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Jami Masjid, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Source: Dr. Richa Singh Located in the Bhadra area of Ahmedabad city, the Jama or Jami masjid (mosque) or the Jumah (Friday) mosque was built in sandstone during the reign of Ahmad Shah I (r.1411-1442) of the Muzaffarid dynasty of the Gujarat Sultanate in 1424 CE. Some historians consider this medieval structure as one of the most beautiful in the east while others view it as one of the most imposing. It is one of the significant specimens of Gujarati style of architecture with its intricate stone carvings and delicate jali work. Its towering minarets, ornate mihrab, huge courtyard, airy prayer hall, and other such features exhibit extremely fine craftsmanship. In today's time, the mosque offers some moments of tranquility in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the old city.  Minarets of Jami Mosque Source: Dr. Richa Singh Minarets and Columns, Jami Mosque Source: Dr. Richa Singh   Some of the other prominent tourist attractions nearby are the Sidi

The Taj Mahal which was commissioned by Shahjahan (r.1628-1658), the fifth Mughal Emperor in order to commemorate the death of her beloved queen, Mumtaz Mahal has been surrounded by numerous intriguing surmises. One such concerns its chief architect. European travellers claimed in their accounts a number European architects as its principal architect. Sebastian Manrique In the Travels of Fray Sebastian Manrique 1629-1643: A Translation of the Itenarario de las Missiones Orientales , credits a Venetian named Geronimo Veroneo, 'who had come to this part in a Portuguese ship and died in the City of Laor just before I reached it.' for building the Taj Mahal. He writes,  ...the Emperor summoned him and informed him that he desired to erect a great and sumptuous tomb to his dead wife, and he was required to draw up some designs for this, for the Emperor's inspection.  The architect Veroneo carried out this order, and within a few days proved the great skill he had in his art by

After the decisive battle of the First Battle of Panipat that took place during the summer of 1526 between Babur and Ibrahim Lodi (the last ruler of the Lodi dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate), the foundation of the Mughal Empire in medieval India was laid. However, the battle that he won on the battleground of Panipat, despite being greatly outnumbered, did not end the hostility of the Lodis toward Babur. Ibrahim Lodi lost his life during the battle.  Buwa, his devastated mother, was in search for an opportunity to exact revenge on Babur for the death of her son. She hatched a plan. Below is an excerpt from the Baburnama , Babur's autobiography which was originally written in Chagatai Turkic and later during the reign of his grandson, Akbar, it was translated into Persian. Babur narrates the incident in the following words: The wretched Buwa, mother of Ibrahim, heard that I was eating foods prepared by Hindustani cooks. This came about because three or four months prior to this date,