Born In: 1628
Died In: 1658
Achievements: Founder of the magnificent monument "Taj Mahal"
Shah Jahan was the son of Mughal Emperor Jehangir and was originally known as Prince Khurram. After being declared as the Emperor officially, he assumed the title of Abul Muzaffar Shahbuddin Muhammad Sahib-i Kiran-i Sani. However, he was known as Shah Jahan. The first aggression he faced after ascending the throne was from Jujhar Singh, son of Bir Singh Deo, the Bundela chief. After an initial surrender, he rebelled again and was finally killed by the Gonds. A major revolt for Shah Jahan came in the year 1628 by Khan Jahan Lodi, who united with the ruler of Ahmednagar and revolted.
By the year 1630, Khan Jahan gave up the revolt and died near the fort of Kalanjar. Another thing that changed with Shah Jahan's accession was the Deccan policy of the Mughals, which resulted in a suspicion of their alliance with the Shia rulers of Persia. The problem solved with the death of Malik Ambar. In 1631, Mughal army laid a failed siege on Bijapur and in 1633, won the fort of Daulatabad. Read on this Shah Jahan biography further to know more about this great emperor…
The most significant part of Shah Jahan life history is building of the one of the world's most beautiful monument "The Taj Mahal". Shah Jahan fell in love with Arjumand Banu Begum at first sight, when he was in his teens only. Five years later he married her and gave her the name of "Mumtaz Mahal". From that time onwards, she became his inseparable companion, accompanying him even on military ventures. After she died while giving birth to their 14th child, Shah Jahan undertook the work of constructing world's most beautiful monument in her memory. This monument, which entombs Mumtaz Mahal as well as Shah Jahan, came to be known as "Taj Mahal".
Shah Jahan fell ill in September 1657 and taking advantage of this opportunity, one of his son's, Aurangzeb, took over the throne and imprisoned him. Shah Jahan died in 1666 in captivity only and was entombed, along with his favorite wife, inside the Taj Mahal.
The best time to visit Taj Mahal revolves around the weather of Agra, the city of the Taj Mahal. As per the climate of Agra, the peak season for Taj Mahal visit is the winter season i.e., from October to March. Otherwise, there is no such thing as "the best time" to visit this magnificent monument. You may see Taj Mahal in any month of the year and it will come forward as breathtaking as it has always been. Infact, different seasons as well as different hours of the day lend a different aura to it.
Visit the Taj in the morning and it will come up with a pinkish glow to it. As the day passes, the pinkish glow turns into milky white by the evening. However, the radiance of the Taj under the moonlight is beyond any explanation. The white marble adorned with semi-precious stones stands sparkling like a jewel. By now, we have answered your question of "when to visit Taj Mahal of Agra". Remaining is, how much time to spend there. We will suggest that spend at least a day at the Taj Mahal to capture its beauty fully.
When visiting India browse through this beautiful list of places to see in India to make your trip a memorable one.
Location: On the banks of river Yamuna in Agra Year of Construction: 1631-1653 Built By: Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan Spread Over: 42 acres Significance: One of the Seven Wonders of the World
Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized.
Standing majestically on the banks of River Yamuna, the Taj Mahal is synonymous with love and romance. It is believed that the name "Taj Mahal" was derived from the name of Shah Jahan wife Mumtaz Mahal and means "Crown Palace". The purity of the white marble, the exquisite ornamentation, precious gemstones used and its picturesque location, all make Taj Mahal travel gain a place amongst the most popular ones. However, unless and until, one knows the love story behind the Tajmahal of India, it will come up as just a beautiful building. But, the love behind this outstanding monument is what has given a life to this monument.
How to Reach Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal, an embodiment of love and romance, is located in the city of Agra that lies approximately 204 km to the south of Delhi. If you are planning a trip to explore the beauty of this splendid monument then the very first question that comes in your mind is- how to reach the Taj Mahal. We have devoted this section on discussing various ways of traveling to the Taj Mahal in India.
By Air
The fastest way of reaching Taj Mahal, Agra is by air. The city of Taj, Agra, has its own airport that is around 7 km from the city center. Indian Airlines operates flights to Agra on a daily basis.
