Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris is the home for eternal rest to an eclectic group of people. All religions and nationalities and ethnicities are buried here.
I visited many graves of celebrities here and will post about them in a few days. For today I am only posting about the redoubtable Malika e Aaliyah or Malika Kishwar mother of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh on whose grave i went to recite a fatiha.
Most people say it’s difficult to find bit i went with heritage PhD scholar Laurent Glattli who researched and found that her grave is in the 85 division.

Directions:
For those who want to visit look at the map given at the entrance, walk accordingly use google maps & you will see a board saying 85 division.
A very oriental looking tomb with a Russian prince buried is on the corner. Turn right and a little ahead you will find the grave of Marcel Proust. Just beyond it sleeps Malika Kishwar.
The canopy on her tomb has fallen and there is just a square platform which stands out.
Pleaze recite a fatiha or whatever prays you want for the soul of this remarkable queen who went all the way to London to fight for her son’s right to the throne.

The Malika went to London saying that Victoria was “also a mother”; she would recognize the injustice to her son and restore his kingdom . However, initially Queen Victoria refused to grant her an audience and when she did, the Queen kother of Awadh realised that it was the Parliament that would make decisions.
The Uprising of 1857 made things worse and in 1858 she started her journey home via France hoping for French intervention.
Nothing prevailed and the brave queen died in Paris on 24th January 1858 to be buried here.
Her funeral was attended by the Ottoman Sultan’s representatives who also got a marble cenotaph built. Now only a platform remains.

Note: This post is about the grave not the queen. There is so much more to write about her which i will do later.

Uzbekistan has many Sufi saint shrines and I wanted to visit as many as i could.
One of the famous dargahs in Tashkent is called Zangiati and is 15 km outside the city.
Off we went in search of in a hired taxi.
It the shrine of Sheikh Ai-Khoja, who lived in the XIII century, and his wife Ambar Bibi. As he was darkskinned he became known as Zangiati
The Sheikh was a follower of Khwaja Ahmed Yesavi. My friend S Affan Yesvi is from his line.
The original shrine built by Amir Timur has undergone many changes & restorations.
A mosque has been added. As is popular in Uzbekistan, there’s a summer mosque- wooden ceiling and columns open totje elements on one side and a winter mosque made of concrete.
The main shrine has a huge domed hall where visitors sit . Locals come therein huge numbers.
When i went there was a group reciting Fatihas and other ayats.
The grave is behind locked doors so devotees can only sit in that hall.
the last image is from the internet and pre restoration

On October 6, 1650, the foundation stone was laid for a Jama Masjid by the emperor himself and it was built under the supervision of Sa’dullah Khan, the prime minister, and Fazil Khan, the khansaman or the head of the imperial household establishments.
It was built in six years at the cost of Rs 10 lakh by 6,000 workers. The cost didn’t include the price of the stones that were presented, according to Basheeruddin Ahmed in Waqeat e Dar-ul Hukumat Dehli, by various rajas and nawabs.
The mosque was set on a plinth of 30 feet; it is 261-foot long and 90-foot wide. Its three marble domes with black stripes are a landmark, an icon of the area if you will, and visible for miles around.

#jamamasjiddelhi #minaret #jamamasjid #mughalarchitecture #delhitrilogy

In a city which is a living museum, one passes by monuments of antiquity and importance without realising what they are. Near our hotel Arkanchi was a small white domed structure, sunken below the road level.
As i passed it by i saw a couple of children playong there and found it interesting.
After returning home while i was looking up books on Uzbekistan, i found that this is the Aq mosque ( White mosque ) of Khiva built on the orders of Anusha-khan (1663–
1687) in the middle of the 17th century.
As is my habit, i immediately photograph anything interesting to be processed later.
Anotjer interesting feature of Uzbekistan mosques is the concept of winter and summer mosques.
While winter mosques are indoors, summers are usually one side open aiwans with wooden columns.

