Forts and Palaces

Delhi

Red Fort – Delhi

The Red Fort and palace within are considered by many to be the pinnacle of Shah Jahan’s building projects, aside from the Taj Mahal of…

Purana Qila – Delhi

Completed in 1538 AD during Humayun’s rule, Purana Qila fort was originally the inner citadel of a city called Din Panah. After Humayun was defeated…

Feroz Shah Kotla – Delhi

Built around 1354 by the Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlaq, the remains of Feroz Shah Kotla today reside in a peacefully green open area containing a…

Adilabad Fort – Delhi

Adilabad Fort (also known as Muhammadabad) is located about 1km east of the entrance to Tughlakabad Fort, on the opposite side of the Mehrauli-Badarpur road.…

Tughlakabad Fort – Delhi

Built over a period of just two years during the short reign of Ghiyasuddin Tughlak (1320 – 1324), Tughlakabad is believed to be the third…

Gujarat

Baroda : Lakshmi Vilas Palace

Baroda, also known as Vadodara, lies 140km from Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat, it takes about two hours to get there on decent roads. The…

Jammu & Kashmir

Leh Old Fort

At the very top of a ridge that overlooks Leh town are the remains of the 16th century palace and fort of King Tashi Namgyal.…

Leh Palace

Leh Palace is without doubt one of Ladakh’s most imposing structures, dominating the landscape around Leh it’s impossible to ignore, it’s ever present, and both…

Karnataka

Mysore Palace

Officially known as the Amba Vilas, the Mysore Palace that stands today was built between 1897 and 1912. Of all the palaces I’ve visited across…

Madhya Pradesh

Ranighati

On a day trip out of Gwalior heading to Narwar Fort I came across what seemed to be an interesting location pretty much in the…

Gwalior Fort – Other Monuments

In addition to the main monuments to see up at Gwalior Fort, there are a number of far less frequently visited structures that I briefly…

Man Singh Palace – Gwalior Fort

Standing on a long, narrow, rocky hill of sandstone rising 100m above the surrounding countryside, the great fortress of Gwalior has imprinted itself indelibly on…

Narwar Fort

Perched on top of an irregular hill 500 feet above the town, Narwar Fort is 70 km south-west of Gwalior in the Shivpuri district of…

Gohad Fort

Having spent a few days exploring the city of Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh, it was time to explore some of the sites that lie outside…

Gohar Mahal

Situated close to the banks of the Upper Lake, the Gohar Mahal (or Gauhar Mahal) is Bhopal’s earliest surviving city palace. Prior to my visit…

Datia Palace

Datia, 40km north of Orchha on the road between Gwalior and Jhansi, is home to one of India’s most imposing 17th century residences.

Orchha Fort

Orchha Fort is a huge complex containing a large number of monuments including palaces, gateways and temples, accessed from the town by an arched causeway.…

Shaukat Mahal – Bhopal

The Shaukat Mahal was constructed in the 1830s as a wedding gift for Sikander Jahan Begum, the first female ruler of Bhopal. Architecturally it is…

Taj Mahal Palace – Bhopal

If I told you I had just visited the Taj Mahal that was built by Shah Jahan whilst I was staying in Bhopal, you could…

Maharashtra

Malhargad / Sonori Fort

Malhargad Fort is a hill fort located not far from Saswad, about 30km (19 miles) from Pune. It is also known as Sonori Fort due…

Sinhagad Fort

Sinhagad (also known as Sinhgad) is the nearest hill fort to Pune, located around 25 km southwest of the city. The fort stands on a…

Pratapgad Fort

At 1,080m above sea level, Pratapgad Fort (also known as Pratapgadh or Pratapgar Fort) is located 15km from Poladpur and 23km west of Mahabaleshwar. It’s…

Shaniwar Wada

Shaniwar Wada was built in 1732 at a total cost of Rs 16,110 by Bajirao I, the Peshwa (Prime Minister) to the Maratha ruler Chhatrapati…

Aga Khan Palace – Pune

The Aga Khan Palace in Pune was built in 1892 by Sultan Muhammed Shah Aga Khan III. The Palace is a national monument of India’s…

Devagiri / Daulatabad Fort

Devagiri Fort, later known as Daulatabad Fort, lies 11km north-west of Aurangabad and is only 16km away from the famous Ellora Caves. The two could…

Tikona Fort

A trek up to Tikona Fort is an easy day excursion from Pune, located just 50m west of the city overlooking Pawna Lake. I visited…

Rajasthan

Jaisalmer Fort and Palace

Built on the summit of Trikuta Hill in the middle of the Thar desert by Rawal Jaisal in 1156, Jaisalmer Fort is one of the…

Mehrangarh Fort – The Interior

Make no mistake, Mehrangarh fort is absolutely huge. Anyone planning to see the fort for just a couple of hours is not going to do…

Mehrangarh Fort – The Exterior

“The splendours of a Palace that might have been built by Titans and coloured by the morning sun.” This is how Rudyard Kipling described Mehrangarh…

Chittorgarh Fort

Chittorgarh Fort is a mightily impressive hill fortress looming high above the town of Chittor, 100km east of Udaipur. This is the perfect day excursion…

Udaipur City Palace

Dominating the shore of Lake Pichola, the City Palace in Udaipur is enormous. The same can be said for the crowds of people that visit…

Kumbhalgarh Fort

Kumbhalgarh Fort is one India’s finest hill forts, set on one of the highest peaks of the Aravalli Hills, 65m north of Udaipur. It makes…

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is likely to be one of your first destinations when you visit Jaipur, and who can blame you ?  Located just around the…

Nahagarh Fort

Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills directly overlooking the pink city of Jaipur. Surprisingly for me, I found this fort more interesting…

City Palace

The City Palace lies in the heart of Jaipur and can be easily combined in a day on foot with the Hawa Mahal and Jantar…

Jal Mahal

This is a short excursion just outside Jaipur directly on the route to Amer Palace. So you can easily combine this with a visit to…

Jaigarh Fort

The Jaigarh Fort is a majestic stronghold built by Sawan Jai Singh II. This almost-intact fort is surrounded by huge battlements and is connected to…

Amer Fort

And so to the main event, the No.1 attraction in Jaipur that quite rightly demands the attention of both the discerning traveler and those who…

Tamil Nadu

Thanjavur Palace

The Thanjavur Maratha Palace Complex, known locally as Aranmanai, was the official residence of the Bhonsle family who ruled over the Tanjore region from 1674…

Uttar Pradesh

Agra Fort – From Palace To Prison

Planned by a Muslim king and built by Hindu masons, the imposing Agra Fort is the most visible testimony of Akbar’s rule. This citadel is…