By Rail
There is a good network of trains connecting Agra with the rest of the country. Apart from the main railway station of Agra Cantonment, there are other two stations also, that of Raja-ki-Mundi and Agra Fort. The main trains connecting Agra with Delhi are Palace on Wheels, Shatabdi, Rajdhani, and Taj Express.
By Road
There are regular bus services from Agra to a number of important cities. The main bus stand of Idgah has a number of buses running for Delhi, Jaipur, Mathura, Fatehpur-Sikri, etc.
Local Transportation
After reaching the city also, you need some sort of local transport to reach Taj Mahal. You can easily get taxi, tempo, auto-rickshaw and cycle rickshaw in the city that will take you to your destination. Prepaid taxis are also available if you want to visit the various places near the city. For the adventurous kind, there are bicycles that can be hired on hourly basis from different parts of the city. Since, diesel and petrol vehicle are not permitted in the Taj Mahal area, you can find battery-operated buses, horse-driven tongas, rickshaws and other pollution-free vehicles there.
Architectural Tours of India – Discover the Bystanders of Rich Indian History
The Indian history witnessed the rule of various dynasties and empires that contributed toward the blending of diverse cultures and construction of architectural landmarks. Apart from making India the land of numerous cultures, languages, religions and traditions, the country's long history has also produced treasures of monuments, forts, temples, palaces and other architectural designs.
Today, the national and global tourists travel miles to discover these eyewitnesses of the Indian history. Here is a discussion about the most popular architectural tours of India to help you have a glimpse of opulent past.
Rajasthan Architectural Tours
You can find a Rajasthan tour package that consists of trips to the royal architectural buildings of the Rajput era. Amber Fort and Jaisalmer Golden Fort are two of the majestic forts worth visiting. While the former is constructed using marble and red stone and represents the blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture, the latter is built in Rajasthani style using yellow stone.
Hawa Mahal and Udaipur Lake Palace are other two great examples of dignified architectural designs. Ranakpur Jain Temples and Singar Chanvar Temple are among the notable temples of Rajasthan known for their architectural beauty.
South Indian Architectural Tours
The South India Tours provide a good opportunity to the tourists to explore the wealth of architectural attractions located in the southern states. Charminar built in the Islamic style and the Bidar Fort built with bricks, basalt and decorative tiles are among the architectural wonders of the region.
The best part of the architectural tours of South India includes the trips to numerous temples influenced by Hindu, Jain and Buddhist architectural styles. A South India Temple Tour package helps the tourists to explore the famous architectural designs of Tirupati Temple, Meenakshi Temple, Vadakkunnatha Temple and the temples located in cities like Hampi, Badami, Mahabalipuram and Kanchipuram.
The Islamic architecture can be seen with the help of the twelve tombs of the Qutb Shahi Emperors of Golconda and many other structures located in Gulbaga, Bidar and Bijapur. Mysore is a South Indian city known for its colonial architectural style. The Amba Vilas Palace and the Lalitha Mahal Palace are two examples of colonial architecture in India.
Other Architectural Destinations
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Madhya Pradesh, the Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park in Gujarat, Taj Mahal in Agra and the Gwalior Fort of Gwalior are some of the other spectacular architectural landmarks of India. Besides, Sun Temple at Konark, Ajanta Caves, the Red Fort and Qutub Minar of Delhi and the Rock Shelters at Bhimbetka too have a count among the popular architectural attractions of India.
A good way to organize an Indian architectural tour is using the services of an experienced tour operator. Htoindia.com is a preferred tour operator with Rajasthan tour operators, packages for South India tours and for other architectural destinations.
India provide something completely different, exciting, challenging, unusual and adventurous. India Tour Packages - Hidden Treasures of India, under the exclusive category of Rajasthan Tour Package offer you some memorable historical tours. Rajasthan Tour Operators assure you the reasonable prices and a complete guided tour.
Golden Triangle Tours form the deepest connection to the soul of India. Ranging from the beauties of the magnificent Red Fort, the famous Chanting Chow, and the Jan tar Matter and the India Gate of Delhi to the beautiful Tag Mahan in Agra which imbibes the beauty of love for ages, the Agra Fort, and the Fateful Skirl. Along with the inputs from the warrior soil of Japer including the famous Haw Mahan, the CityPalace, the Amber Fort, the tour completes its important purpose- grabbing a taste of the Indian history.