Tere qadmon pe sar hoga qaza sar pe khadi hogi
phir us sajde ka kya kahana anokhi bandagi hogi

nasim-e-subah gulashan mein gulon se khelati hogi
kisi ke aakhari hichaki kisi ke dillagi hogi

dikha dunga sar-e-mahafil bata dunga sar-e-mahashar
wo mere dil mein honge aur duniya dekhati hogi

maza aa jayega mahashar mein phir sunane-sunane ka
zuban hogi vahan meri kahani aap ke hogi

tumhen danista mahafil mein jo dekha ho to mujarim
nazar aakhir nazar hai be-irada uth gayi hogi

1. 400 gm katthal pieces

2. I bunch Methi leaves – chopped roughly

3. 1 cup shelled peas

4. 1 small onion chopped finely

5. 1/2 inch ginger pc chopped finely

6. 4 cloves of garlic diced

7. 2 whole red chilli

8. 1/2 tsp Methi seeds

9. 2 tbspmMustard oil

10. Salt to taste

Method

Par Boil the katthal pieces – add salt, bay leaves, few cloves of laung and few peppercorns to the water. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil and add Methi seeds and chilli. When Methi seeds splutter add the chopped onion, ginger and garlic.

When the onion starts to brown add the katthal pieces and stir fry.

Take out and keep aside.

Add the Methi leaves and saute.

Add the peas and cook for few minutes till tender.

Dd the katthal and mix well

You can watch this video

https://youtu.be/3LVBAoP7rQ4

Over the past two months I visited numeerous museums in some European cities: Berlin, Paris, Krakow, Vienna, Dresden, Leipzig, Salzburg etc. I am listing my personal favourites.

Of course the mesmerising Nefriti really surveying all her afpdmirers from a high glass casein a room dedicated to her in Neues Museum, Berlin. No photography allowed in that room so image is from outside and thus distorted.
An icon of feminine beauty her bust is believed to have been crafted in 1345 BCE by Thutmose because it was found in his workshop in Amarna, Egypt.

I was unprepared for the utter beauty & details of the diorama, Grand Mogul Throne made between 1701-8 by royal goldsmith Dinglinger kept in Dresden Museum. The sheer detailing is amazing

Gandhara Art dev in what is now NW Pakistan and E Afghanistan between the 1st BCE & 7th CE.
The sculptures and carvings of this era are breathtaking and i had the good fortune to see a complete tableau of Lord Buddha’s life in Humboldt Forum in Berlin in schist from 2-3rd CE.
There are total of 12 panels depicting the birth, life and death of Lord Buddha

50 Kgs pf love!
This 17th century carpet is from Mughal India, in the Pergamon Museum.
It might have been made in Agra during Shah Jahan’s reign and
it could have been produced according to the caption of the museum either for the Agra Fort palace or the Taj Mahal!

Of all the da Vinci paintings in the Louvre it was this that captured my imagination. It was completed in 1516, and is believed to be the artist’s last and is now housed in the Louvre. St John the Baptist is shown with curly hair, with his right hand pointing towards heaven to suggest importance of salvation through baptism. The enigmatic smile is reminiscent of Mona Lisa and was made with the same sfamato technique.

To stand in the presence of the stargazer from Anatolia made in the chalcolithic age in the al Thani collection in Hotel De la Marine is an amazing experience.

The Lady with an Ermine, said by some to be the best portrait by da Vinci in the Czartoryski Museum in Kraków is one of Poland’s national treasures. A darkened room dedicated to her allows one to sit in peace and admire her beauty and the artist’s technique. In the case of Mona Lisa the jostling crowds and the little time one got to spend in front of her spoilt the experience for me.
The composition al technique of en trois quarts was a unique one for the age and seems to be captured as she turns.

Of course there were many more treasures but these are the ones that stayed with me.
I would like to add a photo of an artist’s studio ( Suzanne Valdon’s) in the Montemarte Museum in Paris.

