Global Treasures FORT MEHERANGARH Jodhpur, India

GTR-DVD-1162 - Tall, proud and powerful, Fort Meherangarh is located on a hill a hundred and twenty metres above the Indian town of Jodhpur. The fort dates back to 1459 and Rao Jodha, the leader of the Rathor, one of the country's most influential aristocratic families.

The rooms, halls and courtyards of the palace still exude the legendary atmosphere and magical power of the former maharajas. However, gruesome events once took place in this location: the handprints of a former ruler's wives serve as a reminder of a cruel Hindu tradition. The burning to death of widows on their dead husband's funeral pyre was practised right up until the middle of the 20th century even though the then British colonial leaders prohibited it.

Within sight of the fort there is another intriguing landmark of Jodhpur, the Jaswant Thada, magnificent burial place of the Rathor Dynasty. The garden was once used for cremation ceremonies. Its most striking memorial was built in honour of Jaswant Singh The Second.

It is not surprising that Fort Meherangarh and the funeral monuments of Jaswant Thada are considered to be among the most important sites Jodhpur, former capital of the Marwar princes.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Global Treasures AMBER FORT Jaipur, India

GTR-DVD-1215 - The stately Amber Fort is a truly impressive sight and one of the most beautiful of its kind in India. The mighty fort rises up like a staircase upon a mountain side that is located between two ranges of the Aravalli Mountains.

Typical of most palaces in Rajasthan, the fort's high and sturdy walls that are interspersed with bastions and balconies give the impression of a castle. The Amber Palace was constructed in several stages between 1600 and 1727. After passing through a small gate there is the impressive main gate of Suraj Pol that is the entrance to a lower courtyard, Jaleb Chow.

The Jass Mandir Pavilion with its artistically designed lattice window is located on the terrace like roof of a private audience hall. The windows provide a welcome cool breeze during hot weather as well as a marvellous view of the surrounding scenery.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Global Treasures HUMAYUN'S TOMB Delhi, India

On the south eastern periphery of today's metropolis of New Delhi is the large and magnificent tomb of the famous Indian emperor, Humayun. The mausoleum is regarded among art historians as being one of the finest examples of Indian architecture that dates back to the early moghuls of the 16th century. The centre of the tomb complex is surrounded by a tranquil park that is in stark contrast to the normal hustle and bustle of New Delhi.

The final resting place of Emperor Humayun is regarded as the model for the almost one hundred year younger Taj Mahal in Agra that was built by Shah Jahan. The acclaimed mausoleum was not the creation of the emperor but of his wife, Haji Begum, who had made construction of the monument possible.

The gardens around the tomb have managed to retain their age-old elegance and splendour.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Global Treasures RED FORT AGRA India

A massive red sandstone wall surrounds the Red Fort of Agra, a great and historic city two hundred kilometres south east of Delhi. Almost two and a half kilometres long and at an average height of twenty metres, the wall contains several well-fortified bastions that have been used by the Indian army right up to the present day.

The east side of the Diwan-I-Am is connected to the Machi Bhavan, a beautiful courtyard that is surrounded on three sides by a two-storey building complex. It is believed that the legendary golden throne of the great moguls was kept in the southern wing.

In addition to the private audience hall of the moguls, the Diwan-I-Khas, the private chambers of Shah Jahan are one of the fort's most fascinating sights.

But 1658 prove to be a tragic year for Shah Jahan as his son, Aurangzeb, arrested him and removed him from power. From his prison cell he was able to see one of the most famous symbols of his former regime his favourite wife's fantastic mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Global Treasures RANAKPUR Rajasthan, India

Ranakpur, set close to the impressive backdrop of the Aravalli Mountains, contains one of the most beautiful religious buildings in Northern India. In the 15th century, around a hundred kilometres north of the ancient royal city of Udaipur, the followers of the Jain religion built an architectural gem: the most important sanctuary in Ranakpur, the four thousand square metre ChaumukhTemple.

The beautiful domed ceiling that depicts the sixteen goddesses of wisdom, the Vidjadevi, forms the centre of the temple's main hall.

The lively portrayal of both the dancing figures and general ornamentation of the marble columns is in stark contrast to the enraptured Jain sculptures. The crouching figures within the niches stare out with ghostly eyes and thus create a mysterious atmosphere inside the temple.

Even today the temple site of Ranakpur that contains some of the most important examples of Jain architecture, has lost nothing of its original splendour.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Global Treasures UDAIPUR India

Set along an artificial lake and surrounded by picturesque mountains, Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities in the Indian province of Rajasthan.

Part of the Palace Of Udaipur is still inhabited by the present head of the Mewar and other areas within it have been transformed into a luxurious hotel. In recent years innumerable gazebos, balconies and decorations have made the elegant almost playful eastern side of the palace into a popular backdrop for numerous films.

