ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF INDIA

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus- The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, formerly known as Victoria Terminus Station, in Mumbai, is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture in India, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. The building, designed by the British architect F. W. Stevens, became the symbol of Bombay as the ‘Gothic City’ and the major international mercantile port of India. The terminal was built over 10 years, starting in 1878, according to a High Victorian Gothic design based on late medieval Italian models.  It is one of the first and is considered as one of the finest products of the use of industrial revolution technology merged with revival of the Gothic Revival style In India. The centrally domed office structure has a 330 feet long platform connected to a 1,200 feet long train shed, and its outline provides the skeleton plan for building .Its remarkable stone dome, turrets, pointed arches and eccentric ground plan are close to traditional Indian palace architecture. It is an outstanding example of the meeting of two cultures, as British architects worked with Indian craftsmen to include Indian architectural tradition and idioms thus forging a new style unique to Bombay.  The station stands as an example of 19th century railway architectural marvels for its advanced structural and technical solutions.

ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF INDIA

Ranakpur Jain Temple- Located in the village of Ranakpur near Sadri town in the Pali district of Rajasthan, Ranakpur Jain Temple is one of the seven wonders of India. The construction is well documented in a 1437 CE copper-plate record. It is a superb example of classic architecture which makes it a haven for architects all over the world. The temple is said to have been built by Seth Dharna Sah (a Jain businessman) with the aid of Rana Kumbha, who ruled Mewar.

The temple is beautifully constructed using light colored marble and noted for its distinctive domes, pillars, shikhara, turrets and cupolas. It rises majestically from the slope of a hill of the Aravali range. It has 24 pillared halls with 80 domes that are supported by 400 columns. Over 1444 marble pillars, carved in exquisite detail, support the temple. The pillars are all differently carved and no two pillars are the same. It is also said that it is impossible to count the pillars. Also all the statues face one or the other statue. There is one beautiful carving made out of a single marble rock where there 108 heads of snakes and numerous tails. One cannot find the end of the tails. The image faces all four cardinal directions. In the axis of the main entrance, on the western side, is the largest image. You would be amazed to see at a height of 45 feet engraved nymphs playing the flute in various dance postures. Another stunning act about these columns is that they change their colour from golden to pale blue after every hour during the day.

It is due to the intricacy of the structure that the temple took approximately 65 years to complete.

ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF INDIA

THANJAVUR TEMPLE is one of the best temples in South India, built by Chola emperor Raja Raja I (985-1013 AD). This is the chola dynasty's finest contribution to Dravidian art. The construction is unique : the vimanam, known as Dakshina Meru, soars high while the gopuram remains stunted. The 64.8 metre-tall, 14-tier and pyramid-shaped vimanam rises from a square base and is topped by a huge monolithic cupola weighing 81.3 tonnes.

The most interesting part of this temple is the shadow of the temple, which surprisingly never falls on the ground at noon. The Thanjavur Temple is one of the tallest temples in the world and is so designed that the viman does not cast a shadow at noon during any part of the year.

ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF INDIA

KAILASH TEMPLE - The construction of the Kailash Temple was started in the mid 8th century under the direction of King Krishna I (757-775) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty. This temple is world's largest monolithic structure carved from one piece of rock and the most extensive rock-cut projects ever undertaken.

The temple is considered as one of the most astonishing buildings in the history of architecture. This is one of the largest 34 excavations at Ellora, which took almost a century. Kailash Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The idol measures 109 feet wide by 164 feet long. The unique part of the architecture is that instead of creating underground halls, this temple has been carved vertically down on the rock. The architecture of the temple can be divided into four sections: the temple itself, the entrance grate, Nandi shrine and the passages surrounding the courtyard.

ARCHITECTURAL WONDERS OF INDIA

It’s time we celebrate the unique architecture of India, reflecting its conflicting course of history. We’ll embark on this journey and explore more, starting with The Bara Imambara situated in Lucknow, UP. Built in 1784, the complex was built by the fourth nawab, Asaf-ud-Daula, as a part of the relief project for a major famine that took place in the same year. It provided employment to nearly 22,000 people at a time. The architecture reflects a blend of Mughal and Rajputana design structure.
The central hall of Bara Imambara is said to be the largest arched hall in the world, built without the support of pillars. The hall measures 50 meters long and goes upto a height of 15 meters. What makes the construction unique is the fact that the blocks have been put together with interlocking system of bricks without the use of girders and beams. The roof stands steady till date without any support.
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