Needless to say that the Charminar is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Hyderabad India! This historical monument is the first thing to see in the City of Pearls. Why the Charminar was built by Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah in 1591 is one of the interesting facts of Hyderabad. The global icon of Hyderabad holding on to the stories of the bygone eras stands tall in the Old City of Nawabs. Though it stands silent, its eloquence is felt in the buzz of life all around. The life around the Charminar never ceases to throb as there are many things to see and do. Shopping for bangles, binging on biryani, sipping Irani Chai, grabbing bites of Osmania biscuits, visiting the Chowmahalla Palace, and clicking photographs are some of the things to do around the Charminar. Those who are scheduled to travel to Hyderabad from USA and other countries can take a cue from this infographic on how to make the most of a day trip to the Charminar this Ramadan. 

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Indian government has released new 100 rupee notes which feature a motif of ‘Rani ki Vav’ stepwell on the reverse side. One of the most historic and best tourist attractions in Gujarat, Rani ki Vav is a unique architectural wonder. It was built as an inverted temple as homage to the sanctity of water.

Those who have watched Amol Palekar’s Paheli do remember the stepwell scene in Rajasthan featuring Rani Mukherjee as a newlywed bride who halts on the way to her in-laws and feels a mystic presence around herself. There are many stepwells in Gujarat and Rajasthan, the Rajputana states of India. But, Rani Ki Vav stepwell is more exquisite, magnificent and marvelous than other stepwells. In 2014,UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in India incorporated Rani Ki Vav, which is also known as Queen’s Stepwell.

UNESCO recognized Rani Ki Vav as a masterpiece of technological excellence in ground water management in the 11th century. This stepwell is an age-old model of how ground water was preserved and utilized in those days. In addition to this, Rani Ki Vav is a work of Indian subterranean architecture with ornamental sculptures. The stepwell is a seven-storied structure underground. It measures about 64 meters in length, 20 meters in width and 27 meters in depth.

Also Check: Gujarat Temple Offers Divine Pens to School Students for Success

As the history goes, Patan where the stepwell is located was the capital of Gujarat when King Siddharja Jaysingh was in power. Then, it was known as Anhilpur Patan. The construction of Rani Ki Vav was commissioned in the Solanki or Chalukya regime. It is said that the stepwell was built as a tribute to Bhimdev the First whose father had founded the Solanki dynasty in 1050 AD. The construction was proposed by the queen Udayamati, wife of Bhimdev the First.

Also Check: Gujarat’s Airport-themed Crematorium Puts Souls on Flights

Sculptural beauty is the mainstay of Rani Ki Vav as a historic attraction for tourists. The inner walls, pillars and columns are intricately sculpture. Most of the sculptures represent the incarnations of Lord Vishnu Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, Varah, Baman, Matsya, and Kalki. The other sculptures are shaped as beautiful dancing women of the Heaven including Nagkanya, Yogini and Urvasi. There are nearly 1000 sculptures. A carving of Lord Vishnu resting on the thousand-hooded serpent named Sheshnag is found at the water level.

After years of its construction, the stepwell was flooded by the Saraswati River and filled with silt. It remained covered with silt till the late 1980s. Then, the Archeological Survey of India discovered and excavated it. Rani Ki Vav with most of the carvings in pristine condition is an interface between a stepwell and a temple. It resembles a subterranean temple with carvings of deities in stone, which symbolizes the age-old faith in sanctity of water. Such stepwells were the sites for not only water preservation and distribution but also worship and socialization in the bygone eras.

The steps lead to the deepest bottom through several pillared pavilions. The lowermost step ends at a small gate which opens to a 30-km tunnel. It is supposed to have been used as an escape to the nearby town Sidhpur in times of invasion by enemies. The World Heritage Site status has made Rani Ki Vav the queen of stepwells in India, for its sheer magnificence, intricate carvings, celestial sculptures, and water-preserving technology.

‘Rani Ki Vav’ stepwell in Patan district of Gujarat is a 125-km long drive from Ahmadabad and 118 kms away from Gandhinagar. Modhera, the ancient Sun Temple, is another must-visit tourist attraction on the way. These days cheap flights to Ahmedabad International Airport are available for online booking throughout the year.

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Today is Hindi Day in India. The country celebrates Hindi as the official language of the Indian Union on September 14 every year. September 14 is the day when the Constituent Assembly declared Hindi as the official language for the Union of India in 1949. Hindi is often mistaken to be the national language of India. However, it was initially the official language of only nine Indian states and five union territories including Delhi. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked the countrymen to enrich and preserve Hindi and other Indian languages, on the inaugural day of the World Hindi Conference in Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh.

