Located in the "tourist capital of Maharashtra" (although I'm sure Mumbai has many more tourists), Aurangabad, is the Bibi ka Maqbara, a mausoleum dedicated to Aurangzeb's first wife Dilras Banu Begum. Aurangzeb was the sixth Mughal emperor, son of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal. Although strikingly resemblant of the Taj Mahal, it was built afterwards with a substantially smaller budget, earning the moniker "poor man's Taj". Nontheless, it is still a UNESCO world heritage site and an impressive monument.
Here are some comparisons between the two: Bibi Ka Maqbara Taj Mahal Location Aurangabad, Maharashtra Agra, Uttar Pradesh Year Built 1651-1661 1632-1653 Cost 0.7m rupees 32m rupees (46x more!) Height 45m ? 171m Technical details: Sony a850 with Tokina 19-35mm lens.
0 Comments
Here's the second cave post - the Ajanta Caves differ from the Ellora Caves (60 miles apart) for a few main reasons... the Ajanta series is much older (dating back to about 100BC), and many of the caves are richly decorated and painted, although perhaps most are on a smaller scale than those in Ellora.
Once again, here's some information from UNESCO regarding this world heritage site: The style of Ajanta has exerted a considerable influence in India and elsewhere, extending, in particular, to Java. With its two groups of monuments corresponding to two important moments in Indian history, the Ajanta cave ensemble bears exceptional testimony to the evolution of Indian art, as well as to the determining role of the Buddhist community, intellectual and religious foyers, schools and reception centres in the India of the Gupta and their immediate successors. The caves are cut into the volcanic lava of the Deccan in the forest ravines of the Sahyadri Hills and are set in beautiful sylvan surroundings. These magnificent caves containing carvings that depict the life of Buddha, and their carvings and sculptures are considered to be the beginning of classical Indian art. The 29 caves were excavated beginning around 200 BC, but they were abandoned in AD 650 in favour of Ellora. Five of the caves were temples and 24 were monasteries, thought to have been occupied by some 200 monks and artisans. The Ajanta Caves were gradually forgotten until their 'rediscovery' by a British tiger-hunting party in 1819. Some photos have captions - click or hover over to read. Technical details: Sony a850 with Tokina 19-35mm lens. This is the first of two cave posts, the Ajanta Caves tomorrow!
Adapted from the UNESCO website: The Ellora Caves are the remains of what was a collection of 34 monasteries and temples, extending over more than 2 km, were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff. Ellora, with its uninterrupted sequence of monuments dating from A.D. 600 to 1000, brings the civilization of ancient India to life. Not only is the Ellora complex a unique artistic creation and a technological exploit but, with its sanctuaries devoted to Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it illustrates the spirit of tolerance that was characteristic of ancient India. Progressing from south to north along the cliff [as do the photos below], one discovers successively the twelve caves of the Buddhist group, which appear to be the oldest (between c. 600 and 800) and comprise monasteries and a single large temple; then the caves of the Brahmin group (c. 600 to 900) which are no doubt the best known of Ellora with the 'Cavern of the Ten Avatars' and especially the Kailasha Temple, an enormous complex; and, finally, the Jain group whose sanctuaries were created by the sect of the Digambara towards AD 800-1000. The Kailasha temple (photos 7-11 below) " is the unrivalled centerpiece of Ellora. This is designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva – looks like a freestanding, multi-storeyed temple complex, but it was carved out of one single rock, and covers an area double the size of Parthenon in Athens. Initially the temple was covered with white plaster thus even more increasing the similarity to snow-covered Mount Kailash... The construction of this cave, claimed to be the world's largest monolithic structure, was a feat of human genius – it entailed the removal of 400,000 tonnes of rock, and took over 100 years to complete." (Wikipedia). Technical details: Sony a850 with Tokina 19-35mm lens. Today was a day devoted to observing and appreciating the Dubai skyline - including not only the tallest building in the world, but more skyscrapers over 200m and 300m than anywhere else in the world. Most unusual for a city set in a desert but also for which there are no geographic restrictions (like peninsulas and islands). The first two photos are taken at the marina in Jumeirah Lake Towers. The last three photos are taken from "At The Top", the viewing platform on the Burj Khalifa - the tallest building and man-made structure on earth. Just for comparison, at 828m (2717ft) high, it is almost 3x taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and almost twice as tall at the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur. In fact, the next highest skyscraper in the world would not even come up to 3/4 of the height of the Burj Khalifa!
Technical details: Sony a850 with Minolta 70-210mm (first photo only) and Tokina 19-35mm lenses. We spent our first afternoon in Dubai wondering around the old town on Dubai. A long-standing centre for trade for many centuries, the traditional spice shop was a feast for the senses. The Emirati also had an innovative old air conditioning system being used to help live comfortably in a city where the summer temperatures regularly exceed 50C, involving cool air to be channelled into the home through the wind towers shown below.
