Nashipur Rajbari & Akhra Old & Present Photo

Nashipur Rajbari
 

  Nashipur Akhra

 

 

Nashipur is located in the Murshidabad District  in West Bengal, India. Founder of Nashipur dynasty is said to be Maharaja Debi Singh. He migrated from Panipat in the 1770s. He settled down first at Bokhara in Murshidabad District of West Bengal, which lies on the Azimgunge-Nalhati Branch line of Eastern Railway. The nearest station is Moregram. He established a temple dedicated to Sri Sri Giri Gobardhan Dhari Deb Thakur along with his residence. The ruins of the temple can still be seen there. Maharaja Deby Singh later shifted his residence to Nashipur in Murshidabad District. Later on the Deity of Sri Sri Giri Gobardhan Dhari Deb Thakur was shifted to Nashipur by his descendant Raja Ranendra Narayan Sinha Bahadur in the 1970s. The title of "Raja" and later on "Maharaja" was conferred on him by the then British Government on account of his good work of tax collection from a number of districts of Bengal, in his capacity as Dewan (or tax collector). The Rajas following him are Raja Bahadur Sinha Bahadur - Raja Hanumanta Singh - Raja Udmanta Singh - Raja Kissen Chand - Raja Kirtee Chand - Maharaja Ranajit Sinha - Raja Bhupendra Narayan Sinha Bahadur- Raja Ranendra Narayan Sinha Bahadur and presently Ranjoy Sinha.

Nashipur Rajbari (also known as Nashipur Rajbati or Nashipur Palace) was the palace of the Nashipur Raj Family in the village of Nashipur. The grand palace is situated in Nashipur just adjacent to the palace built by Raja Debi Singha. The current palace was built by Raja Kirti Chandra Singha Bahadur in 1865. 

The Nashipur Rajbari here, was the court of Debi Singha who is historically renowned for being the tax collector under the British. He arrived from Panipat for the purpose of trading. It is said that he is known for being a strict Tax collector. He would severely punish those who failed to pay taxes on time to him. After a trial, he succeeded in getting an appointment in the Revenue Department under Dewan Reza Khan. Gradually, he was able to exert his influence among the people of East India Company and became head of that department. Debi Singha was also the founder of the Nashipur Raj Family.

Debi Singha came to Murshidabad with his father Diwali Singh just after the Battle of Plassey (in 1757 AD). Warren Hastings (Governor General) appointed Devi Singha as a secretary to the provincial council. He was invested with the title of Raja and later Maharaja. Maharaja Debi Singh's nephew Raja Udmant Singh built a temple complex in Nashipur. The palace was built by Raja Udmant's grandnephew Raja Kirti Chand in 1856. Maharaja Ranajit Sinha who succeeded his father Raja KirtiChand was elected chairman of Murshidabad municipality and a member of Bengal Legislative Council. Nashipur Raj Estate was one of the bigger Zamindaries in Bengal. The Zamindary covered large portions of the Districts of Birbhum, Murshidabad and Malda in the present State of West Bengal in India and a major portion of the District Rajsahi and small portions in the Districts Pabna and Bogra in the present country of Bangladesh. The custom of primogeniture was followed in the Raj family.The title of "Raja Bahadur" was made hereditary in the Raj family in a grand investiture ceremony at Delhi on 16 March 1917, in which a Sanad was presented to Maharaja Ranajit Sinha by the then Governor General of India - Lord Chelmsford. After the death of Maharaja Ranajit Sinha in 1918, Bhupendra Narayan Sinha being the eldest among the four sons of the late Maharaja, succeeded him as the next scion of Nashipur Raj. Raja Bahadur Bhupendra Narayan Sinha was a minister in undivided Bengal in 1928-29 under the Chief Ministership of Fazlul Huq. During his lifetime he held various important positions in the Govt. The second youngest brother Kumar Nripendra was a member of the Imperial Council in Delhi. Both died early and the two other sons of Maharaja Ranjit Sinha lived to be octogenarians.