We at Indian Eagle celebrate the Hindi Day and share some interesting facts about Hindi language:

In 1950, there was a constitutional change in the recognition of Hindi language. The Constitution of India recognized Hindi in the Devanagari script as the official language of the country. The educated class of the then society used to prefer English as a language of official communication even after independence of India. English was to be prohibited 15 years after the Constitution of India was formed on January 26, 1950. But the non-Hindi speaking population of South India, whose mother tongues are hardly similar to Hindi, opposed the proposal to ban the use of English. It forced the Parliament to bring into effect the Official Languages Act 1963, which recognized English as an official language of India. Today, English is the official language of Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh in Northeast India.

Bihar was the first state of British India to have adopted Hindi as its sole official language and replacement of Urdu in the year 1881.

Today, about 40% of the total Indian population speaks Hindi in day-to-day life. Hindi is also spoken in a few foreign countries such as South Africa, Mauritius, New Zealand, Surinam, Fiji, Nepal, and Trinidad and Tobago.

180 million people are proud of Hindi as their mother tongue. It is the second language for almost 300 million people across the globe.

Hindi is often referred to as the “Language of Unity’ because of its wide use by the freedom fighters of India during the British Raj. Mahatma Gandhi, an eminent political figure and freedom fighter, encouraged the use of Hindi as the language of communication, the language of protest and the language of the nation’s collective voice.

The Oxford Dictionary has incorporated the Hindi word “Swadeshi”, which is a matter of pride for the Hindi-speaking Indians and the descendants of the freedom fighters who used the word “Swadeshi” as a sign of patriotism. Besides this, many Hindi words such as ‘Guru’, ‘Nirvana’, ‘Adda’, etc. are used in many parts of the world.

Hindi is mostly influenced by Sanskrit language, which dates back to nearly 5,000 BC. It owes its origin to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language group. The word “Hindi” came from the Persian word “Hind”, which means the “Land of the Indus River.” The river falls into Pakistan after passing through Tibet and northernmost part of India.

Hindi was called different names at different stages of its evolution in different eras. Hindi was known as Apabhramsa at its earliest stage. Kalidas, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and literary playwright in ancient India, composed a romantic play titled “Vikramorvashiyam” in Apabhramsa in 400 AD.

There are no articles in Hindi language as English has three articles: a, an, and the. One of the most interesting facts about Hindi is that every noun has its own gender, either masculine or feminine. Adjective and verb forms of a noun change according to the gender of the noun. That’s why learning Hindi language and grammar is a difficult task. On the other hand, Hindi is one of the easiest languages to read because words are pronounced as exactly as they are written.

Hindi language has borrowed many words from Arabic and Persian languages. The Mughals enriched the Hindi vocabulary with many Urdu words. Hindi was immensely influenced and modified by the Mughals. However, Hindi is the youngest of all Indian languages.

Hindi is also referred to as a link language as it has interconnected non-resident Indians living around the world. It is the fourth most popular language following Chinese, Spanish and English on the list of ten most widely spoken languages in the world.

George Bush, former President of the USA, had allocated a budget of $114 million to teaching of Hindi as a part of the curriculum from the kindergarten to the graduate level, considering the importance of Hindi as a common native language of Indian Americans during his tenure.

Hindi has found acceptance among South Indians of the present generation. Previously, Hindi was not welcome in this part of the country. Deve Gowda, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, spoke up in support of Hindi language in 1997. Later, former CM of Tamil Nadu, Karunanidhi, recited a Hindi poem during a socio-political campaign. Even current CM of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalitha speaks in Hindi to reach out to the mass during campaigns.

A few other interesting facts about Hindi:

• “Udanta Martanda” was the first Hindi weekly from Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1826
• Gujarati poem Narmad proposed Hindi as the national language of India in the 1850s
• The term ‘Hindi’ was used for what is known as Urdu today till 1850
• “Samachar Sudhavarshan” was the first Hindi daily from Calcutta in 1854
• The “Bharatendu” period of modern Hindi literature began in 1886
• Raja Harishchandra, the first Hindi movie by Dadasaheb Phalke, was released in 1913
• Alam Ara, the first Hindi talkie in Indian Cinema, was released in 1931
• Hindi typewriters came to markets in the 1930s

Indian Eagle celebrates all important days of India in the USA, connecting Indian Americans with their respective native cultures. Indian Eagle books cheap air tickets to India for them, without compromising the quality of service. Search. Book. Fly.

Interesting Stories of India: 

• Interesting Facts about Sanskrit
• Interesting Facts about Delhi’s Hidden Heritage
• Interesting Facts about Meera Bai
• Interesting Facts about Lucknow City
• Interesting Facts about Rath Yatra Festival
• Interesting Facts about Kolkata Tram

The post Hindi Diwas 2020: Key Facts about Hindi, Mother Tongue of 180M People and Second Language of 300M People appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

The music of sand dunes, the rainbow of colors, the opulence of architecture , the golden beauty of desert, the gleams of silver jewellery, the richness of history, the shine of zardozi jutis, and the flavor of baati choorma – what do they remind you of? Jaisalmer, one of the three cities filmed in the movie Meenakshi: A Tale of Three Cities by the renowned painter Maqbool Fida Husain. Jaisalmer Desert Festival in February is a popular international event that  many tourists from the US, Canada and other parts of the world fly to India for. Travel Beats, a portal for Indian Diaspora, presents a quick Jaisalmer travel guide in response to their query, “What to see in Jaisalmer?”