Located beneath the grand palace and surrounded by thick walls there is a further popular tourist attraction in Udaipur, the Jagdish Temple. At first sight this Vishnu sanctuary appears to be a fortress, a fact that has undoubtedly contributed to its survival. As one of the city's few Hindu temples, the Jagdish Temple survived the troops of Muslim aggressor, Mughal Aurangzeb, as he most likely did not recognize it as a temple.

But history and drama aside, as the sun sets beneath the gentle hills of the Avalli Mountains it is easy to become hypnotised by the amazing beauty of Udaipur.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Global Treasures FATEHPUR SIKRI India

West of the city of Agra, in India, and surrounded by a ten kilometre long wall, is the fascinating ghost town of Fatehpur Sikri. It is believed that the founding of the town was closely associated with a prophecy made by a teacher of the religious Chishti Order who once lived there.

The design of part of the Friday Mosque, once the largest sacred building in India, was based upon the Bibi Khanam Mosque in Samarkand. An inscription refers to the building as having been completed in 1572 thus making it one of the oldest buildings in Fatehpur Sikri.

It is believed that the founding of the town was closely associated with a prophecy made by a teacher of the religious Chishti Order who once lived there. In 1569 the prophecy of the legendary mystic came true when the wife of Akhbar The Great gave birth to a long awaited male heir. Delighted at the result of the prophecy the powerful Mughal commanded that his residence be moved from Agra to Sikri, the home of his chief counsellor.

Due to a more reliable water supply than that in Fatehpur Sikri, the Mughal ruler also chose Lahore, situated in today's Pakistan, for its strategic advantages but only a few months after his death large sections of the palace buildings began to decay.

In a way it is fortuitous that this former royal residence became neglected and abandoned thus, free from struggle and strife, this remnant of Mughal history has managed to survive to the present day.

Global Treasures - History's Most Protected Monuments - Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live today, and what we pass on to future generations. our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration. Places as unique and diverse as the wilds of East Africa's Serengeti, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and the Baroque cathedrals of Latin America make up our world's heritage. Join us as we explore one of these protected monuments.

Nature Parks KEOLADEO GHANA Rajasthan / India

Around five kilometres beyond the city of Bharatpur is one of the most fascinating wildlife reserves on the Indian subcontinent, Keoladeo Ghana. Accompanied by the park's experienced guides, the first leg of our journey travels across a well-worn route to Python Point that, due to its population of Tiger Pythons, most assuredly lives up to its name.

Despite the picturesque landscape the local maharajas were more interested in the region's wildlife, especially the population of wild duck In the middle of the 19th century the maharajahs recognized the merits of this newly created habitat and officially declared it to be their very own hunting grounds. Unlike today, the numerous water birds of Keoladeo Ghana were not protected but instead were hunted for sport.

The park's varied scenery is quite remarkable. Low-lying forests, shrubberies, swampland and savannah-like grasslands influence the external appearance of this fascinating nature reserve. In the north east of the park the dry forests consist mainly of the babul tree, a unique variety of acacia tree, and rose apple.

For many visitors the remoteness of the park is in stark contrast to life in India's lively, noisy and hectic cities. However, this world famous bird sanctuary is located close to civilization and also to a good network of roads. Yet motor vehicles are few and far between in Keoladeo Ghana where the bicycle rickshaw is the most common means of transport.

Few bird sanctuaries in the world provide visitors with such a variety of bio-diversity and scenic beauty as does the Keoladeo National Park.

JAISALMER INDIA

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Taj Mahal India

Islamic architectures most beautiful building, the Taj Mahal, is located on the southern shore of the Jumna Rive close to Agra in Northern India.This mighty mausoleum was built on the orders of the Mogul King, Shah Jehan, for his favourite wife.

Surrounding an inner core of stone, the Taj Mahal is mainly of brick construction encased in marble.The marble was transported from quarries about 300 km from Agra and in addition to its richly decorated, precious white marble, red sandstone was also used for its massive main gateway.Floral reliefs, tendrils and other carefully created stone works adorn the buildings magnificent exterior.

On its walls there are artistic images taken from the Koran and there are also non-Islamic decorations that were designed by 17th century architects.The stunning Persian motifs of blossom and plants consist partly of precious stones such as diamonds, garnet, sapphires and onyx.

In 1629 the wife of the Indian Mogul, Shah Jehan, died at the birth of her 14th child.In her memory, her husband promised to build a mighty monument: the result was the Taj Mahal.It was built between 1630 and 1653 and its Persian character is due to its first architect, Isa Afandi, who originated from Iran.Its onion-like cupolas were a real architectural achievement of their day and the symmetry of the building is truly remarkable.

A perfect example of Indo-Islamic architecture, today the Taj Mahal is Indias most famous structure.