In the evening, we were lucky to have a dip in the infinity pool at Oceana (set on The Palm) and enjoy the stunning views of the “second” Dubai skyline (Jumeirah Lake towers and Southern Dubai). Technical details: Sony a850 with Tamron 28-75mm f2.8 lens. (Apologies readers / viewers for the delay and backlog - many photos from Dubai and India yet to posted soon, internet connection permitting!)
A half-day of work on a Sunday allowed the opportunity for a "sight-seeing" walk through the Fitzrovia and West-End part of London. Starting off with the Mahatma Gandhi statue in Tavistock Gardens (not pictured), I made my way towards Russel Square and the British Museum. (The grand Hotel Russel shown below). Covent Garden had the expected amusing street performances, but the giant teddy bear (in a sorry state) outside St Paul's church was certainly unexpected. Cherry blossom gave a springy-feel to the entrance of the Parish Church of St Mary-le-Strand. Unfortunately I was a few days early to catch the Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in Somerset house but I enjoyed taking photos myself in the central courtyard. The photos at the end were taken in the immaculately landscaped and florally-rich Victoria Embankment gardens. Technical details: Sony a850 with Tokina 19-35mm and Minolta 70-210mm f4 lenses. Encompassing a PGA-standard golf course and set in 250 acres of landscaped grounds, these photos are taken in and around the 18th century Mansion House in Wokefield Park. An Asian wedding was taking place, although unfortunately had to be cancelled due to a fire in the kitchen shortly after these photos were taken! Also located on site is the UK BMW Training Academy – hence the car photos. And I could not resist the temptation to roam through nearby fields and farms trying to capture the elegant beauty and vibrance of the fantastic sunset the following evening!
Technical details: Sony a850 with Sigma 50-500mm (Bigma) and Tokina 19-35mm lenses. Strongly recommended by a triathlon-organiser that we had met the previous day, we braved the cold winds and headed out to Calleva, one of the oldest settlements in Britain.
The lost town of Calleva Atrebatum was an Iron Age and Roman town which can be found deep in the north Hampshire countryside, outside of Reading. “But where once there was a busy, populous centre, now there are only green fields. All that is now visible above ground, of a settlement that thrived for more than 500 years between the first century BC and the fifth or sixth century AD, are sections of the late Iron Age fortifications of rampart and ditch, the Roman amphitheatre and, most impressive of all, the entire circuit of the late Roman town walls. Why did a major settlement develop in this location; and why is there no successor medieval and modern town? There are no certain answers to either of these questions, but trying to resolve them is one of the eternal fascinations of Calleva” BBC History. The old church, located just outside of the city walls, was built in 313 AD when Christianity was no longer a proscribed religion. Click or hover over to read the captions. Technical details: Sony a850 with Tokina 19-35mm lens. Londontastic is an exciting new tour operator offering free walking tours in the heart of London - one of the busiest, diverse, historically and culturally rich cities in the world. Just spending a few afternoons walking around the West End reminded me of the abundant photographic opportunities at every nook and cranny. Even a nature lover like me who prefers fields, farms and fresh air to lively urban areas can't help but wonder around in amazement at how much this metropolis has to offer for everyone! Click here to find out more about Londontastic and perhaps register your interest in a free tour (although some parts of the website are still under construction).
Click on an image or hover over it to read the captions. Technical details: Sony a850 with Tokina 19-35mm lens. Write-up by Dan (I can take no credit):
There are few green spaces left in London that quite retain an air of secrecy and other-worldliness like Holland Park. Nestled between Kensington High Street and Notting Hill, at first sight the park’s walled exterior seems almost to shield it from the inclemency of city life. Inside, the footpaths meander around dense thickets of bush and woodland. Even in the icy grip of winter – when we visited – the park was dubbed with a marvellous mix of birdsong. To the untrained ear, bird calls probably resemble little more than a cacophony; but with patience and mindfulness they begin to unveil a world that still dances to the rhythm of the seasons and beats to a tune before time. At the heart of the park is the little known Kyoto Peace Garden – a sanctuary for silence-seekers and a fine example of a traditional Japanese water garden. The garden and surrounds are also home to a flock of peacocks which add to the sense of exoticness unique to the park. In the afternoon we paid a brief visit to the Natural History Museum. As impressive as the extent of its collections is the museum’s architectural splendour. The front façade and entrance hall is perhaps one of the finest of any building in the UK – and a fitting monument to Victorian extravagance. Highlights of the visit included the life size replica of a blue whale spanning 30m in length across the museum’s mammalian hall. Technical details: Sony a850 with Tokina 19-35mm lens. |
Vote for your favourite 2013 photos here!
Archives
July 2014
Categories
All
|