Top 5: Monuments of India

From the Indus Valley Civilization to the British Raj, India has more than four millennia of monuments to see. Here are five of the most popular.

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Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Jaipur’s Palace of Winds is named for the 953 jharokha windows on the face of the building. The design of these balconies provides natural air conditioning through the Venturi effect, allowing cool air to efficiently flow through the area.

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Mysore Palace, Mysore

Located in southern India, this Karnataka palace was the royal seat of the Wodeyar Dynasty. It was built by Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, the ruling Maharaja who at the time of his death in 1940 was one of the world’s wealthiest men with a fortune of $400 million, equivalent to $56 billion today.

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Red Fort, Delhi

Shah Jahan’s second most famous structure, the Red Fort, was the official residence of Mughal emperors for two centuries. It once housed the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond before Nadir Shah of the Asharid Dynasty stole it, before eventually making its way to the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom.

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Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar

The Golden Temple is the holiest place in Sikhism. The gurdwara was designed by the religion’s fifth guru, Guru Arjan, built with four doors on each wall to symbolize their commitment to openness. More than 100,000 people come every day to pray and eat at the free community kitchen, one of the largest in the world.

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Taj Mahal, Agra

This symbol of India is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, receiving about 3 million visitors a year. Completed in 1643, Shah Jahan built this white marble tomb for his deceased wife Mumtaz Mahal.