Jaisalmer Fort – The Sonar Qilla

One of the largest historical forts in the world, Jaisalmer Fort stands tall defying the blows of all-conquering time. Built by the Rajput King Rawal Jaisal in the 11th century, the fort is a stronghold amidst the vast expanse of golden sands. The backdrop of Jaisalmer’s desert beauty, it had witnessed many battles since the inception of its foundation. Made of yellow sandstones, the fort experiences a change in its color from bright gold to soft gold with the passing of the day from sunrise to sunset. That is why it is nicknamed “Golden Fort” or “Sonar Qilla”. The Academy Award winning Satyajit Ray had shot one of his famous detective films here. Another highlight of Jaisalmer Fort is the blend of Rajput and Islamic architectural styles in the construction.

Manak Chowk – the beehive of trade

Take a walk through Manak Chowk, the chief marketplace in the town. It was a bustling trade hub during the royal times of Rajasthan. Traders from the Middle East countries used to trade here. There are delicately sculpted beautiful havelis (palatial buildings) around Manak Chowk. Turbaned men with twisted mustaches, and colorful ghaghara clad women from the outskirts of Jaisalmer make the market look resplendent in the glories of the past. The women adorn themselves with ivory and silver ornaments. On visit to the market, you will feel the ancient charm of the places that you have heard about in fables.

Gadi Sagar Lake – the elixir of life

Gadi Sagar Lake used to be the savior of lives in the bygone eras when Jaisalmer was grappling with water scarcity. The lake was built as a reservoir to store rainwater which was supplied across the city in times of water crisis during summer. What makes Gadi Sagar Lake a must-see tourist attraction is the majestic landscape dotted with temples, shrines, gardens and ghats. Surrounded by shrines and temples, the lake has been consecrated as part of pilgrimage in the city. For the idyllic setting with space for boating, it has come alive as a suitable picnic spot.

Sam Sand Dunes – waves on desertscape

Jaisalmer is as much known for its desert beauty as for its royal history. The picturesque desertscape is dotted with sand dunes running miles. The wavy dunes make the desert a scenic landscape. A camel ride across the sand dunes gives the thrilling feel of a roller coaster. When a whirling wind blows over the dunes in the backdrop of the twilight sky, the ambience feels magical, musical and mirthful. The joy of sleeping on the dunes, under the starry sky and in the open is no less than a divine experience.

Patwon Ki Haveli – the magic of mirror

Jaisalmer is a city of richly decorated mansions or havelis. Most of the mansions were constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries. The most famous mansion is Patwon ki Haveli, built by a wealthy silver merchant Guman Chand Patwon, in 1805. The mansion consists of five houses with sixty balconies and sprawling courtyards. The ceilings and walls are lavishly embellished with delicate mirror work, the beauty of which is inexplicable.

Jaisalmer Desert Festival 2019 is scheduled to run from February 17 until February 19. Do respond to the call of sand dunes, the Golden Fort, and the centuries-old mansions in Jaisalmer by booking your air travel to Rajasthan on IndianEagle.com. Jaisalmer is an overnight train journey from New Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur.

The post Your Guide to Jaisalmer: Best Tourist Attractions to See in Golden City of India and Why appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

2017 will remain a memorable year for India Tourism! After Ahmedabad became India’s first UNESCO World Heritage City early this year, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu has won the UNESCO Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017 for cultural heritage conservation, much to the pleasure of Indians worldwide.

Sprawling 156 acres on an island in the Cauvery River, Tamil Nadu’s Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam is the largest religious place in India and one of the largest religious temple complexes in the world (refer its Wikipedia page). The successful inspection of the centuries-old temple’s renovation and beautification work worth INR 20 crore by a jury of nine international heritage conservationists earned Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple the prestigious Award of Merit from UNESCO. It stood out among the 43 applications from 10 countries including India in the Asia Pacific region for the UNESCO Award of Merit 2017.

UNESCO has also selected the Royal Bombay Opera House and the Christ Church in Mumbai City for its Asia Pacific Award of Merit 2017.  

Dedicated to a reclining form of Lord Vishnu, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam is one of the finest specimens of Dravidian architecture in the history of South India. One of the oldest Hind temples in India, it dates back somewhere between the 6^th and the 9^th centuries AD. The foremost of all 108 Divya Desams dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple has many historical and scriptural legends related to its origin, existence and evolution.

