Posts tagged ‘Taj Mahal’

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21/05/2015

Watch Indian Fighter Jet Land on Highway to Taj Mahal – India Real Time – WSJ

The Indian Air Force on Thursday landed a fighter jet on an expressway for the first time to showcase its ability to use national highways as runways in case of conflict.

The Mirage-2000 jet landed on a cordoned-off stretch of the Yamuna Expressway that leads to Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal.

Test landing of a Mirage 2000 fighter jet of the Indian Air force on the Yamuna Expressway near Delhi on Wednesday. India’s Ministry of Defence

The single-engine, single-seater combat plane is produced by Dassault Aviation SA of France. It can reach a top speed of 2,495 kilometers, or 1,550 miles an hour.

The jet took off from an undisclosed air base in central India. Facilities such as a makeshift air traffic control center, safety services, rescue vehicles, bird clearance parties were set up in coordination with local agencies for its landing.

The air force has “plans to activate more such stretches on highways in the future,” the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The Mirage-2000 strike aircraft is a critical part of India’s fighter jet fleet. Its flying qualities and maneuverability came into prominence during the bombing of Pakistani positions in the Himalayas during the Kargil war in 1999.

India’s air force fleet however comprises mainly Russian-origin aircraft such as the Sukhoi and MiG planes.

via Watch Indian Fighter Jet Land on Highway to Taj Mahal – India Real Time – WSJ.

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07/08/2014

These ten historical monuments earn India the most revenue

As airfares become cheaper and the world gets more adventurous, India’s tourism sector has been reaping the benefits. Revenues are expected to rise by 7.9% over the next decade. In 2012, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism accounted for 6.6% of India’s GDP.

Here’s a list of India’s most lucrative historical sites, based on the revenues they earned in 2013-2014.

1) Taj Mahal, Agra

Revenue: Rs. 21,84,88,950

Mughal emperor Shah Jahan’s marble tribute to third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj is by far the most iconic structure in India, as well as the country’s biggest-earning monument.

2) Qutab Minar complex, Delhi

Revenue: Rs 10,16,05,890

The Qutub Minar was built in the early 13th century and is the second-tallest tower in India (after Mohali’s Fateh Burj). It is made out of red and buff sandstone and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

3) Agra Fort, Agra

Revenue: Rs 10,22,56,790

Agra Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage site, was constructed under the third Mughal emperor Akbar over the remains of the ancient site known as Badalgarh.

4) Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi

Revenue: Rs 7,12,88,110

The tomb of the Mughal emperor Humayun was built in 1572 by his widow, Bega begum.

5) Red Fort, Delhi

Revenue: Rs 6,15,89,750

The Red Fort was originally built as the fortified palace of Shahjahanabad under Shah Jahan. It was the residence of the Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years.

6) Group of monuments, Fatehpur Sikri

Revenue: Rs 5,62,14,640

The city of Fatehpur Sikri was founded in 1569 by the Mughal emperor Akbar. It served as his capital from 1571 until 1585.

7) Group of monuments at Mahabalipuram

Revenue: Rs 2,72,93,480

The sculpted temples and buildings in this town, 60 kms south of Chennai, are the remains of a port from where ancient Indian traders travelled to South East Asia.

8) Sun Temple, Konarak

Damien Roué/Flickr

Revenue: Rs 2,43,52,060

This 13th-century temple in Odisha was conceived of as a gigantic solar chariot with 12 pairs of exquisitely-ornamented wheels pulled by seven rearing horses.

9) Group of temples, Khajuraho

Revenue: Rs 2,24,47,030

Khajuraho, in Madhya Pradesh, is synonymous with this large group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, some of which have erotic sculptures.

10) Ellora Caves

Revenue: Rs 2,06,72,820

Ellora Caves are among the largest rock-hewn monastic-temple complexes in the entire world. The site includes one of the world’s largest monolithic structures, the Kailash temple.

via Scroll.in – News. Politics. Culture..

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10/06/2014

India’s Taj Mahal Gets a Facial – India Real Time – WSJ

One of seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is tightening its pores with an anti-pollution face mask designed to take years off the marbled beauty.

The dirt and grime that has over time stained the 17th century white marble mausoleum will be scrubbed clean using fuller’s earth, a type of clay used in face packs. Additives designed to specially rid the marble of stains from chewing tobacco and hand prints left on the walls by inconsiderate tourists will be added to the mud pack, according to Manoj Kumar Bhatnagar, an official with the Archaeological Survey of India in Agra – the city where the Taj Mahal is located.

Mr. Bhatnagar refused to divulge the list of secret ingredients that will accompany the lime-rich clay pack except to say that it will “be similar to how ladies used to do facials traditionally during the Mughal period.”

The iconic monument was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his third wife Mumtaz, who died during the birth of their 14th child in 1631. Construction of the tomb began a year later and took thousands of workers almost 20 years to complete the structure built on the banks of the Yamuna river.

Over the years, the world famous Taj Mahal has received several facelifts. This will be its fourth, Mr. Bhatnagar said.

The passages inside the mausoleum are being cleaned first, followed by the four minarets, the riverfront terrace and the finally the main dome will be coated in the mud pack and left to dry overnight. The mud is washed off the next day using distilled water and nylon paint brushes, according to Mr. Bhatnagar.

The Taj Mahal is the most visited monument in India, according to India’s tourism ministry. In spite of its rigorous scrubbing schedule, the monument will remain open to tourists.

via India’s Taj Mahal Gets a Facial – India Real Time – WSJ.

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20/07/2013

Joe Biden’s India Itinerary

WSJ: “U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrives in New Delhi Monday for a visit focused on improving business ties between the two nations.

Mr. Biden, 70, begins his four-day India tour with a trip to Gandhi Smriti in New Delhi, a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, who led India to independence from Britain in 1947. The Democratic Party politician, who is visiting India with his wife, is also expected to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari, among other leaders, before travelling to Mumbai. Mr. Biden last visited India in 2008, when he was a member of the American Senate.

Mr. Biden’s wife, Jill Biden, will visit the Taj Mahal in Agra and is expected to address school children in Mumbai.

Relations between Washington and New Delhi have been warming in recent years, with the U.S. viewing India as an emerging superpower that can serve as a counterbalance to China’s growing influence in South Asia.

In a speech at the George Washington University in the U.S. on Friday, Mr. Biden singled out civil-nuclear cooperation, trade and investment as key issues the U.S. sought to collaborate on with India in the coming years. “There’s a lot of work to do,” Mr. Biden said in his speech, referring to strengthening India-U.S. ties. He also welcomed India’s decision this week to ease overseas-investment rules for telecom, defense and insurance.”

via Joe Biden’s India Itinerary – India Real Time – WSJ.

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