Hyderabad's Spanish Mosque
The beautiful treasures of Hyderabad in India continue to amaze me till date. Visited this mosque last evening.
We were given a warm welcome by Aurangzeb & he shared some interesting facts about this place. But on reaching home, I found to my dismay that only a part of the conversation has been recorded....very unfortunate.
Now coming back to this beautiful structure, it is popularly known as the Spanish Mosque - truly an eye catcher with its intricate mouldings & gilded minarets.
The mosque inspired by Moorish architecture in Spain was commissioned by Paigah noble, Sir Vikar-Ul-Umra Iqbal-Ud-Dowla in 1906. I must mention here that Paigah is a family in the senior aristocracy of Hyderabad State who were associated with the ruling Nizam since its inception.
There is a prayer hall. It is interesting to note that the calligraphy on the walls is in Turkish instead of the usual Arabic. The pedestal for the priest along with a bookshelf resembles those of a church.
On one side of the Mosque lies the graves of the members of the Paigah family.
Considered to be one of the most beautiful & unusual mosques in India.
See you soon ๐ค
When you believe in Angels, you have friends in high places like this messenger of peace from Heaven ๐
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๐ธ@an114_gallivanter
The Ivory White Marble Mausoleum
Located in The City of Agra in Uttar Pradesh, India
On The Banks of River Yamuna
Built in the 17th Century
By the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan
In memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Also One of the Seven Wonders of the World
The Timeless Beauty
Rural life
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The Smell Of The Village Soil
Ever ventured into the countryside away from the concrete jungle of the city & town, away from dust & pollution, away from competition & rat race?
If not, then you must visit the villages of India. India is a land with varied landscapes dotted with hills, rivers, seas & oceans, backwaters, sandy & salty deserts, fields & farmland and forests too. In fact there's so much to explore!!
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This is a village up in the hills & mountains of India.
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This village is in the heart of Thar desert/Great Indian Desert surrounded by sand where the only mode of transport is camel.
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This village is down south in the state of Kerala where such backwaters & houseboats are a common sight and coconut trees on either sides.
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This is a village in western India in the state of Goa where there is sea, farmland and some beautiful chapels & churches all over the place.
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Another gorgeous village of India. This one is located in the eastern part of the country where the staple diet of the locals is rice & fish, hence glimpses of paddy fields & fisherman.
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This is how an Indian village looks like - grandma sitting in the courtyard; smiling faces of children coz they are genuinely happy & not just posing for the camera; huts with pet animals roaming freely; muddy tracks with greenery all around.
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Also, you would be able to spot some very hardworking women; children & cattle venturing into the nearby forest and of course simple & meaningful activities like watching the sunrise, sunset or perhaps counting the birds flying by. Way better than those unstoppable video games played by our children most of the time.
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Welcome to a typical Indian village ๐ค
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Wish you a fabulous weekend, my dear friends & see you soon ๐๐ค
The Blue Pottery
The Blue Pottery or the only form of pottery which is not made from clay. Yes, you heard that right. It's a stone based pottery. The name 'Blue Pottery' comes from cobalt blue dye used to colour the pottery.
A traditional craft of Jaipur of Central Asian origin. It is believed to have originated in China and then spread to Turkey & even Netherlands.
The Persian art of blue pottery came to Jaipur from Persia (as the name suggests) & Afganistan. It was brought to India during the Mughal period via Kashmir.
This pottery is made from an Egyptian paste by mixing quartz stone powder, powered glass, multani mitti/Fuller's earth, borax, gum & water.
Beautiful items like tiles, door knobs, pots, vases, plates, lamps are produced. The biggest advantage of this pottery is that it doesn't develop cracks; it is hygienic & is quite suitable for daily use. In recent times more colours like green, turquoise, yellow etc are being used.
In fact I can never get bored of travelling to the Pink City of India over & over again, just to to get a glimpse of those gorgeous blue creations. The colour blue makes me smile every time.
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Royal Bengal Tigers, India
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Dancing With The Waves
Sea Breeze
Swaying Trees
Crashing Waves
Lazy Days
Sun Kissed Hair
Salty Air
Take Me There ๐
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Varanasi, the spiritual capital of India & the land of salvation. It is believed to be the oldest living city in the world.
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