Like many other temples across India, Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam in Tiruchirappalli was a victim of Muslim invaders in the medieval era. It was looted and ravaged by Muslim invaders including Malik Kafur, a prominent general of Allauddin Khalji, early in the 14^th century. Malik Kafur brought the idol to Delhi, but a group of devotees from Srirangam took it back as a gift from Allauddin Khalji by impressing him with their histrionics.

Also Check: Tirupati-like Hilltop Temple is Coming up near Hyderabad  

In the meantime, Allauddin Khalji’s daughter Surathani fell in love with the presiding deity and began to worship the idol. She followed the devotees and reached Srirangam. Legend has it that the moment she prostrated in the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, she left her mortal body there for the heavenly abode far from earth. A shrine near the Arjuna Mandap in the temple complex features a painting of Surathani. The wedding of Lord Ranganathaswamy and Surathani, known as Kalyana Utsavam, is an annual ceremony at the temple. It is one of the most spectacular and popular festivals in South India.

Known by several names such as Thiruvaranga Tirupati, Periyakoil, Bhoologa Vaikundam, Bhogamandabam, Tamil Nadu’s Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam is associated with the Ramayana in its origin. The temple consists of seven prakaram or enclosures with a total length of 32,592 feet or over six miles, and each enclosure has three massive towers or gopurams. There are fifty shrines and a colossal hall of 1000 pillars within the temple complex. The main shrine is shaped like Omkara (Om symbol in Hinduism) and plated in gold.

Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple of Srirangam was rebuilt and renovated by prominent rulers and kings of various dynasties over centuries, including the Chola, the Pandya, the Hoysala, and the Vijayanagar.

The 25-crore renovation project restored the historic grandeur of the temple. Notably, nearly 60,000 tonnes of waste was cleared during the project, and several sculptures have been renovated by experts of Tamil architecture. Several halls with hundred and thousand pillars have been brought within the public view. The restoration work was done using traditional construction materials and techniques in compliance with ancient architectural principles.

How to Reach Srirangam in Trichy from Chennai and Bengaluru

Trichy or Tiruchirappalli is a historical city in Tamil Nadu. Srirangam where Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple is located in Trichy is a 6-hour drive from Chennai International Airport (MAA) and a 7-hour drive from Bengaluru. Many overseas Indians including Tamil NRIs book cheap flights to Chennai or purchase cheap airline tickets to Bengaluru from USA and other countries for an annual visit to the temple. Tiruchirappalli lies between Puducherry and Madurai, two popular tourist places in Tamil Nadu.

The post Tamil Nadu’s Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple Wins UNESCO Award of Merit 2017 for Heritage Conservation appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

This dilapidated building named ‘Photographe’ in the busiest neighborhood of Kolkata could have been converted into a world-class photography museum to preserve the footprints of India’s journey from the colonial times to the post-independence era. But Fate had something else in store for the iconic landmark where many historic events across the country were documented through photography for 176 years.

The ‘Photographe’ building had been known as the world’s oldest and longest running photo studio ‘Bourne & Shepherd’ until it pulled down its shutters on June 16 this year because the current studio owner lost a 14-year-old legal battle to Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) which owns the building in Esplanade, a bustling commercial area in the city.

Surprisingly, with the closure of the world’s oldest operating photo studio in Kolkata, Bengal lost a potential tourist attraction whereas Delhi is gearing up to set up the world’s largest photography museum.

Established in 1840 by the then famous Calcutta photographer William Howard from Britain, the photo studio was known as Calcutta Studio, which was renamed Bourne & Shepherd in 1866 when the British photographer and traveler duo – Samuel Bourne and Charles Shepherd – took control of the business after William Howard left India.

A giant, vintage camera in the world’s oldest Bourne & Shepherd photo studio in Kolkata

With a team of 30 in-house photographers including Samuel Borne and Charles Shepherd, the one and only iconic photo studio had a golden run till the mid-20^th century. The Bourne & Shepherd photographers used to be on the run for prestigious assignments across British India. When the British Raj was at its peak, the Calcutta photo studio had four corresponding offices – one in Shimla, one in Mumbai, one in London and one in Paris – besides a number of affiliates all over the country.

A rare photograph of the Delhi Durbar in 1911 by a Bourne & Shepherd studio photographer

Patronized by the royal Indian families, upper-class British officials and high-profile businessmen from Britain, the Calcutta photo studio used to get photography assignments for the Delhi Durbar, the imperial court of the British in India, from 1877 till 1911 when King George V and Queen Mary were crowned as the Emperor and Empress of British India.

An integral part of ‘Calcutta Chromosome’, the photo studio Bourne & Shepherd had photographed the beauty and culture of the then undivided India from the Himalayas to the river banks of Varanasi to royal weddings in the princely states to the Tagore family to major political events.

A Bourne & Shepherd photograph of a bathing ghat in the then Calcutta

After having lost its countrywide thriving business following the exit of British officials and the end of the royal era by 1950, the studio continued operating mainly in Bengal. Frequent visits by the then luminaries including Satyajit Ray and Sunil Ganguly from Calcutta’s elite group helped the studio survive until a massive fire broke out in the building and destroyed 90% of the photography archive in 1991.

