Historical

Tourists can explore the ruins of Chandraketugarh, located on the banks of the Vidyadhari River, near Barasat. The site was initially excavated in 1956 to 1957 and the ASI declared it as a monument of historical importance. The site contained relics of various historical periods like Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW) relics, remains from Maurya period and artefacts from Gupta and Kushanas periods. According to some historians, this archaeological site and its surrounding area is guessed to be the place that was referred by the ancient Roman and Greek writers as “Gangaridai”.

Jasrota was originally founded in 1019 by Raja Jas Dev of Jammu, who later on passed this region to his uncle Raja Karan Dev. The region also served as the seat of an imperial power which was later made a district in 1846, when Gulab Singh became the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir. The rulers of Jasrota were Jamwals, popularly called as the Jasrotias.

Ramnagar Fort, constructed by Maharaja Balwant Singh in 17th century, is a medieval period fort located in the banks of the river Ganges. This was the royal residence of Raja of Banares, also known as Maharaja of Kashi. Still this fort continues as the residential palace of the royal family members.

Nandeshwari Kothi, designed by James Prinsep is a typical building of the early 19th century in Benaras. The Nandeswar Kothi built in the late 18th century now belongs to the Maharaja of Benaras.

Though the building has undergonr a lot of change since its construction, the interior details of that period still survive including the doors nad a few pretty chimney pieces with fluting and corner rosettes.

Jantar Mantar, a renowned observatory established in 1737 by the famous Maharaja of Jaipur Jai Singh. This Jantar Mandir at Varanasi is a replica of Jantar Mandir in New Delhi and other places.

This observatory was built to find out local time, planetary and star movements. This was used to predict the eclipses and also the declination of sun. This observatory is credited with many instruments to record the position, speed and motion of the stars. Indian Astronomical theories and calculations are practiced here.

From 1907 onwards, Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) continued excavations at Sarnath. The main excavation site in Sarnath is a vast expanse of low lying structures and monuments. One can view the various facets of Buddhist history, the origin, growth, evolution and its ruin, by moving around this place.

One can have a close look at the ancient relics of Buddhist art written through signs and symbols, which were designed to communicate the message and preaching of the Buddha. The earliest and most important relic is found in the Ashoka pillar that was erected in 250 BC.

Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath (also called the Sarnath Pillar), carved out of stone with a height of 50m, marks Emperor Asoka’s visit to Sarnath and one of the most attractive sight for the visitors.

An impressive statue, Ashoka Pillar is depicting four lions on the top in standing posture back to back and a chakra (wheel), renowned as Ashoka Chakra, at its bottom. The top is mounted on a fresco bearing the images of an elephant, a galloping horse, a bull, and a lion. All these animals are separated by overriding wheels of chariot over a bell-shaped lotus. The pillar is carved out of a single block of polished sandstone.

Bahu Ki Mazar (Sadat Hostel) is where wife of Saiyed Munawwar Laskar Khan was cremated.

Meerut is, according to legend, the place where certain important episodes of the great Indian epic Mahabharata took place. Vidura ka Tila in Meerut is a group of mounds which were unearthed due to the excavations carried out here. These mounds are according to popular belief associated with Vidur, an important character in the Mahabharata, the incidents of which took place in the Dwapar Yug. This monument has been a source of belief among the natives about the rich historical past of India. Vidura, according to the Mahabharata, was the half-brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu.

Shahpir, Meerut is a very ancient mausoleum which was built during the times of the Mughal rule and has a lot of significance for the Muslims. The architecture is worth taking note of. This is a very old mausoleum which was built by the Mughals to commemorate the death of an esteemed pir (seer) which is located at a distance of 67 km from Delhi. This is an excellent architectural work and the Mughal artists have once again proved that they are simply unmatched. This mausoleum was built by Noorjehan in 1620 AD in red stone.