Miyan Tansen or Ramtanu Pandey (1493 or 1506 – 1586 or 1589) is considered among the greatest composer-musicians in Hindustani classical music. He was an extraordinarily gifted vocalist, known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularized and improved the rabab (of Central Asian origin). He was among the Navaratnas (nine jewels) at the court of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Akbar gave him the title Miyan (an honorific, meaning learned man).
Qutub or Qutb Minar is India’s most visited site by non Indian travellers and tourists.It is also word’s tallest tower or minaret made of brick and sandstone. Starting from a base diameter of 14.2 meters, it tapers to 2.75 meters at 72.5 meters (238 feet) which is its present height. There are 379 steps, but these days visitors are not allowed to the top for safety and security reasons. Between 2 to 3 million people visit it in any given year, the highest for any monument in India. This is partly because of its attraction and partly because of easy accessibility as it is situated in Delhi, a city which almost every tourist visits.
India is a paradise for coin-collectors and numismatists. With 3000 years of coinage by more than 1000 autonomous kingdoms, the number and variety of coins produced in India is simply mind-boggling. Nowhere else in the world can you ever get such variety and quantity of coins.
Cochin is often called as the Vanice of the East. No trip to India can be considered complete without visiting Cochin.
About Cochin: Cochin (now called Kochi) is a very ancient trading port of India, and written records show that it traded in spices, aromatics, ivory, sandalwood, and exotic animals at least from the time of King Solomon (BC 1000). There are several islands close to the mainland, and together the islands and the mainland town of Ernakulam form Kochi.
India has become one of the best destinations for tour and travel because of a number of reasons. With its 5000 years of history, more than 1000 cultures, more than 500 languages and dialects, and numerous historical monuments anywhere that you go, are enough to fill you with awe and wonder. The time spent here will imprint upon your mind and you will never be able to forget it.
Here is my encyclopedic article on Knol. Clikck on the picture to see it!
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The Bahá’í House of Worship in Delhi, India, popularly known as the Lotus Temple due to its flowerlike shape, is a Bahá’í House of Worship and also a prominent attraction in Delhi. It was completed in 1986 and serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent. It has won numerous architectural awards and been featured in hundreds of newspaper and magazine articles.