Raja Bahadur Bhupendra Narayan Sinha died in Delhi in October 1949. He had one son Ranendra Narayan Sinha and two daughters.Ranendra Narayan Sinha succeeded as the next Raja Bahadur.Raja Bahadur Ranendra Narayan Sinha was the last titular head of the Nashipur Raj family, as the Zemindary system was abolished in 1953 in West Bengal. Raja Bahadur Ranendra Narayan Sinha died in Calcutta in August 1992 leaving behind his wife Rani Kusum Kumari Sinha, one son Ranajoy Sinha and one daughter Jayashree Sinha.

Nashipur Akhara is an in Nashipur, Murshidabad District, West Bengal, India. It is situated close to theNashipur Rajbari on the east of the Bhagirathi River. The motto of the Akhra is to remain a bachelor for ones entire life. Here every year Jhulan Yatra and the famous fair is held. People from far off assemble here to witness the dramas held on this auspicious occasion. In the Nashipur Akhra, some very old articles like huge utensils and even a vintage car are kept in a small room. They are not maintained but are available for public viewing.

Someshwara Temple 1868 & Present photo

Someshwara Temple Present photo

 The Someshwara Temple is one the oldest temples of Bangalore in Karnataka. Temple is located in the Suburb of Halasuru (also called Ulsoor) in Bangalore, India. The oldest temple in the city dating back to the Chola period, it is dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Major additions or modifications were made during the late Vijayanagara Empire period under the rule of Hiriya Kempe Gowda II. In the "Gazetter of Mysore" (1887), Benjamin Lewis Rice describes a legend behind the consecration of the temple. Kempe Gowda, while on a hunt, rode far away from his capital Yalahanka. Being tired, he rested under a tree and fell asleep. The local deity Someshwara appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to build a temple in his honor using buried treasure. In return the chieftain would receive divine favor. Kempe Gowda found the treasure and dutifully completed the temple. According to a different version of the legend, King Jayappa Gowda (1420-1450 CE) from a minor dynasty of the Yelahanka Nada Prabhus was hunting in a forest near the present Halasuru area, when he felt tired and relaxed under a tree. In a dream, a man appeared before him and told him that a Linga (universal symbol of the god Shiva) was buried under the spot he was sleeping. He was instructed to retrieve it and build a temple. Jayappa found the treasure and initially built the temple out of wood. Another account attributes the temple to the Chola Dynasty with later renovations made by the Yelahanka Nada Prabhus.

According to Michell, the temple plan follows many of the basic elements of Vijayanagara architecture though at a lower scale. The temple has a square sanctum  which is surrounded by a narrow passageway. The sanctum is connected to a closed mantapa hall whose walls are decorated with pilasters and sculptures in frieze. The closed mantapa is connected to a spacious open mantapa comsisting of four large projecting "bays" (area between four pillars). The piers leading to the sanctum and those facing outward from the open mantapa are the standard Yali pillars. The eastern gopuram is a well executed, typical 16th century structure. There are several notable sculptures and decorative features in the complex. An impressive pillar (Kambha or Nandi) pillar) stands near the tall tower over the entrance gate  (gopura). The tower itself exhibits well sculptured images of gods and goddesses from Hindu mythology. The open mantapa consists of forty eight pillars with carvings of divinities in frieze. To the north is the navagraha temple (shrine for the nine planets) with twelve pillars, each pillar representing a saint (rishi). The entrance to the sanctum exhibits sculptures of two "door keepers" dvarapalakas. Other notable works of art include sculptures that depict King Ravana lifting Mount Kailash in a bid to appease the god Shiva, Durga slaying Mahishasura (a demon), images of the Nayanmar saints (Tamil Shaivaite saints), depictions of the Girija Kalyana (marriage of Parvati to the god Shiva), the saptarishis (seven sages of Hindu lore). Recent excavations at the temple site has revealed the existence of a temple tank  which could be 1200 years old.

Old Photo of India: Juma Jama Masjid Delhi 1875 & Present Photo

Old Photo of India: Juma Jama Masjid Delhi 1875 & Present Photo:   Juma Jama Masjid Delhi Present Photo  Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Jama Masjid between 1644 and 1656. It was const...