A Bourne & Shepherd photograph of Dakshineshwar Temple in the then Calcutta

In the following years, the Bourne & Shepherd studio lost its sheen to the glamour of digital photography. The historic establishment that witnessed Calcutta’s journey from the British Raj to cosmopolitan Kolkata lost its monopoly of photography to modern technology which put a small digital camera in everyone’s hand.

With its shutters down today, the Bourne & Shepherd photo studio is a mere site of nostalgia in the wilderness for the current and next generations.

Also Check 1960s’ Black & White Calcutta

Travel Beats is a digital magazine for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle, a US-based leading organization booking travel to Kolkata and other Indian cities. Travel Beats publishes interesting features and stories about India and USA.

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You will soon get soaked in luxury amidst sands of Jaisalmer in the Indian state of Rajasthan. You will also be traveling along a heritage circuit in North India on wheels of luxury. The Ministry of India Tourism is going to launch two trains for affordable luxury travel in India this winter.

There are super luxury trains in India – Palace on Wheels, the Golden Chariot, the Deccan Odyssey, and Maharajas Express – offering the hospitality of bygone royal eras. With affordable packages, the new trains will add to the bliss of luxury train travel in India by enabling tourists to bask in the beauty of sprawling deserts and timeless heritage of India.

Unlike super luxury trains, the new semi-luxury trains can be afforded by many tourists. Both trains – Desert Circuit and Heritage Circuit – will depart from New Delhi for a five-day odyssey along the routes meandering through the desert of Rajasthan and crisscrossing three heritage cities. Tourists on board will be pampered over a host of deluxe services during the journey. You can enjoy sightseeing not only through window glasses of train coaches but also getting down at major sites where the trains will halt.

“Heritage Circuit” will be running through Agra, Varanasi and Khajuraho, three of the most popular heritage sites in India. What Agra is famous for is known to tourists from across the globe. The Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, is a must see in Agra. The yesteryear kingdom of the Mughal emperors has many stories to tell, including how Emperor Akbar got the recipe of Petha, a most famous delicacy of Agra, during construction of the Taj Mahal.

Varanasi is the oldest and holiest city of India, where you can take boat rides on the River Ganga and glimpses of the spectacular Ganga aarti. Don’t forget to explore the stories of Varanasi during your luxury train travel in India. Banarasi silk cloth, a traditional handicraft of this holy city, is a must buy.

The travel on “Heritage Circuit” will culminate at Khajuraho, a UNESCO world heritage site. Unlike the temples of Varanasi, Khajuraho temples are famous for erotic sculpture displaying human sexuality in multiple different forms from liberal perspectives. The legends of Khajuraho’s erotic art will take you back to the times when eroticism was an art in India.

The ‘heritage’ part of the travel by two new luxury trains in India promises to be a life-enriching experience. The Taj Mahal of Agra will tell you an immortal love story, Varanasi will immerse you in spirituality, and Khajuraho will overwhelm you with stories of passion. – Indian Eagle

“Desert Circuit” will take you on a ride across sand dunes in Jaisalmer and on a tour of Jaipur in Rajasthan. Among the things to do in Jaisalmer are listening to the music of sand dunes, shopping for handcrafted silver jewellery,  and visit to historic Jaisalmer Fort.  Jaisalmer Desert Festival in February is one of the popular winter events in India.

This luxury train travel in India by “Desert Circuit” will end in Jaipur, a yesteryear princely province of Rajput kings. Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, City Palace, Amer Palace and Nahargarh Fort are among the must-see tourist attractions of Jaipur. A tour of Jaipur will introduce you to the luxury and bravery of Rajputs.

Other Details of New Luxury Trains in India

“Heritage Circuit” will be operating from December 20 till April 24, 2016. The luxury travel by “Desert Circuit” will commence on December 20 and continue till April 21, 2016. Each of the two new luxury trains in India will make eight trips from December to April, which is the best time to visit India. Travel on these trains is a complete luxury package including 3-star hotel accommodation and exclusive dining apart from travel insurance, complimentary Wi-Fi, and English and Hindi speaking guide service. A trip by “Desert Circuit” will cost between 20K to 37K INR, and “Heritage Circuit” will charge from 18K to 36K for a trip depending on travel classes.

Luxury train travel in India is synonymous with the maxim, “Let the Train take the Strain.” Travel on these luxury trains of India will surely rejuvenate you with fresh moments, enrich you with knowledge, enchant you with offbeat stories and spellbind you with scenic sights which you will cherish forever.

Major international airlines operate flights to New Delhi from USA and Canada. We at Indian Eagle issue cheapest tickets for New Delhi flights from all American cities.

