Study Abroad Cultural Visits and Details

DELHI

Delhi, with a population of 13 million people, is the second largest metropolis
in India after Mumbai. Old Delhi was the capital of the Mughal Empire which
lasted from 1638 to 1761. The British built New Delhi as an administrative
quarter with Calcutta serving as the capital for the British Raj. After India
gained independence from the British Raj in 1947, New Delhi was declared
the capital.

Delhi is known today as a city of migrants. Millions of people came to
New Delhi from West Punjab after the Partition of India and Pakistan.



India Gate
One of the most popular monuments in Delhi, this monument is
built in memory of the 90,000+ soldiers who lost their lives
in World War I and the Afghan Wars.



Humayun's Tomb
Humayun was the second Mughal emperor. His wife, Haji Begum, commissioned
this monument and it is an example of a Mughal garden tomb. This monument
served as inspiration to the Taj Mahal which was built in the same style. It took
8 years to build this monument.



Lotus Temple
Also known as the Baha'i House of Worship, this innovative temple was completed
in 1986 and was designed by Iranian architect Fariburz Sahba. The shape mimics
a 27-petalled lotus plant and is made of white marble. It is one of the most visited
structures in the world.



Jama Masjid
This is the largest mosque in India and was built by Emperor Shah Jahan
in 1656.


AGRA

Taj Mahal

Considered to be the most extravgant monument ever built, the Taj Mahal is a mausoleum commemorating the wife of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The Taj Mahal was constructed between 1632 & 1653 using over 20,000 workers and 1,000 elephants.

Shah Jahan was the 5th Mughal Emperor in India. When Shah Jahan's second wife Mumtaz Mahal died while giving birth to their 14th child, Shah Jahan's hair turned white and he was said to be inconsolable. He commissioned the Taj Mahal to commemorate his favorite wife. Tragically, after completion of the Taj Mahal, Shah Jahan was deposed and put under house arrest by his son at the nearby Agra Fort. Legend has it that Shah Jahan was forced to spend the rest of his life looking at the Taj Mahal in a mirror from his prison cell.

CHENNAI

Chennai Museum
This museum was established in 1857 and houses collections such as
Geology, Archeology, Anthropology, Numismatics, Botany, Zoology,
and sculpture. There is also a large collection of arms and armor.


BANGALORE

Vidhan Soudh
This structure was built in 1956 and now houses the State Legislature &
Secretariat. The Vidhan Soudh is a 4-storied granite structure and towers
over Cubbon Park.


BOMBAY

Gateway to Bombay