Juma Jama Masjid Delhi 1875 & Present Photo

 
Juma Jama Masjid Delhi Present Photo 

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built the Jama Masjid between 1644 and 1656. It was constructed by more than 5000 workers. It was originally called Masjid-i-Jahan-Numa, meaning 'mosque commanding view of the world'. The construction was done under the supervision of Saadullah Khan, wazir (or prime minister) during Shah Jahan's rule. The cost of the construction at the time was one million Rupees. Shah Jahan also built the Taj Mahal, at Agra and the Red Fort in New Delhi, which stands opposite the Jama Masjid. The Jama Masjid was completed in 1656 AD (1066 AH). The mosque was inaugurated by an Imam Bukhari, a  mullah  from Bukhara, Uzbekistan, on 23 July 1656, on the invitation from Shah Jahan. About 25,000 people can pray in the courtyard at a time and it is sometimes regarded as India's largest mosque. The mosque is commonly called "Jama" which means Friday. After the British victory in  Revolt of 1857, they confiscated the mosque and stationed their soldiers here.They also wanted to destroy the mosque to punish the people of the city. But due to opposition faced, the demolition was not done. Jama Masjid of Delhi is the largest mosque in India.he first three storeys of the Jama Masjid tower are made of red sandstone and the fourth one is made of marble, while the fifth is made of sandstone. The Jama Masjid is covered with intricate carvings and has verses inscribed from the holy Koran. The grand Red fort (Lal Qila) stands on the eastern side of the Jama Masjid. The main prayer hall of the Jama Masjid is made up of high cusped arches and marble domes. The cabinet in the north gate of the Jama Masjid contains a collection of Muhammad's relics - the Koran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprints, implanted in a marble block.

  Jama Masjid is also known as the Friday congregational mosque because Muslims turn up in large numbers to offer Namaz on Fridays, called as the yaum al-jum`a. Masjid-i-Jahan Numa popularly called as Jama Masjid, means the mosque commanding a view of the world. The mosque is a real example of great architecture that existed during the Mughal period. It has the blend of both Hindu and Mughal style of architecture. About the architecture of the Jama Masjid, it has two 40 meter high minarets made of pure red stone and white marble. It has three entry gates and four towers in the complex of the Masjid.The Jama Masjid can be seen from any region within 5 kiolmeter of its radius as it was located on a place which was on a higher ground in comparison to the other buildings of the area. The architecture of another mosque built by the son of Shah Jahan in Lahore is similar to Jama Masjid. There is a massive use of red stone in Jama Masjid which helped it standing all seasons of the year. 

The courtyard can accommodate 25,000 worshippers and occupies 408 square feet. The mosque is about 261 feet (80 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) wide. The prayer hall measures 61 metre  in length and 27.5 metre in breadth. It is made up of high cusped arches and marble domes. The cabinet located in the north gate has a collection of relics of Muhammad – the Quran written on deerskin, a red beard-hair of the prophet, his sandals and his footprints implanted in a marble block.The floor plan of the mosque is similar to that of the Jama Masjid of Agra. It is covered with white and black ornamented marble to look like a Muslim prayer mat. Beside it, a thin black border measuring 3 feet (0.91 m) long and 1.5 feet (0.46 m) wide is marked for the worshippers. There are 899 total such boxes. The architecture and plan of Badshahi Masjid which was built by Shah Jahan's son Aurangzed in Lahore is closely related to that of the mosque. Before the Revolt of 1857, there was a madrasa near the southern end of the mosque, which was during the revolt destroyed.