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Taj Falaknuma is one of the few Indian heritage palaces with a glorious history of the royal era. A priceless inheritance of the princely state of Hyderabad in British India, the palace was a regal residence of Nizam Mehboob Ali Khan Bahadur. ‘Falak-numa’ is an Urdu word meaning ‘Like the Sky’ or ‘Mirror of the Sky’. It is as grand and spectacular as the Buckingham Palace in London. Brilliant in design and luxurious in décor, the palace stands tall commanding an awe of its being a rare architecture. Only five kms away from the Charminar, Falaknuma Palace is a must visit. Travel Beats shares the most interesting facts about Taj Falaknuma Palace to make you understand why it is one of the best in the world.

Hyderabad City owes its distinction of possessing such a magnificent heritage palace to Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, brother-in-law of the then Nizam Mehboob Ali Khan, and Prime Minister of then princely state.

An unrivaled palace like Falaknuma Palace was Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra’s dream, inspired by his extensive travel across India and abroad. His dream became a reality at a whopping cost of 40 lakh INR some 130 years ago. It took nine years from its foundation in 1884 to completion in 1893.

Nawab Vikar-ul-Umra, who was nicknamed Sir Vikar, had called an English architect to get the best design for his dream palace. Spread over an area of 32 acres on a 2000-ft high hilltop, the palace is a unique architecture with a harmonious blend of Italian and Tudor styles.

The location of Falaknuma Palace is a vintage point offering sweeping views of Hyderabad City. Being at a distance from crowd and congestion in the heart of the city, the palace breathes freely. Made of fine-quality Italian marble, the palace shines like a diamond under the moonlit sky.

With two wings spread out in two directions, the palace resembles a scorpion, Sir Vikar’s star sign. It has various sections for different purposes. The ceiling of the grand reception hall in the main building boasts eye-catching frescoes.

The library at Falaknuma Palace is as majestic as Windsor Castle’s library in England. Modeled after Windsor Castle’s library, it treasures a large collection of rare manuscripts and books from the Nizam’s repertoire. The billiards table in the billiards room is one of the two pieces of its kind. The other is at the Buckingham Palace in London.

Of the things to see at Falaknuma Palace, there is a musical instrument weighing 2 tons in weight in the ballroom. It is believed to be the only one of its kind. The center of attraction is the colossal dining hall with the world’s longest table (108 feet) that can accommodate 100 people at a time.

The palace is famous for its sophisticated interior design which aesthetically appeals to the senses. The palace is decorated with rare artifacts including life-size oil paintings of important personas from the Nizam dynasty, and jade statues. Falaknuma Palace has the world’s largest collection of Venetian chandeliers including the most magnificent 40 in the main hall.

Mehboob Ali Khan, who was the sixth Nizam of Hyderabad Princely State in British India, was invited for a tour of Falaknuma Palace. Everything about the palace stole the show with him. He was so impressed that his visit became a stay for one month. Sir Vikar offered the palace as a gift to him, but he refused to accept it as a gift and paid a handsome amount instead.

The palace was the first to have got electricity in the whole state. It boasts of the largest electrical switchboards in India. it has been visited and admired by many prominent guests including King Edward VIII from England, Tsar Nicholas II from Russia, and Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India.

However, the marvel of the palace faded away in the late 1950’s due to poor maintenance. It remained in the wilderness till the Taj Hotels Group restored it to its glory through extensive renovation and made it a heritage hotel, with the help of Princess Esra Jah, wife of Mukarram Jah who is a survivor of Osman Ali Khan, the richest Nizam and most prosperous man in the world in his days.

Falaknuma Palace reopened its doors as a heritage hotel full of splendors in November 2010. The interior was elaborately furnished with classic furniture and upholstered with beautiful handmade tapestries.

It has won several prestigious awards in hospitality till date. With many such feathers in its cap, Taj Falaknuma Palace is evidently a rare jewel in the crown of Hyderabad.

Taj Falaknuma has recently topped TripAdvisor’s list of the best palace hotels across the world.

About Travel Beats

Travel Beats is a digital publication by Indian Eagle, a leading international travel organization. It connects the Indian diaspora in the US with the stories of India. Indian Eagle offers the best deals for flights to India from USA and Canada.

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If you search Google for Delhi attractions, you will be flooded with information about Red Fort, Humayun’s Tomb, Jantar Mantar, Lotus Temple, Birla Temple, and many such beautiful structures. The same happens when one searches online for the places to visit in Delhi or the things to do in Delhi. The unusual things to see in the bylanes of Delhi are overshadowed by cafes, clubs, art galleries, malls and fashion streets across the urban landscape of the city. The lesser-known things and hidden heritage structures in those bylanes of old times reveal many interesting facts about Delhi, which are missing from most India travel guides. Indian Eagle explores the bylanes of Old Delhi to make you see the hidden heritage of the city, which never fails to impress foreign tourists.