The tours begin at the capital city- the city with its rich, glorious past hardly will leave anyone without admiration. This city has been able to maintain a unique balance with its past and the speeding present and future. With its mention in the epic drama Mahabharata as Indraprasta, the city has come a long way even under greatest transformation phases. The city has to offer the tallest minaret made completely with brick- the Queue Miner, the resplendent Red Fort with the Indian flag, the martyr symbol India Gate, the President's House, the Parliament House with the beautiful solidarity of the long roads of the Parliament street. Also with the LodiGarden, the Burlap, Lotus and the Akshardham temples, the ever people rich Co naught Place, and the flamboyant Chadian Chow, the city will imbibe you in its beauty and energy.
The next stop comes at the womb of Agra- the city that gives India its place in the Seven Wonders of the World. The Tag Mahan stands on the sunny banks of Yamuna still holding the values of love and respect. This city also holds the world heritage site consisting of the Tag, Fatehpur Sikri and the Agra Fort. With these in hand, Agra is one of the hotspots of tourist destinations. Every art piece will reflect the influence of the Mughals bringing out the best works of some of the most famous masters.
As with Agra, the city of Japer brings out the influence of Rajput warriors in their forts and palaces. Famously known as the PinkCity, the ultimate destination in the Golden Triangle Tours, Japer contributes the picturesque forts of Amber, the Haw Mahan, the AlbertHallMuseum, CityPalace, and the Jal Mahan. The city offers vibrantly coloured cultures along with music. Watching this city will bring you to the timelines of the kings and the queens who ruled this glorious city and nation.
Forming an important contribution to tourism, these cities are abundant in hotels, accommodations, and proper traveling and with affordable travel packages to make this tour a part of a resplendent memory.
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yLandmarks in Indian Histor India's history is rich and diverse due to its unique blend of ancient civilizations, cultures, beliefs and ideas. To mention just a few of the landmarks in Indian history would do grave injustice to the other important events which may seem unimportant yet left a lasting impact on the history of India today. The Indus Valley Civilization laid the foundation stone of development and progress in different cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
A great and lasting impact was left by the Maurya Empire whose most noted King Chandragupta Maurya unified most of India. Chanakya was a popular and well known advisor of King Chandragupta Maurya who compiled many literary masterpieces.
The greatest Emperor of the Maurya dynasty however was Asoka. An able administrator and skilled warrior, he converted to Buddhism after the Battle of Kalinga.
The coming of the Aryan race saw the Vedic period in India from 1500 - 600 B.C. The Vedic age laid the foundation of Hinduism and gave rise to four major classes consisting of Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya and Shudra. With the fall of the Vijayanagar Empire in the South, the Classical age emerged with King Harsha's conquests. The Arab-Turkic invasion slowly gave rise to the Islamic Empire in India, most notably the Delhi Sultanate. In 1526, Babur established the Mughal Dynasty. One of the most famous Kings to have emerged from this dynasty was Akbar the Great. The post-Mughal era saw the emergence of the Maratha Kingdom founded by Shivaji. Their territory stretched to practically the entire sub-continent before being defeated at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761.
With Vasco da Gama's success in finding a new sea route to India, the Portuguese set up trading posts in Daman, Diu, Goa and Bombay. They were soon followed by the Dutch, the British and lastly the French. With the coming of the British East India Company and the Battle of Plassey in 1757, the Mughal Dynasty faded away marking the beginning of formal British rule in India. The Indian Rebellion of 1857 is seen as the first major movement against British Raj. The British Crown took over power from the East India Company, gradually making India a colony and controlled everything through the rulers of what was known as Princely States.
1885 saw the emergence of the Indian Nation Congress in Bombay who played an important role towards India's independence. In 1905 Lord Curzon's policy of divide and rule led to the partition of Bengal which left huge ramifications on Indian society. In 1920, steps towards Indian Independence started with leaders such as Mohandas Gandhi who started mass movements against British rule. His most noted achievements were his non-violence movement, salt march, quit-India movement, civil-disobedience movement and non-cooperation movement. While achieving independence from the British is seen as the most important landmark in Indian history, this moment was tainted with the partition of India.
