Humayun's Tomb was built by his senior widow,
Haji Begum, and mother of his son Akbar. Haji Begum built the rose petal
sandstone mausoleum in proper Mughal style, supervising the entire construction
(1564-73) by camping on the site. The Taj Mahal, built much later, follows
a similar style of architecture. Octagonal in shape, raised on a plinth,
with double domes, high arches, laid in the centre of a large walled enclosure,
the monument is an imposing structure. A baradari (pavillion) occupies the
centre of the eastern wall and a hammam (bath chamber) the centre of the
northern wall. The garden at this tomb has been laid out in the Persian
style of a Chahr Bagh, with paved stone avenues and narrow water channels.
It is still maintained in its original grandeur
Sanchi
Among the earliest monuments of ancient India that have
survived are the Buddhist stupas of Sanchi, situated on a hilltop
less than 50 km away from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. They are a World
Heritage Site. The most famous stupa is encircled by a railing cut
by four exquisitely carved gateways facing the four directions of
the compass. The carvings show a world where people and animals live
together in happiness and plenty. Female tree spirits, symbols of
fertility, were used as welcoming figures on the gateways. Lotus flowers
were both a beautiful decoration and a religious symbol. The Buddha
himself is depicted by symbols, such as the wheel, which represents
his teaching, or by footprints or an empty throne. The Buddha is probably
not shown because he asked his followers not to make images of him.
Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary
Bharatpur is famous for the nearby Keoladeo Bird
Sanctuary, declared a World Heritage Site, and one of the finest bird sanctuaries
in the world. The sanctuary is a lake system crisscrossed with cycle paths,
dirt tracks and interspersed with patches of dry land which are host to
sambar, nilgai, wild pig, chital, pythons and a variety of birds. Waterbirds,
however, are what Bharatpur is famous for. There are painted storks, spoonbills,
egrets, ibis and herons. Close on the heels of the nesting season come migratory
birds such as duck and geese and the rare Siberian crane. You can explore
the sanctuary on foot or by cycle or cycle-rickshaw.