Khooni Darwaza: A Witness to Bloodshed in Delhi

Exploring the grim stories of bloodshed related to Khooni Darwaza is one of the unusual things to do in Delhi. One of the 13 historic gates in Old Delhi, it was built in Sher Shah Suri’s regime and structured after the Mughal architecture of those times. Among the offbeat places in Old Delhi, this piece of heritage has several myths and real stories to its fame. It is said that Sher Shah Suri used to hang the heads of slain offenders from the archway of the gate. Khooni Darwaza is believed to be the spot where two sons of Rahim-I-Khana, one of the nine jewels in Akbar’s court, were murdered following an order by Jahangir because they were not happy with Jahangir’s coronation as emperor. Khooni Darwaza is a witness to the bloodshed caused by Nadir Shah’s invasion of Delhi. The haunting story of three Mughal princes, sons of Bahadur Shah Zafar, who were shot dead at the orders of British Major Hudson during the 1857 Revolt, is an unpleasant account of this Delhi monument. Delhi’s Khooni Darwaza witnessed bloodshed during the Partition of India in 1947 too.

Adham Khan’s Tomb: A Convoluted Labyrinth

Some of the amazing facts about Delhi are buried in the labyrinthine corridors of Adham Khan’s Tomb, one of the hidden monuments in India. A timeless marvel of the Lodhi architecture, the tomb is nicknamed Bhool Bhulaiya (labyrinth) because of its convoluted structure. Built in 1562 AD, the tomb was consecrated to Adham Khan and his mother, Maham Anga, who was Emperor Akbar’s minister as well as wet nurse. Maham Anga, an influential figure in not only the Mughal court but also Akbar’s life, broke down mentally after his son was punished to death for his heinous act of killing Ataga Khan, a principal advisor in the Agra Fort’s court. Though Adham Khan’s Tomb is listed among the lesser-known Delhi attractions, it is a must visit. There is a legend that once a bridegroom party took shelter in the tomb on the way to the wedding venue and got lost in the night.

Chor Minar: The Tower of Beheading

Some of the unknown facts about India are hidden in the holes on the Tower of Beheading, which is locally known as Chor Minar in Delhi. The slaughtered heads of thieves used to be hanging from the holes on the tower, giving a lesson to ‘aspiring robbers’. Of all Delhi attractions, the Chor Minar is often mistaken for an architectural wonder for its holes. The holes were made to support spears with heads of beheaded human bodies, in the regime of Alauddin Khilji, a ruthless sultan of Delhi, who was responsible for the death of Mewar’s Rani Padmini in Chittorgarh. Such a cruelty was his way of dealing with the Mongols, who were a potential threat to the Delhi Sultanate. The Chor Minar is located in Houz Khas, Delhi.

READ ALSO 10 Best Road Trips from Delhi

Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah: A Sufi Music Hub

Your experience of Old Delhi would remain incomplete without a visit to Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah. The mausoleum is dedicated to the famous Chisti Saint Nizamuddin Auliya. It also houses the tombs of Amir Khusru, Mirza Ghalib and Shah Jahan’s daughter Jahanara. Though located in a bustling area, the Hazrat Nizamuddin Dargah in Old Delhi is a serene place with musical atmosphere on Thursday evenings. Both men and women are required to cover their heads inside the dargah complex. Women are not allowed to enter the place where the Nizamuddin’s Tomb is. The death anniversaries of Saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and poet Amir Khusru are commemorated through the ‘Urs’ festivity in April and October. Listening to the Sufi music at the dargah is one of the interesting things to do in Delhi.

Mirza Ghalib ki Haveli: Ghazals in Chandi Chowk   

Located in a narrow lane of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, Mirza Galib Ki Haveli was the residence of Mirza Asadullah Baig, a noted Urdu and Persian poet who used to write ghazals (poetry) under such pen names as Ghalib and Asad. The heartbeats of Old Delhi are felt in the silence of the haveli where Mirza Ghalib took his last breath in 1869. One of the eminent poets in British India, he is said to have lived a tragic life, which gave birth to most of his melancholic poems and songs. He was infamous as the ‘Ladies’ Man’ in the Mughal court of his time, but such derogatory remarks never offended him. There were a few shops inside Mirza Ghalib ki Haveli in Chandni Chowk until the building was renovated and restored to its old world charm in 1999. It got a new lease of life with bricks of sandstone and a wooden entrance. Visit to this place among Old Delhi’s lesser-known attractions is one of the things to do in Delhi.