One of the most important questions of Indian history has never been asked! So it has never been answered as well!Indian religion is made up of the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. Brahma is the creator of this universe, Vishnu is the preserver and maintainer, and Siva is the destroyer. Since Brahma's job was done as soon as he created this universe, he no longer has any importance in the scheme of things - he is, therefore, not worshipped; worship is offered only to either Vishnu or Siva.
So, Hinduism is made up of primarily two sects - Vaishnavites who worship Vishnu, and Saivites who worship Siva. Vishnu, in his role as preserver, keeps descending to earth every now and then to restore and preserve righteousness. Four supposedly historical figures got associated with him as his incarnations on earth - Parasuram, Ram, Krishna, and Buddha. Vishnu is primarily worshipped in the form of Ram or Krishna. After linguistic and cultural studies were done on Indian history about two centuries ago, western historians have pointed out that India is primarily made of two ethnic groups - Indo-Europeans, termed as Aryans, who belong to the Vedic religion and Vaishnavite school of thought; and Dravidians, who belong to the Saivite school of thought. After some further study, they propounded that Dravidians and Saivism are native to India; while Indo-Europeans, Vedic religion, and Vaishnavism came from outside India, when these Aryans invaded or migrated into India around 1800 BC. Even though there is much controversy over this theory, this has become the mainstream argument of the Indo-European history; and it has generally been agreed by one and all that Saivism, supposedly the religion of the native Dravidians, is much older than Vaishnavism, and is dated to at least five thousand years ago, if not more. Now to probably the most important question of Indian history - a question that can have a significant impact on the Indo-European historical studies as well. Why have Parasuram, Ram, Krishna, and Buddha been associated with Indo-European God Vishnu as his incarnations? Why have they not been associated with Dravidian God Siva as Siva's incarnations? The question is extremely important; yet it has never been asked!As per the tradition of India, Vishnu is the preserver; so only he descends to earth and incarnates in order to preserve and restore righteousness in this world. Since Siva is the destroyer of the religion, he never incarnates. This answer, steeped in religious beliefs, has been accepted by one and all, including the rational and erudite historians who are not supposed to be easily carried away by religious beliefs. Is this explanation for Vishnu's incarnations admissible? Even though Siva does not have popularly known incarnations, a deeper look into the scriptures tells us that Saivite religion, or Saivism, is not averse to incarnations. Saivite scholar Sankara has been declared to be an incarnation of Siva, even though worship is not offered to him. Linga Purana, a Saivite scripture, talks about 28 incarnations of Siva, four more than any Vishnu incarnations ever listed in any scripture! As per scriptures, Siva has more number of incarnations than Vishnu! So, how can we say that Siva does not incarnate because he is the destroyer? We cannot. The explanation that Ram, Krishna, and Buddha got associated as incarnations of Vishnu because Vishnu is the preserver, has absolutely no validity. Likewise, the explanation that Siva does not incarnate because he is the destroyer, also has absolutely no validity. So, given that Saivism is not averse to incarnations, why did these godly figures of Ram, Krishna, and Buddha get associated with Vishnu and not with Siva? Why have these godly figures not been declared as Siva's incarnations?Take the case of Sai Baba in India. After Krishna and Buddha, probably no other godly figure has ever had such an influence on the religious ethos of India. Sai Baba, a nineteenth century Saint from the Maharashtra region of India, is being revered as God's incarnation by many - he has thousands and thousands of temples all over India today, with his worship even overtaking the worship other Hindu gods at some places. Is he associated with Vishnu? No. Is he associated with Siva? No. He is associated neither with Vishnu nor with Siva; yet he is considered to be a Hindu God. So why has he not automatically been associated with Vishnu like the other historical figures before him? Why has he not been molded into the Vaishnavite concept of incarnations? The reason is because, when there are two strongly competing sects, it is not possible to associate a godly figure with any one sect as each sect will claim the godly figure to be the incarnation of their own God. When north Indian saint Kabir died, both Hindus and Muslims fought for his dead body, with each sect claiming Kabir to be affiliated with their own faith. Similarly, if Saivism and Vaishnavism were both extant during the time of Ram, Krishna, or Buddha, both the sects would have