CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Sheikh Chilli’s Tomb is an important 17th-century Mughal funerary and educational complex located in Kalyan Nagar, Thanesar district of Haryana. The monument houses the remains of the Sufi saint Abd-ur-Rahim Abdul-Karim Abd-ur-Razak, spiritual guide of Prince Dara Shikoh. Built of buff sandstone and crowned with a white marble pear-shaped dome set on a high drum, the octagonal tomb stands on an elevated terrace overlooking a madrasa arranged around a central courtyard with a masonry tank. The complex also includes Mughal gardens and later additions. Repaired in 1854 CE under the supervision of John Dawkins, the monument is now protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (Chandigarh Circle) and remains well preserved. The madrasa building also houses small site museums displaying antiquities recovered from nearby excavations.

The Sheikh Musa Dargah complex is a large fortified complex comprising of a mosque, residential quarters of Sheikh Musa and a giant Gateway including many other related structures pre-dates the dargah. A madrasa is also located in the complex. The main dargah houses the grave of Sheikh Musa. The facade of the gateway has a large, recessed cusped arched opening flanked by niches in rectangular panels. Two octagonal minarets, topped with domes are located at either ends of the gateway. A small pavilion is located above the arched opening topped with bangaldar roof with two small domes on either side. . The arches and gateways (18th-early 19th century) have a late Rajput-Mughal style. It is especially known for its shaking minarets.

Sheikh Shah Baz s Tomb, Palwal

Digitization of this collection has been possible with financial support from the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. 

Tirunaraiyur is called so because of the sweet fragrance of flowers growing here in abundance (narai = sweet smell). The Siva temple here is called the Siddhanathasvami temple. The Tamil saint, Sambandar (7th century) devoted a decad to the Lord of Siddhisvaram. The earliest inscription in this temple is an incomplete one but from the contents it can be assigned to Uttama Chola (971 - 988 CE). The temple is an early Chola temple, reconstructed in the days of Uttama Chola. The original temple consisted of a sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha), the foyer (antarala) and a half-hall (ardhamandapa). Further up, there is a front hall (mukhmandapa). This temple has a Natraja bronze of the Sembiyan age. Reference: S.R. Balasubrahmanyam, 1971, pp. 178-79.

Siroda, Baroque Architecture, Goa