Must See Historic Places of India

In this hub you shall get information about the must see historic places of India. If you are a foreign tourist who wants to visit India, this hub can be helpful for you. There are many more great historical places in India. I shall update this hub with more Indian historical places, and so it would be better if you book marked it.

India is a nation with thousands of years of great cultures and civilizations. This country has seen much turmoil. Hundreds of races have invaded India and they have left their mark. It is a country where history still speaks. India has known for many conflicting cultures and civilizations. But if you visit these historical sites then you can find the assimilation of cultures. Buddhist art, Gandhara art, Sanskrit art, Muslim art, Greek art etc all have crisscrossed to produce great Indian sculptures.

I have complied a small list of historical places of India for you. Without visiting these places, you can not see and feel the real India.

Agra is known for the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world. It was the capital of Hindustan or Mughal India for many years. This is an ancient city with many magnificent old constructions.

You can feel the essence of history in Agra. While roaming in the Mughal monuments here, you can perceive the grandeur and spirit of the most powerful empire of the middle ages.

Taj Mahal is the monument of love constructed by Mughal emperor Sahajahan in the memory of his wife Mamatazmahal. It is the most famous historical site of India and is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Fatehpur Sikri is also a place of great tourist attraction in Agra. It is actually 35 Km away from the main city of Agra. The great emperor Akbar built this city as his capital but forced to abandon it due to shortage of water. There are many great sculptures here. This place personifies the soul of great Akbar. The gate of Sikri is called Buland Darwaja (lofty Door). There is a message and image of Jesus Christ in it, which is the proof of religious open mindedness of Akbar.

Ajanta and Ellora caves are near Aurangabad, Maharastra. Though I named Ajanta and Ellora side by side, these historical sites are actually 100 Km apart.

The Ajanta caves are very old. The oldest of Ajanta paintings are made in 2^nd century BC! These caves are known for ancient Indian paintings. The visiting of Ajanta caves are no doubt once in a lifetime experience.

Ellora has combinations of caves and Jain temples. There are Ajanta like old Buddhist paintings in Ellora too.

Khajuraho is symbol of passion of love. The temples of Khajuraho are known for the sculptures of love. Khajuraho is in the state of Madhya Pradesh, about 650 Km from Delhi. There is an airport in Khajuraho. These temples of Khajuraho were built around 950 to 1150 A.D.

There are 17 temples in Khajuraho. All the temples are full of thousands of statues and carvings. The carvings show the daily life of ancient Indians. Some of the statues and carvings are famous for showing various sexual acts. These high quality erotic arts have made Khajuraho world famous.

The place is well known to the international tourists. There is a light and sound show conducted every evening describing the history of the place. Khajuraho dance festival takes place on first week of February in every year. This is known for young dancers performing classical Indian dances.

The Sun Temple of Konark, Oddissa is also a world heritage site. This temple of sandstone is built in the 13^th century. The black sandstones gave it a unique look. This temple was just beside the sea, now it is 3km from the Bay of Bengal’s shoreline. The entire Sun Temple is designed as the “ratha’ or chariot of the Sun god. The wheels of the chariot are precise sundials. The famous Bengali poet Tagore described the Konark temples as: “here the language of stone surpasses the language of man”.

The Qutub Minar is a brick minaret and is among the UNESCO world heritage sites. It is the highest brick made tower in the world. Its height is 238 feet.

This Qutub Minar of Delhi is constructed by Delhi pre-Mughal sultans, Qutub-ud-din Aibok and Illtutmish.

The Indian name of the red fort of Delhi is “Lal Kila”. It was made by Mughal emperor Sahajahan. It was the Mughal royal palace and from 1648 to 1857. This massively constructed fort was the center of power for many years in India. There are much memorable architecture inside the fort and its palaces.

On the Indian Independence Day, 15^th august, the President of India raises the Indian flag from the Red fort and delivers his Independence Day speech. Because of the high political significance, this site is heavily guarded.

Udaypur city palace complex was built in 1559. This palace complex is featured in James Bond movie "Octopussy". Udaypur is called "Venice of the East". It is a great destination for international tourists.