1. Ajanta and ellora 2. Mahabalipuram 3. Big temple 4. Khajuraho temple / the konark sun temple 5. Jaisalmer fort / hawa mahal 6. The Taj 7. Halebeedu temple
Hi Sri jantar mantar especially at jaipur is a wonder- agreed. it was much built later than the others listed ( some 1725 or so) but it signifies man's thirst to seek knowledge.
The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1733.
The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes and related ephemerides. The Samrat Jantar, a large sundial is the largest instrument, is 90 feet high, its shadow carefully plotted to tell the time of day. Its face is exactly angled at 27 degrees, the latitude of Jaipur. ( phenomenal isnt it?) the sundial can be used to tell the time to an accuracy of about two seconds .
but my reasons for kallanai were what i read about it
the earliest recorded dam is believed to have been on the Nile river at Kosheish, where a 15 metre high masonry structure was built about 2900 B.C. to supply water to capital of Memphis.
The oldest surviving and standing dam in the world is The Grand Anicut, also known as the Kallanai, is an ancient dam in Tamil Nadu state of southern India. It is considered the oldest water-diversion structure in the world still in use. The Kallanai is a massive dam of unhewn stone, 329 metres (1,080 feet) long and 20 metres (60 feet) wide, across the main stream of the Cauvery. The purpose of the dam was to divert the waters of the Cauvery across the fertile Delta region for irrigation via canals. The dam is still in excellent repair, and supplied a model to later engineers, including the Sir Arthur Cotton's 19th-century dam across the Kollidam, the major tributary of the Cauvery.
Whenever we see Cauvery at Trichy in its full "stream" it appears exactly as Kalki described .. "Samudra raja kumaranai thazhuvuvadarkku iru kaigalaiyim virithukkondu selvadhu pola .. " Cauvery is flowing ... inspite of the obstructions of Krishnarajasagar & Bhavanisagar ..! and bifurcation of Kollidam at Mukkombu, about 15 Kms west of Srirangam.
Imagine the same Cauvery during Karikalan's days - without concrete jungles and hurdles ... should have been really furious... Karikalan should have reinforced the BUNDs of Cauvery after Srirangam and managed the water- flows into in-lands - between Srirangam and Thirukkandiyur / Thiruvaiyaru.
There is an ancient coin in Chennai Museum :: .. depicting Tamil letters on one side and a small mound with a recess and flow of water on other side .. and it appears that such natural river bed- rock is located near Nemam (Thirukkandiyur) even today - according to a Scholar!
This is supposed to be the ORIGINAL KALLANAI. ================================== Reposting ( Edited) Msg 10244 / 19.10.2005
No doubt Karikalan built kallanai. Sevi vazhi cheydhi is that he gave Kalappali in Vallam - Ekaveeri - before commencing Dam.
But is it the same dam, which we call today as Kallanai?
Scholars say no .. They say the dam located in the East of Trichy called as Kallanai was built by the Nayaks !
Kallanai was a Natural dam, where the flow of cauvery was restricted and its fury was further subdued by reinforcing the bunds with Stones ! ======================