claimed them to be the incarnations of their own God. There would probably have been a bitter fight as well between the two sects, with each sect trying to appropriate the legacy of the godly figure. Suppose some person claims today that Sai Baba is an incarnation of Vishnu and not of Siva - he would immediately get a reply from erudite looking Indian society of today, which would look somewhat as follows:"What rubbish? Siva and Vishnu are just two different visualizations of one and the same Supreme God. It is all just our visualization about the absolute reality. In heavens, there is no separate Siva from Vishnu - God is one. So it is foolish to say that Sai Baba is an incarnation of Vishnu alone and not of Siva."This same retort must have been applicable then also? When someone at that time tried to claim that Ram was an incarnation of Vishnu and not of Siva, the society must have retorted in a similar manner - right? So why did these figures get associated with Vishnu alone?The answer would then be that the religious integration that we see today - with Vaishnavism and Saivism integrated into one religion in trinity form - might not have existed at the time of Ram or Krishna. Aryans strictly worshipped Vishnu, Dravidians strictly worshipped Siva - the integration between the two sects was not yet present. So Ram and Krishna being Aryans, automatically got associated with Vishnu, the Aryan God. This would be the explanation. However, when we peak into the scriptures, we get several problems to this explanation as well. Firstly, Ram and Krishna are always described to be of pitch-dark color, an attribute more of Dravidians than Aryans. Secondly, the scriptures related to these incarnations show that there was already a very tight integration between the two sects at their time. In fact, these figures are associated in the scriptures more with Siva than with Vishnu! Parasuram is portrayed in scriptures as a staunch devotee of Siva! Ram never talked of himself to be God. He was never associated with any miracles. His claim to fame is because he delivered people from a certain oppression and then taught people about morality and righteousness though his example. And he is claimed to be a strong devotee of Siva with a large number of temples all over India claiming to have Siva Lingas that were worshipped by Ram during his lifetime. As per legends of the Indian epic Mahabharat, Krishna is supposed to have acquired his lethal weapons by worshipping and propitiating Siva. He is supposed to have got his wives and sons by worshipping Siva's consort (wife) Parvati. Added to this, in Indian holy scripture Gita, Krishna does not talk of himself as an incarnation of Vishnu. He does not explicitly associate himself either with Vishnu or with Siva - he just talks of himself as God who is not associated with any sect of Vaishnavism or Saivism. So, going by all of this, the explanation that the religious integration between the two sects was not yet present at their time is fraught with difficulties that need further exploration. In case of Buddha, Buddha was not even a follower of Vedic religion; he propounded his own religion of Buddhism; yet, he got associated as an incarnation of Vishnu! Given the personality affinity between Siva and Buddha, with both of them always shown in meditative postures, one would have expected Buddha to have been declared as an incarnation of Siva; yet, he is declared as an incarnation of Vishnu! It makes no sense that he is declared as an incarnation of Vishnu. Why have these godly figures got associated with Vishnu and not with Siva? The question is quite intriguing, as much as it is extremely important; yet, no historian ever asked himself of the question.The answer to this question can have significant impact on Indian, and subsequently Indo-European historical studies. It can, forever, change the way we look at Indian history.
The major rivers of the north west India (Punjab, Sindh, Rajasthan, and Gujrat ) were : Saraswati, Sindhu (Indus ), Shatadru (Sutlej ) Vipasa (Beas), Parushni (Ravi ), Asikni (Chenab), Yamuna, Drishadwati ,and Lavanavati. All rivers have changed their courses since vedic times. Of these, three rivers: saraswati, Drishadwati, and Lavanavati no longer exist.
In vedic times the rivers Beas Jhelum, Ravi and Chenab joined the Sindhu to form one channel from Himalayas to the Arabian sea. Saraswati and her tributaries: Yamuna sutlej Drishadwati and Lavanavati formed the other channel from Himalayas to the Arabian Sea. Saraswati was a huge river . Her bed was as vast as 10 km in some places. In the early days, Saraswati river met the Arabian sea at the Rann of Kachh. After the level of Rann increased, she crossed the Rann to join the Arabian Sea at the gulf of Khambat. It was on the banks of this vast river system that the vedic ashrams thrived .It was the waters of the saraswati that gave rise to vedic culture. Thus Saraswati was called the goddess of knowledge. The epitome of knowledge. something like the Havard or the Oxford of modern times.