Photo1: Queen Maya’s dream where she dreams of a white elephant which descends from heaven & enters her right hip. That is interpreted as birth of an extraordinary child

photo 2: The miraculous birth of Lord Buddha where the baby arrives from the right hip and the Gods Indra and Brahma greet the new born

photo 3: After his birth the baby takes 7 steps and is bathed by heavenly beings and mother and child return home on an elephant

photo 4 : Flight from the palace assisted by celestial beings

photo 5: farewell to horse Kanthaka and servants . The spiritual quest starts.

photo 6: The great fast and finding of the middle way in a cave near Bodh Gaya

Photo 7: As Lord Buddha sits under the Bodhi tree he is attacked by Mara ( symbolic figure in Buddhism for entanglement in suffering). Lord Buddha frees himself through meditation

photo 8: The Gods Indra and Brahma entreat Buddha to deliver his first sermon.

Photo 9: Lord Buddha’s semon to a group of monks

photo 10: Buddha as an itinerant preacher.The Buddha and his monks arrive in a city (right), and is welcomed by the people. The Buddha then debates with the well to do people of the city as seen from their elegant dress.

In the left side he moves away with a drummer preceding him

Photo 11: Lord Buddha’s passing away at age 80. Weakened he lies Ina grove to die. He gives his monks encouragement one last time & instructs them what to do with his mortal remains.

photo 12: The cremation of Lord Buddha

The Buddha ‘s corpse is to be cremated. But the mortal remains can only be ignited after one of his most important disciples Mahakashyapa who arrived late has honoured the feet of Lord Buddha.

Photo 13: The Buddhist relics kept in a stupa

In the Jewish quarter of Krakow is a square with 33 empty chairs.
This is called the Jewish Heroes Square and each chair represents a thousand Jewish lives that were lost in the concentration camps during the holocaust.
it used to be a quiet marketplace named Zgody Square.
in 1939 Zgody Square, was marked by a large gate with the Star of David after Poland fell to Hitler’s army.
Anti-Semitism in the Third Reich would lead to the formation of ghettoes in Poland where Jews were segregated.
Zgody Square found itself at the centre of one such ghetto.

Jews met here and exchanged information but once the Final Solution was implemented in Krakow it became the place where selections would be made of which of the residents were to be sent to the camps and death.
This square is covered in the film Schindlers list .

The visit to Auschwitz concentration camp has left chilling memories.
Sharing some here.
As the quote at the entrance said those who dont learn from history are condemned to repeat it.
This is Block no. 4 where men were kept from autumn 1941.
In March 1942 a female camp was created in blocks 1 to 10. In this case all prisoners from a given block were moved to the remaining part of the camp
The urn with human ash is kept in this block and the museum is curated with signs, photos and quotes so visitors can revisit the horrors of the holocaust.

Tents have always fascinated me since childhood and I remember saying in them as children when Baba went for daura ( inspection). We would climb up using the ropes and slide down the sides. Of course these were simple tents.
In The Prncess Czartoryski Museum in Krakow, Poland I saw a rather fancy, beautifullly decorated and preserved tent from the Ottoman empire, seized during the Battle of Vienna.
It was a marquee tent with 3 embroidered sides and the flap.
The sides with their mihrab designs were of course exquisite but the centre medallion took my breath away.
Thhis was made of woolen cloth.
The mihrab designs are interesting since this tent was obviously not forn praying and anyway one doesn’t have mihrab on three sides.
The tent is an irregular quadrilateral size with triangles sewn on to the sides.
The medallion and the sides are applique on woollen cloth.
The triangles , added at the front and back and along the upper margins of the side walls, are made from woollen cloth by ‘incrustation’: that is sewing coloured cloth, then adding the pattern into the background cloth.
The tent is covered on the exterior with canvas and supported by four wooden poles with brass knobs on top.
The fact that the tent sides are permanently sewn together shows that it’s function was different since it could not be easily folded and moved.