Manju Ka Tila: Little Tibet in Delhi

Manju Ka Tila is one of the most overlooked places to visit in Delhi. Popularly known as Mini Tibet, it is a small Tibetan settlement which came to exist around 1960 when some Tibetan refugees entered India and found shelter in Delhi after Dalai Lama was exiled to Dharamshala. Manju Ka Tila market is popular with students and tourists alike for the Tibetan street food. The second generation of the first Tibetan settlers currently lives in Manju Ka Tila Colony where street-side stalls sell inexpensive junk jewellery and clothes. Some aspects of the Tibetan life and culture have crept into the day-to-day life of Delhites. Some Tibetan dishes such as Momo, Thukpa, Tingmo and Phing Sha have made their way to the popular street food of Delhi. Potala House, Tee Dee and Coffee House in Manju Ka Tila Colony are the most-frequented hangouts for Tibetan food lovers. CD cassettes of Tibetan films and songs are also found here.

Delhi is an ever-evolving cosmopolitan city. If Old Delhi is the place for offbeat travel, New Delhi is suitable for business travel. Even several trips may not get you rare facts about Delhi attractions and heritage. That’s why we book cheap Economy flights from USA to Delhi at any time of the year. Click below to book your cheapest Delhi flights from New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Newark, Washington, Atlanta, Houston, Seattle and Detroit. – Indian Eagle 

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Kolkata Tram is one of the few historic entities without which Calcutta, the first capital of British India, cannot be pictured. It has witnessed the city’s uphill journey from the rebellious Calcutta to the peaceful Kolkata. Though a thing of past in other Indian metros and an object of disdain to urbanites today, trams still exist as a heritage of Kolkata and a reminiscence of Calcutta. The oldest operating public transport in Asia, Kolkata Tram has been on the run since 1867, through modifications.

In 2015, Dibakar Banerjee’s film Detective Byomkesh Bakshy featuring Kolkata trams with the 1940s’ black & white advertisements had revived the hopes to restore the tram’s faded glory. We at IndianEagle take on the eventful journey of Kolkata Tram from a need of the colonial times to a heritage of the 21^st century.  

Kolkata owes the glory of this heritage to Lord Curzon, the then Viceroy of India. Lord Curzon, whose name is infamous for the partition of Bengal (then undivided) in 1905, was the master brain behind the inception of Kolkata’s electric tram service in 1902. Swift transport of goods from ports to the spots of East Indian Company, and fast movement of police contingents to the sites of anti-British activities were his primary motives to set up electric tramlines across the city.

The first tram in Kolkata was a horse-drawn car. It was introduced to the then Calcutta in 1867. The horse-drawn tram cars were imported from England. – IndianEagle

Though tram is identified as one of the unique icons of Kolkata today, it was disregarded as a British import by revolutionaries of the colonial times. Many tram cars were set ablaze as a mark of protest against the British rule in Bengal. The then Calcutta police used the tram service for quick conveyance to the sites of Hindu-Muslim riots in the city during the pre-Independence era. Even mass agitation against increase of fares by only one paisa resulted in setting fire to many trams, after Independence.

READ MORE Calcutta in the 1960s

Electric tramline was the transport lifeline of Kolkata till 1920. Even after the introduction of public bus on the protest-hit streets of the then Calcutta (during the National Freedom Movement), tram was the most reliable public transport. Most of the tramlines were laid and extended that time. Kolkata’s tram service was smooth till the 1960s in the pre-Independence era. Around 300 trams used to run between Kolkata and Howrah till 1950.

With other modes of public transport hitting the city streets in both developed and developing countries, the dominance of Kolkata Tram began waning by the mid of the 1950s. India, too, caught the anti-tram sentiment which spread out to metro cities from Kanpur. Kanpur was the first Indian city to have closed the tram service in 1933. Chennai (then Madras), Delhi, and Mumbai (then Bombay) bade goodbye to tram in 1955, 1962 and 1964 respectively.

READ MORE Interesting Facts of Kolkata’s Hand-pulled Rickshaw

But Kolkata, the city of nostalgia, did not give in to the demand for removal of tramways from the surface. The tram in Kolkata survived throughout the period of automobile boom across India and is still active in some parts of the city. Though the tram service network has shrunk under pressure of urbanization, it cannot be uprooted from the being of the city.

Today, many do not know that the Howrah Bridge, the primary link between the cities – Kolkata and Howrah – over the Hooghly River (another name of the Ganges), used to have tramlines. Only 22 years ago, tram tracks were removed to pave the road for buses, cars and trucks on the Howrah Bridge, in 1993. Currently, 125 trams are operational for daily service.

READ MORE Best Street Food of Kolkata

The movie Detective Byomkesh Bakshy renewed the fame of Kolkata Tram across the country last year. The Calcutta Tramways Company was looking to leverage it for revenue generation by renting out tram cars for private tours and parties in the city. The state government of West Bengal was approached with a proposal to initiate tram services at Rajarhat, a satellite city cum Information Technology hub, a 15-km drive from Kolkata International Airport. Unfortunately, the days seem to be numbered for Kolkata Tram.

Travel Beats is a culture and news magazine by IndianEagle, a leading travel organization for Indian Diaspora. Travel Beats publishes interesting stories and features from India and USA. Subscribe to our free newsletter and don’t miss the latest updates.

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