During the late vedic period tectonic movements pushed up the Aravali hills, in northern Rajasthan, changed the drainage pattern of the Northwest India dramatically. Saraswati lost her major tributaries ie Yamuna And Sutlej. Sutlej turned west and joined the Beas-Sindhu system. Yamuna started migrating east to join Ganga. Yamuna now was basically caring the saraswati water and bringing it to the Ganges. Because the Yamuna was bringing the water of Saraswati to the Ganges, it was now becoming the confluence of the three rivers namely Yamuna, Ganga, Saraswati and hence the term “Tribeni Sangam”
Rig veda , the oldest of the Vedas mentions about the river Saraswati in many of its verses. The one that is very pertinent here is as follows: “ambi tame devi tame nadi tame Saraswati………” which means that :You are the mother,You are the goddess,You are the river –Saraswati. If the Indians specially the Hindus just try to find a synonymous situation today we will find that Ganges fits the verse very perfectly as of date.Today Ganges has the same status that Saraswati had many many years ago. Ganges is the life line today of the entire country. Its fertile banks and the navigability have sustained human settlements for ages. The delta that the river makes before going into the sea has helped to maintain a healthy population of flora and fauna through out the gangetic West Bengal, The Sundarbans, and the south of Bangla Desh. The river and its major tributaries like the Hooghly are the life line of many inhabitants in and around them as they are highly navigable and perennial in nature. The Saraswati was a similar but very much on a large scale, river some 9000 yrs to 11000 yrs before present. The very mention of this river in the rig Vedas at least proves that a intelligent civilization did exist during that period of time who knew about the river and its tributaries and the civilization enjoyed all the benefits of being on the vicinity of the mighty river. In fact if we plot the various archaelogical sites like the Lotahl Kalibangan, Dwarka,and about 23 other archaeological sites on the map of undivided India Or the Indian Subcontinent we will see that these sites are mostly on the either banks of the legendary river Saraswati. Even today there is a channel which at places is more than a kilometer wide in Haryana which is severely cultivated and the locals call it the Saraswati. During monsoon this channel carries a small amount of water which is mostly captured for irrigation—The river per-se is not dead. We will see some of the Rig Vedic shlokas on the river Saraswati which will give us some idea about how the river was in its hay days.
1."maho arnah sarasvati pra cetayati ketuna dhiyo visva virajati" means sarasvati like a great ocean appears with her ray, and she rules all inspirations.
2."ni tva dadhe vara a prthivya ilayspade sudinatve ahnam;
Drsadvaty am manuse apayayam sarasvatyamrevad agne didhi" Means we set you down, oh sacred fire at the most holy place on earth, in the land of Ila, in the clear brightness of the day. On the drishadvati,the apaya and the Sarasvati river, shine out brilliantly for men.
3."ayasi puh visva apo mahina sindhur anyah,sucir yati girbhya a samudrat" means sarasvati is like a bronze city surpassing all other rivers and waters, pure in her course from the mountain to the sea.
From this one thing is for certain that the honour of the greatest and the holiest of the rivers was not bestowed to Ganga but upon Saraswati ,in fact the name of Ganga appears only once in the Rig Vedas. Saraswati features about sixty times.
The hymns in Rg veda also describes the lives of people residing in the saraswati valley and there are many Indian literature that contains references of many places of learning all along the banks of this mighty river. Therefore in Rg veda, which is the earlier part of the vedic literature we see that the river has been immortalised by the very sholka "ambitame naditame devitame saraswati" because this was the very river which nurtured the people who lived along the banks of this river and supported a very vibrant intellectual society with its places of learning, having their own resident scholars sages and seers. It is highly possible then that the very vedas were written, at least the Rg veda, along the banks of this river.
But the later part of the vedic literature, to be more precise the Mahabharat, refers to the saraswati as the dying river. It describes balarams pilgrimage from Dwarka to Mathura along the drying river. There are references to balaram"s visit to various rishi ashrams along the banks of the once great river but dying at the time of the Mahabharat. There were references to large fissures and fault in the ground of the dry bed of the river Saraswati. This has been confirmed by Landsat imagery which has found large numbers of fissures and faults in the earthquake prone Northwest India that constituted the saraswati--Sindhu Valley. Such ground faults caused the seepage of water of the saraswati into under ground channels thus refering to the saraswati as the dying river.
