Speaking Archaeologically™

“Defaced ruins of architecture and statuary, like the wrinkles of decrepitude of a once beautiful woman, only make one regret that one did not see them when they were enchanting.”                                                                                            - Horace Walpole Rattan Kaur Rainu is a Research Wing member at Speaking Archaeologically since August 2018 This blog doesn’t begin on an adventurous note. Neither does it involve a spontaneous road trip. Rather it is the product of an intrigue that drove me to explore a place  I had never even heard of until a few days ago. Goethe said architecture is music. Well, architecture and music are the two things that have always been my favourite. Be it an an ol...

The Kangra Fort My first trip to Mcleodganj and Dharamshala, Kangra was so unplanned that I hardly knew anything about the places except for the fact that it was one of the most serene hill stations of country. En route , on the outskirts of Dharamshala, I noticed on a hill, some huge walls and buildings which seemed quite old in structure. An exclusive route leading to it had a signboard of ‘The Kangra Fort, 4 km’. Three days later, we were driving to the place. Gauri Singh is a Member of Citizen Archaeology Wing since June 2016 We first arrived at the Kangra Fort Museum and Art Gallery. It was a small place but a treasure house of a forgotten period in the Indian history. The erstwhile Royal Family of Kangra has dedicated their Museum to honour Maharaja Sansar Chand, their ancestor whose reign was known as the Golden Age of Kangra. Maharaja Sansar Chand inherited the throne of Kangra, when he was just 10 years old. By the age of 21, he had defeated the Mughals...

Nikita Singh is a Former Photographer and Citizen Archaeology Member of Speaking Archaeologically City Palace, Jaipur : Located northeast of the city center, you’ll find a beautiful complex built between 1729 and 1732, by Sawai Jai Singh II, which is the City. Being enthusiastic about architecture himself, Sawai Jai Singh II also had aid from the two architects Vidyadhar Bhattacharya (who was the chief architect in the royal court) and Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob during the designing of the premises. Over the years, due to the wear and tear of time, there have been gradual restorations of the palace building within the walls, as well as the additional buildings, such as the Mubarak Mahal, which was built in 1890 along with the Chandra Mahal that is still used by the royal family of Jaipur today. However, the outer wall still remaining is from the original design. The first floor of Chandra Mahal is the only open area available to be toured by visitors, as it is sti...