Humayun's Tomb Delhi 1850 & Present

   Humayun's Tomb Delhi 1850

Humayun's Tomb Present

Humayun's tomb is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun in Delhi, India. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's son Akbar in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect chosen by Bega Begum. It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent and is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah citadel also known as Purana Qila (Old Fort) that Humayun founded in 1533. It was also the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, and since then has undergone extensive restoration work, which is complete. Besides the main tomb enclosure of Humayun, several smaller monuments dot the pathway leading up to it, from the main entrance in the West, including one that even pre-dates the main tomb itself, by twenty years; it is the tomb complex of Isa Khan Niyazi an Afghan noble in Sher Shah Suri's court of the Suri dynasty, who fought against the Mughals, constructed in 1547 CE. The complex encompasses the main tomb of the Emperor Humayun, which houses the graves of Bega Begum herself, Hamida Begum, and also Dara Shikoh, great-great-grandson of Humayun and son of the later Emperor Shah Jahan, as well as numerous other subsequent Mughals, including Emperor Jahandar Shah, Farrukhsiyar, Rafi Ul-Daulat, Fafi Ud-Daulat, Muhammad Kam Bakhsh and Alamgir.  It represented a leap in Mughal architecture, and together with its accomplished Charbagh garden, typical of Persian gardens, but never seen before in India, it set a precedent for subsequent Mughal architecture. It is seen as a clear departure from the fairly modest mausoleum of his father, the first Mughal Emperor, Babur, called Bagh-e-Babur (Gardens of Babur) in Kabul (Afghanistan). Though the latter was the first Emperor to start the tradition of being buried in a paradise garden. Modelled on Gur-e- Amir, the tomb of his ancestor and Asia's conqueror Timur in Samarkand, it created a precedent for future Mughal architecture of royal  mausolea, which reached its zenith with the Taj Mahal at Agra. The site was chosen on the banks of Yamuna river, due to its proximity to Nizamuddin Dargah, the mausoleum of the celebrated Sufi saint of Delhi, Nizamuddin Auliya, who was much revered by the rulers of Delhi, and whose residence, Chilla Nizamuddin Auliya lies just north-east of the tomb. In later Mughal history, the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah Zafar took refuge here, during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, along with three princes, and was captured by Captain Hodson before being exiled to Rangoon. At the time of the  Slave Dynasty this land was under the 'KiloKheri Fort' which was capital of Sultan Kequbad, son of Nasiruddin (1268–1287). 

          After his death on 20 January 1556, Humayun's body was first buried in his palace in Purana Quila at Delhi. Thereafter it was taken to Sirhind, in Punjab by Khanjar Beg, because it was feared that Hindu king Hemu, who had defeated Mughal forces in Agra and Delhi in Oct. 1556 and captured Purana Quila, would damage the tomb. In 1558, it was seen by his son, the then Mughal Emperor, Akbar. Akbar subsequently visited the tomb when it was about to be completed in 1571.

The tomb of Humayun was built by the orders of Akbar (3rd emperor of mughal empire), Humayun's first wife and chief consort, and begun in 1565, nine years after his death, and completed in 1572 AD at a cost of 1.5 million rupes at the time. Agniv Majumdar Deorukhar, one of Humayun's wives, was also very helpful. The cost for building the mausoleum was paid entirely by Empress Bega Begum. When Humayun had died in 1556, Bega Begum was so grieved over her husband's death that she dedicated her life thenceforth to a sole purpose: the construction of the most magnificent mausoleum in the Empire, at a site near the in Delhi for the memorial of the late Emperor. According to Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th-century detailed document written during the reign of Akbar, Haji Begum supervised the construction of the tomb after returning from Mecca and undertaking the Hajj pilgrimage.

Humayun to Abd al-Qadir Bada'uni, one of the few contemporary historians to mention its construction, the architect of the tomb was the Persian architect, Mirak Mirza Ghiyas (also referred to as Mirak Ghiyathuddin) who was brought from Herat (northwest Afahanistan), and had previously designed several buildings in Herat, Bukhara (now Uzbekistan), and others elsewhere in India. Ghiyas, to whom the mausoleum's exquisite design is attributed was chosen to be the architect by Empress Bega Begum. Unfortunately, before the structure's completion, he died and so his son Sayyed Muhammad ibn Mirak Ghiyathuddin completed his father's design in 1571.

An English merchant, William Finch, who visited the tomb in 1611, describes the rich interior furnishing of the central chamber (in comparison to the sparse look today). He mentioned the presence of rich carpets, and a shamiana, a small tent above the cenotaph, which was covered with a pure white sheet and with copies of the Quran in front along with his sword, turban and shoes.