Refer to the map that is shown below, This map shows the River Saraswati in its full glory. The dotted lines are the later changes that came about in the river due to plate techtonic movements in the earths crust, changing the courses of many tributaries and causing ground fissures and faults, there by robbing the river of its water which came from the tributaries feeding the river and the disappearance of the water in the underground channels. More than 1400 sites have been discovered of the IVC. Most of these sites are on the Indian territory and only a few about One third are on the Pakistan side. Important among them is the site at Guneriwala in pakistan. Manda in J&K, Ropar in Punjab, Banawali and Rakhigarhi in Hariyana, Alamgirpur near Meerut, Kalibangan in Rajasthan, Lothal, Dholavira, and Surkotada in Gujrat and Daimabad in Maharashtra. When these are plotted along the map these sites seem to crowd along the dry bed of the river Ghagger in Punjab Hariyana, and Rajasthan and river Hakra and Nara in Bhawalpur and sind in Pakistan and ending in the Rann of Kutch in Gujrat. Ghaggar is the same river which is called the Hakra when it enters Bhawalpur in Pakistan and continues as Nara in the Sindh Province. Dr. Naresh Gupta in his book “Sarasvati: Legend or History” has described the find in details and I would request my readers to read that book to get a thorough insight into the legendary river. The demise of the Saraswati, was near fatal to the people and civilization thriving on the banks of the river. The scarcity of water forced the people to migrate. Saraswati-Sindhu civilization did noy vanish but there was shift of population after the economy around the river collapsed. The civilization moved to the east to the Ganga Yamuna Plains,west northwest and south to Godavari plains.The Mittani and the kassites are probably the Saraswati civilization of west . They also worship vedic gods.
At lothal site a huge dock capable of handling ocean going and river navigable ships have been excavated. Also dough nut shaped anchors have been found at this site and other sites indicating internal and external maritime trade and also that rivers were used to navigate large ships to and from sea. Therefore the river used for this purpose have to be huge and should be perrenial and should have the capacity to displace a huge quantity of water. Saraswati was a similar type of river. This river was more than seven kilometer wide.
In 1980 the palaeochannels of Saraswati was discovered by Professor Yashpal using landsat imagery.In 1996 professor Valdiya traced the course of river Saraswati from west garhwal in the himalayas to the Gulf of Khambat in Gujarat using Hydro-geological studies. These two sources come to the same conclusion regarding the course of this mighty river. According to this the river Saraswati followed the course of the mordern rivers Ghaggar, Hakra and Nara where most of the IVC sites are located.In 1997 Hindustan times dated Feb 17 carried the research result of Dr S.M. Rao and Dr.K.M.Kulkarni of Bhaba Atomic Research Center. They tracked the course of the old Saraswati from its source in the Himalayas and its flow through Rajastan Bhawalpur and Sindh to the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat by using the same landsat imagery. They undertook what is known as isotope hydrology study wherein using low levels of Tritium, which is a naturally occurring radioactive isotope they collected evidence to prove that waters trapped in the underground channels below the ancient course of the river Saraswati belonged to that river itself. Times Of India dated 02.05.2001 carried an article regarding the research which has been on the past so many years roughly 15 years ago. The concerted efforts of about 200 scientists brought back this legendary river to life. Reality. Rig Vedic river Saraswati "ambitame, naditame devitame saraswati" was no cock and bull story but a ground reality. This river originated from Har-ki-dhun Glacier in the west Garhwal, Bandarpunch massifs in the Himalayas along with river Yamuna. The two rivers flowed parallel for some distance later joined together and then proceeded south as the vedic mighty river Saraswati. Seasonal rivers and rivulets including Ghaggar, joined Saraswati as it followed the course of the present river Ghaggar through mordern punjab and Haryana. The Sutlej and the Shatdru, another vedic river, joined Saraswati as a tributary at shatrana approximately 25 kilometers south of patiala. Saraswati then followed the course of the Ghaggar through Rajasthan and Hakra in Bhawalpur before emptying into the Rann of Kutch Via Nara in the Sindh province running parallel to the Indus river. Therefore this river which carried the waters of three perennial rivers and numerous seasonal rivers was a mighty river indeed "naditame" which means 'the greatest river'.
