An Indian Bureaucrat's Diary

An Amalgam of Antiquity and Nature

How about a vacation under the shadows of one of the oldest fort in India – with tigers for company at breakfast and tea ?
Ranthambore is the place I selected.

History

The magnificent Ranthambore Fort is one of the oldest forts in India. The Fort was built by the Kachhwaha Rajputs (Chauhans) but there is no certainty about the time and who the actual founder was. Some historians tell us that it was built by King Sapaldaksha in 944 A.D. Others historians say it was built by King Jayant of the same dynasty in 1110 A.D. There are other historians who give the credit to some one else.
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What is there to see in a small non-descript place like Aurangabad?

You must visit the place to find out.

Two Mughal Emperors visited the region, and they liked it so much that they shifted their capital from Delhi to this region.

The Daulatabad Fort, which is one of the world’s best preserved forts of medieval times, alone would make Aurangabad a great place to visit.

But there is far more to see.
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Guardian of the Western Ghats

Panhala is a beautiful hill station – 977.2 metres ( 3177 feet) above sea level – about 18 km north-west of Kolhapur in the state of Maharashtra.
The most interesting thing here is Panhala Fort – the largest of the Deccan forts.
The Fort is strategically located on one of the principal routes passing through the Western Ghats and was therefore of great military importance. It is also intimately connected with Shivaji and the Maratha rule.

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Gol Gumbaj – 2nd largest dome in the world

Bijapur is famous for two things:
· Its acoustic wonder Gol Gumbaj – with its 2nd largest dome in the world, and the
· Malik-e-Maidan (Monarch of the Fields) – one of the largest bell metal guns in the world.
A single visit to Bijapur was not enough.

I had to visit Bijapur a second time to really soak in the sights and sounds of Bijapur.
Moreover, about two hours drive from Bijapur are the fabulous rock cut temples of Aihole, Pattadakal and Badami representing the best of Chalukyan architecture.
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The Pink City
Prince amongst the cities of India

Jaipur, or the Pink City, is the undisputed prince amongst the cities of India.

Status of Royalty in India – Pathetic

Someone wrote to me enquiring about the present status of the Royalty in India.

There were 547 kings and rulers in India before 1947.

After India attained independence, all these kingdoms seamlessly merged into India.

But the rulers were given privy purse, annual sums of money, as compensation.

They were also allowed to keep their palaces, jewelley, etc. and certain other privileges.
In 1969, Indira Gandhi abolished the privy purse – indirectly snatching away all their rights and privileges.

Overnight, the kings became commoners.
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