Top 10 spectacular man made structures in India

New Delhi: India is a country of magnificent, beautiful and stunning monuments. These monuments give us a sense of the rich historical heritage of the country, ancient culture, and the royal dynasties.Here are ten most spectacular man made structures in India: 1. Taj Mahal, Agra The symbol of eternal love, built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his beloved wife is the most beautiful monument in the world.Recognized as the jewel of Mughal art in India its construction ended in 1648 and then the buildings and garden in vicinity took 5 years more for their completion. Besides being a world heritage site, it is also the first wonder of world.2. Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra The Ajanta caves from Aurangabad are 30 rock cut Buddhist caves date from 2nd century BC.The paintings and sculptures contained within the walls of these caves have been classified by the ASI as the finest surviving form of art in India. The site was rediscovered by a British official in 1819 and the caves are basically Buddhist monasteries showing heavy religious influence and practices centered around Buddha. 3. Ellora caves, Maharashtra The Ellora caves locally known as ‘Verul Leni' are located at a distance of 30 km from Aurangabad, Maharashtra and were built by Rashtrakuta dynasty. Ellora is a world heritage site because of its monumental caves. These 34 caves are the epitome of Indian rock cut structure and are excavated out of vertical face of the Charandrandri hills. 4. Hawa Mahal, Jaipur The Hawa Mahal is located in the pink city. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 in the form of crown of Hindu god, Krishna. Built with red and pink sandstone it is considered to be an embodiment of the Rajputana architecture, the main attraction of the palace is its pyramid form structure with 953 windows or 'Jharokhas' which further have intricate designs. 5. Golden Temple, Amritsar Harminder sahib Gurdwara is popularly known as the golden temple and is located in the heart of Amritsar, Punjab. Built in 1604 by Guru Arjan Dev, the Adi Granth or the Holy Scripture is installed in this Gurdwara and it earns its name from the gold dome it hosts which was gifted by Maharaja Ranjit Singh.Surrounded by a lake, the sublime and tranquil Gurdwara is an example of Hindu-Muslim architecture. 6. Red Fort, Delhi Built in 17th century as the palace fort of Shahajanabad, the fort is also known as ‘Laal Qila' due to its red sandstone walls. It was built by the great Mughal emperor Shah Jahan when he moved his capital from Agra to Delhi and represents the zenith of Mughal creativity. The fort lies along the Yamuna river and was declared as UNESCO world heritage site in 2007. Its main structures include Diwan-i-aam (Hall of public audience), Diwan-i-khas (hall of private audience), Nahr-i-Behisht (private apartments) and Zenana (women's quarters). 7. Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur The splendid fort lies 400 feet above the skyline of Jodhpur, Rajasthan and is known to be the largest fort in India. Its construction began in 1459 A.D. by Rao Jodha and continued up to 17 generations of the Rathore Rajput clan. Enclosed by imposing thick walls, it has several palaces, temples, courtyards, chambers, delicately carved terraces and balconies.The palace also has a museum collection of palanquins, elephant howdahs, cradles, manuscripts and textiles. 8. Lake Palace, Udaipur The palace looks out of a fantasy filled fairy tale with a majestic view of Pichola Lake and a splendid palace in the middle of Jag Niwas Island. Built by Maharaja Jagat Singh in 1743, it was supposed to be a summer palace and now it serves as a five star palace hotel in the heart of Udaipur, Rajasthan. 9. Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh Located in Chhatarpur district of Madhya Pradesh the Khajuraho group of temples is famous for the erotic sculptures of Chandale kings. The group of monuments also has the largest number of medieval Hindu and Jain temples made up of sandstone. 10. Hampi, Karnataka It is not just a structure but an entire village that entices people even in its ruined state. Derived from the word ‘Pampa', it was formed in one of the core areas of the Vijayanagra Empire from 1336 to 1565 and lies over banks of Tungabhadra River (earlier known as Pampa). Now it contains the remains of the empire and a Virupaksha temple as well as many other old monuments.