I have reproduced an article verbatim which was published in the Indian Express of 5th April 1999 to the give an idea to my readers, as to why such a huge civilization perished. We are so feudalistic that we still teach our students that it was the Aryan Invasion that destroyed IVC ( Indus Valley Civilization ) which the British imperialists imposed upon us, the unsuspecting and the gullible lot. Conclusively this pushes the date of the vedic civilization to 6000 years or more, back from the present.
Indus Valley civilisation destroyed by tectonic changes: Scientists
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA HYDERABAD, APRIL 4: Contrary to popular belief that the Indus Valley civilisation was destroyed by invading Aryans, archaeological and paleoclimatic studies reveal that tectonic upheavals led to the destruction of Mohenjodaro settlements, according to a scientist with the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) here.Environmental changes, marked by shifting river courses, changing drainage patterns, tectonic disturbances, earthquakes, floods and monsoon fluctuations, had resulted in the disappearance and reconstruction of Mohenjodaro several times between 7,400 BC and 1800 BC, Dr J G Negi, emeritus professor at NGRI, told PTI here.
The geomorphological and temperature changes had led to cyclical increase or decrease of rainfall, which had a profound impact on ascent and decline of human civilisations and migrations in different parts of the world, he said.It was evident from pollen grain studies of Sehwan lake (in Rajasthan) that there were at least 10 cycles of floods preceded by earthquakes and other tectonic disturbances in the region around the Indus Valley civilisation during which Mohenjodaro was destructed and reconstructed, the geologist pointed out.
The movement of rivers away from the towns or destruction of vegetation due to monsoons might have ravaged the Harappan township around 1500 BC, Negi said.
The long-held belief that the Dravidian cultural sites of Harappa and Mohenjodaro were destroyed by Aryans from the North-West stands demolished with the increasing archaeological and climatological studies worldwide, Negi said.
The growing evidence suggests that the Indus Valley civilisation was destroyed not by invaders but by environmental changes, the most important of them being the drying up of the Saraswati river which found prominent mention in the Rig Veda, the geologist said.
The Rig Vedic description of Saraswati as a massive river and a source of livelihood matches well with the highest rainfall period around 3,800 BC but by 1,800 BC, the rainfall had almost stopped in the region followed by a dry period which led to migration to the banks of the Ganga, he said.
Quoting from extensive studies on pollen remains of the lakes of North-West India to gauge monsoon fluctuations in the last 10,000 years, Negi said there was a massive earthquake around 2,000 BC, obstructing the course of the Indus river, thereby leading to major geographical changes.
The tectonic disturbances at that time had created Sehwan lake extending upstream to Mohenjodaro by more than 140 kilometres, he said.
There were evidences of repeated destruction and reconstruction of Mohenjodaro (at least five cycles) due to the appearance and disappearance of Sehwan lake, the geologist observed.
The exact epoch in which Saraswati stopped flowing, into Arabian sea, and began to loose her way in the thirsty sand of the desert of rajasthan, is not very clear. Nevertheless, Ramaswamy, bakliwal and Verma are quite satisfied that it was not in the “Holocene” but in the late plieocene-about 12000 years. The same approximate date has also been suggested by Bimal Ghose, Anil Kar and Zahrid Jussain in a study for the central Arid Zone Research Institute Jodhpur. If all these scientist are interpreting the data correctly Rig veda was a reality and saraswati was a reality. The vedic civilization was therefore a civilization much earlier than thought.
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Shah Jahan was the son of Mughal Emperor Jehangir and was originally known as Prince Khurram. After being declared as the Emperor officially, he assumed the title of Abul Muzaffar Shahbuddin Muhammad Sahib-i Kiran-i Sani. However, he was known as Shah Jahan. The first aggression he faced after ascending the throne was from Jujhar Singh, son of Bir Singh Deo, the Bundela chief. After an initial surrender, he rebelled again and was finally killed by the Gonds. A major revolt for Shah Jahan came in the year 1628 by Khan Jahan Lodi, who united with the ruler of Ahmednagar and revolted. 
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