Suddenly I heard the sound of azaan on the audio guide and then the words that the building you see in front of you may look like a mosque but no azaan has ever been recited here. It isn’t a mosque!
Though the bus didnt stop there it excited my curiosity and i got down at the next stop. Another Co passenger showed interest so we both walked back.
it is actually The Steam Engine Building.
“Frederick William IV, the “Romantic on the throne,” had Ludwig Persius construct Prussia’s most beautiful power plant from 1841–43, resulting in the only pump station created in a Moorish style. The building, which at that time could still be seen from Sanssouci Palace, set a picturesque and architectural accent in Potsdam’s cultural landscape.”
it was locked so the interior photos are from the net.
“In October 1842 the steam engine in the “Mosque” (capable of 81.4 hp) went into operation for the first time, sending a jet of water in the Great Fountain in front of Sanssouci Palace soaring to an impressive height of 38 meters. August Borsig, who was still a young entrepreneur, had built for Prussia the most powerful machine of its time, allowing King Frederick William IV to compete with the technical supremacy of England.

Although water supply to the fountains in Sanssouci Park is now carried out by modern electric pumps, visitors to the “Mosque” can marvel at technical ingenuity of the past that is still in use – a fascination shared by young and old alike.”
https://www.spsg.de/en/palaces-gardens/object/steam-engine-building-mosque/

Assyrian human-headed winged bull from Nimrud; 9th cent. BCE; Pergamon Museum, Berlin
A Lamassu is an Assyrian protective deity, often depicted as having a human’s head, a body of an ox or a lion, and bird’s wings.
In some writings, it is portrayed to represent a female deity.
In ancient Mesopotamia the Lamassu was not only believed to be very powerful but was also a clear reminder of the king’s ultimate authority and as symbols of protection for all the people.
These creatures famously protected the theone room and important parts of the city.

These mythical creatures were also supposed to bless nearby houses

The Lamassu motif first appeared in royal palaces at Nimrud, during the reign of Ashurnasirpal II, and disappeared after the reign of Ashurbanipal who ruled between 668 BC and 627 BC.

The symbol of a lion a brave and strong head of a tribe, but also as a protector could have evolved from the Lamassu.

Those of you who have seen Sound of Music will be familiar with the cemetery shown in tje escape of the Von Trapp family to Switzerland in the end.
This is in the St Peter’s Abbey Church.

Another very interesting feature of this cemetery are the catacombs, dated to late antiquity and are hewn out of the Mönchsberg rock itself.
The word catacomb means underground cemetery consisting of a subterranean gallery with recesses for tombs.
These caves seem daunting because of the steep rock steps and dark but they have a mystical quality.

They served both as hermitages as well as burial sites. The “Gertrauden Chapel”, dating back to 1178. 36 further steps up lies the “Maximus Chapel”.
The grave of the famous composer the composer, Michael Haydn is just near its entrance in Salzburg

St Nicholas Church in #Leipzeg, #Germany associated with #Bach who was the music director of #Nikolaikirche and premiered many of his works here between 1723–50 and famous philosopher and mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was baptized here as an infant on 3 July 1646.

As with many #European churches this #church built in 1165 was built in the #Romanesque style, extended in #Gothic style in 16th c and remodelled in the neo-classical style in the 18th c.

#Germany

A visit to the Schonbrunn Palace Gardens is a must for visitors to Vienna.

The word Gloriette given on the sign boards fascinated me and I immediately googled.

The Gloriette in the Schönbrunn Palace Garden, Vienna, Austria

A gloriette (from the 12th-century French gloiremeaning “little room”) is a building in a garden erected on a site that is elevated with respect to the surroundings. The structural execution and shape can vary greatly, often in the form of a pavilion or tempietto, more or less open on the sides.

It is one of the highlights of the Gardens is the Gloriette built high up on a hill behind the palace and was the last building constructed in the palace in 1775 as per the plan of imperial architect Johann Ferdinand Hetzendorf von Hohenberg as a “temple of renown” to serve as both a focal point and a lookout point for the garden.

It served as a dining hall and festival hall as well as a breakfast room for emperor Franz Joseph I. That hall is now a cafe.

