India Together

17/12/2024

1. Location:
• The bridge connects Howrah and Kolkata across the Hooghly River in West Bengal, India.
2. Construction:
• Built between 1936 and 1943 and opened to the public on February 3, 1943.
• It was constructed without using nuts and bolts; instead, it is a riveted cantilever bridge.
3. Official Name: In 1965, it was officially renamed Rabindra Setu after Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, though it is still commonly known as Howrah Bridge.
4. Engineering Feat:
• It is one of the longest cantilever bridges in the world.
• Length: 705 meters (2,313 feet).
• Width: 71 feet, with a central span of 1,500 feet.
5. Traffic:
• The bridge handles over 100,000 vehicles and 150,000 pedestrians daily, making it one of the busiest bridges in India.
• No trams or heavy vehicles are allowed on the bridge to maintain its structural integrity.
6. Materials Used:
• The steel used for its construction was supplied by Tata Steel.
• The total weight of the bridge is approximately 26,500 tonnes.
7. Unique Design:
• The bridge does not have piers in the middle of the river, ensuring uninterrupted movement of river traffic.
• It was built to withstand storms and cyclones, which are frequent in the region.
8. Cultural Significance:
• It is an iconic landmark of Kolkata and has been featured in many Bollywood movies, literature, and artwork.
• It symbolizes the heritage and daily life of the city.
9. Lighting: The bridge is illuminated with decorative lights at night, enhancing its beauty and making it a popular attraction.
10. Maintenance:
• Due to heavy traffic and environmental factors, regular maintenance is carried out.
• A significant issue is corrosion caused by bird droppings and pollution.

The Howrah Bridge is not just an architectural marvel but also a lifeline and a symbol of Kolkata’s rich history.

26/03/2016

There are a number of twentieth century Buddhist temples in Sarnath. Many of these Buddhist temples at Sarnath are built and maintained by monks from Tibet, China and Japan but the main Buddhist temple is the Mulagandhakuti Vihar. The main shrine (vihara), called the Mulagandakuti, is said to be located at the place where Buddha used to stay during his visits to Sarnath. There is a carved sandstone railing inside the temple. In the Mulagandhakuti Vihara there also is a Buddha walk.

The recent 'Mulagandhakuti Vihara' or the modern Buddhist temple is 110 feet high with an image of Buddha inside it. Buddhist relics discovered at Taxila are enshrined in this 'Mulagandhkuti Vihara'. There are also fine paintings on the walls of this temple by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu. Buddhist services are conducted there. Besides the Mulagandhakuti Vihara temple there are Chinese, Burmese and Jain temples nearby.

26/03/2016

Now it's time to go back home, Some seagulls were discussing.

01/01/2016

Save tree, Save life.
Happy New Year

28/11/2015

Shershah Suri's Tomb

Sasaram, the headquarter of Rohtas district of Bihar is a small town on the Grand Trunk Road (National Highway No.2) with a railway station of the same name on Mughalsarai -Gaya Section. It is located about 160 kms south west of Patna the state capital.

Sher Shah Suri is truly regarded as one of the brilliant national heroes of India. Apart from a brave, intelligent and tactful military genius with shrewd political foresight, Sher Shah (original name Farid Khan) was a person of extra ordinary skill and ability in civil administration also. His father Hasan Shah was a Jagirdar of Sasaram. Sher Shah was born in 1472 AD and completed his formal education at Jaunpur. Because of his high personal qualities, starting his career as a small jagirdar, he ascended the throne of Delhi in 1540 AD after driving away Humayun, the Mughal emperor. But unfortunately he could rule the nation for a very short spell of five years till he met an accidental death in the fort of Kalinjar on 10th day of Rabi'ul Awwal, A.H. 952 or the 13th May 1545 AD.

He laid the foundation of an independent dynasty of Sur Afghans. He scored surprising achievements in a variety of fields. Amongst his foremost contributions were re establishment of law and order across the length and breadth of his empire and fostering of trade and commerce. Sher Shah restored the old imperial road called the ‘Grant Trunk Road’ running from Calcutta to Peshawar, built a road from Agra to Jodhpur and Chittor linking up with the road to Gujrat seaports and a third road from Lahore to Multan, the window for caravans going to West and Central Asia. For the convenience of travellers, he built a good number of sarais on these roads. Further, he introduced the currency called rupiyah and organized a systematic postal service.

Sher Shah was a great builder too. He built a new city on the bank of Yamuna river near Delhi of which the sole survivor is the Old fort (Purana Qila) and the mosque within it known for its lavishness of decoration. But his most outstanding contribution to the field of architecture is the construction of his own tomb at Sasaram, Bihar which combines soberness with elegance.

The tomb is regarded as one of the noblest specimens of Afghan architecture in India. It is an imposing brick structure partly veneered with stone standing in the middle of a fine square tank measuring about 305 mts and rising above a large stone terrace. The 9.15 mts high terrace is enclosed by a parapet wall with octagonal domed pavilions at four corners.

In the middle of the terrace stands the mausoleum proper on a low octagonal plinth. The building consists of a very large octagonal chamber surrounded by a 3.10 mts wide verandah. Each arm of the octagon measures about 17.00 mts externally. Surrounding the main dome are eight pillared cupolas on the corners of the octagon. The total height of the tomb above the terrace measures 37.57 mts.

The interior of the tomb is sufficiently well ventilated and lighted through large windows on the top portion of the walls. In a small arched recess above the mihrab on the western wall is an inscription in two lines recording the completion of the tomb by Salim Shah on the 7th day ofJumada, A.H. 952 (16th August 1545 AD), some three months after the death of Sher Shah Suri.
The tomb of his father Hassan Shah and that of his son Salim Shah are some other monuments of architectural as well as archaeological interest at Sasaram.

Shershah Suri's Tomb.

17/06/2015

Beautiful quotes that expresses life's journey.

22/05/2015

A 7 hour trek up Adam’s Peak takes you to the top and to the bottom. A great effort and experience.