruins of that civilization. It used to be a very
critical place in the history for the Hindus and the Buddhists. Further, it still is a
great place for the visitors and also sacred for the people who follows Hinduism or
Buddhism traditions.
Minar-e-Pakistan
The literal meaning of Minar-e-Pakistan is the ‘Tower of Pakistan’. It is situated right
at the heart of Lahore city and it took about 8 years to complete in the year 1968.
The history of this place is that the famous Lahore resolution in the year 1940 was
passed at this location by the founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam. It has huge
gardens all around it and has become one of the finest historic tourist spots of
Pakistan.
Rohtas Fort
This fort was actually built as a garrison by the then ruler of the area, Sher Shah
Suri. It is located near Jhelum, Punjab at a distance of just about 15 km. This fort is
loved by all because of its exceptional architecture and apart from this it also
beautifully reflects the Islamic architecture of military. It was built with the help of
architectural intelligence of the designers from the Indian subcontinent and Turkey.
It has a very strategic location on top of hill which gave the then army good chance
to protect themselves against the Ghakkars.
Badshahi Mosque
The Great Badshahi Mosque is one of the oldest mosques of the region which was
built in the Mughal Era by the Great Emperor Aurangzeb. It was constructed in the
year 1671 and today it is the second largest mosque in the country after Shah Faisal
Mosque. It can accommodate as much as 100,000 worshippers at a time when all
its halls and courtyards are occupied. It was till 1986, that this historic mosque was
known as the largest mosque in the world. But, with Shah Faisal Masjid and several
other mosques in the entire world were constructed which were bigger than this
one. But, that doesn’t take away any credit from this mosque as it is still one of the
most frequently visited historic places in Pakistan.
Quaid’s Residency
Quaid’s Residency is the last place where the great leader Jinnah spent the last few
months of his life. It is located in Ziarat which is a picturesque hill station some 3
hours’ drive from the Quetta city of Baluchistan province. It has historic relevance
for the entire nation as the ailing Quaid was recommended by his doctors to live in
a peaceful area such as Ziarat. It was because of the fresh mountain air and the
fragrance of the place which convinced Jinnah to live here.
Islamia College
Islamia College is located in the historic city of Peshawar and it was established by
Nawab Abdul Qayyum and George Kepel. It has great historic relevance as the idea
here was to develop not only an educational building but also to give a platform for
boosting the much needed political activities of the time. It is still in Peshawar and
serving students with all the modern knowledge of the time. During the
independence movement for Pakistan, Jinnah thrice visited this college to
encourage the youth.
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The new town is very beautiful to look at. We visited some important
places, such as-National Museum, Sangsad Bhaban, Mirpur Zoo,
Botanical Garden, Dhaka University, Bangla Academy, Shishu Park,
Jatiya Smriti Soudh etc.
After five days tour, we returned home. The visit to ‘Lalbagh Fort’ gave
me a new vision and a new thought. That is, the majestic beauty of
‘Lalbagh Fort’ will remain ever fresh in my memory. Still, I feel, it was a
remarkable visit indeed.
The Mazar of Khan Jahan Ali: The Mazar of Khan Jahan Ali is a fine
one-storeyed building. It has a beautiful dome. Hazrat Khan Jahan Ali
was buried there. The tomb is made of cut out stones. It cannot be
accurately said from where these were brought. It is said that Pir Khan
Jahan Ali brought these from Chittagong by floating on water.
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