It is quite a steep climb but we’ll worth it for the stunning view. There is a cafe there and has been used since the beginning of the nineteenth century, as a viewing platform.

i got down to investigate and sure enough i found out that it is the second largest synagogue and it is indeed inspired by Moorish architecture:

“The synagogue was built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish Revival style, with the decoration based chiefly on Islamic models from North Africa and medieval Spain (the Alhambra). The synagogue’s Viennese architect, Ludwig Förster, believed that no distinctively Jewish architecture could be identified, and thus chose “architectural forms that have been used by oriental ethnic groups that are related to the Israelite people, and in particular the Arabs”.
The Dohany Street synagogue in Budapest was built between 1854 and 1859 in the Moorish Revival style, with the decoration based chiefly on Islamic models from North Africa and medieval Spain (the Alhambra). The synagogue’s Viennese architect, Ludwig Förster, believed that no distinctively Jewish architecture could be identified, and thus chose “architectural forms that have been used by oriental ethnic groups that are related to the Israelite people, and in particular the Arabs”.

Next to the altar where St. Rupert was originally entombed lie the tombs of Mozart’s sister Maria Anna Mozart (Nannerl) and Johann Michael Haydn. Also entombed at St. Peter’s Abbey is St. Vitalis.

It is in the#cemetery of this church that the Von Trapp family escapes in the movie #soundofmusic

burhanpur #medievalindianhistory #tombs #architecture #travelwithme #pandanmahal #madhyapradeshtourism #madhyapradesh

shahjahan #mughal

@madhyapradeshtourism @mptourism

#Murshidabad #jahankoshancannon #metallurgy #bengal #mytravels

For 30 years he fasted every alternate day ( Dawoodi fast) .
He left this world in 1344 CE ( some sources say 1340)
When the sovereign Nasiruddin Nasir Khan Faruqi established the city of Burhanpur on the banks of river Tapti, in 1399 named after the saint. The saint had rested for a night on his way to Deogir.
Sheikh Burhanuddin followed in the footsteps of his great Chishti preceptor. He was delighted in samá (recitations). So much so that he introducing ecstatic dance in samá with his fellow disciples, which later on became popular
as ‘Burhanis after his name.
His dargah is one of the largest in Khuldabad, dist Aurangabad.
There’s a huge courtyard with white, yellow and green painted arches and walls. A lofty naqqarkhana is also there.
The shrine is beyond that overlooking the mountains.
The first Nizam of Hyderabad and his son are also buried in his dargah compound

‪Takht e Marmar ( the marble throne) room was built on orders of Fath Ali Shah Qajar (1797-1834) Golestan palace.‬
‪It’s breath taking -adorned with painting, calligraphy, stucco, carving, enamel,mirror & tile work, glass windows‬

‪Actual Takht itself in the middle of the room comprises of 65 yellow Yazd marble pieces with sculpture and carving and was designed by Mirza Baba Nagash Bashi ( head painter of Qajar Art).

Mohammed Ebrahim the head stone Mason along with several experts supervised it’s construction.
Coronation of Qajar kings were held here on this terrace.

The last coronation held here was of the self proclaimed king Reza Khan Pehalvi in 1925.
‪The front is covered‬ by a cloth but originally it opened on to the garden and streams.

And the throne looks unusually large.

‪Takht e Marmar ( the marble throne) room was built on orders of Fath Ali Shah Qajar (1797-1834) Golestan palace.‬
‪It’s breath taking -adorned with painting, calligraphy, stucco, carving, enamel,mirror & tile work, glass windows‬

‪Actual Takht itself in the middle of the room comprises of 65 yellow Yazd marble pieces with sculpture and carving and was designed by Mirza Baba Nagash Bashi ( head painter of Qajar Art).

Mohammed Ebrahim the head stone Mason along with several experts supervised it’s construction.
Coronation of Qajar kings were held here on this terrace.

The last coronation held here was of the self proclaimed king Reza Khan Pehalvi in 1925.
‪The front is covered‬ by a cloth but originally it opened on to the garden and streams.

And the throne looks unusually large.