Maatir Blogs

Imagine the Taj Mahal. The lush, green gardens surrounding a rectangular pool of clear water. The white marble domes command your attention as they stand in all their glory in front of you. In the distance you can see the red sandstone mosque emerge. The Yamuna River softly rushes as it winds its way around the estate. Innovations The Taj Mahal in Agra is the greatest achievement in Indio-Islamic architecture to date. It has some unique innovations for the time that make it so special.   First up is the octagonal marble latticework. It allows for ventilation and seeing the outside without being exposed. Then, placing the tomb at the end of the garden instead of the center was unheard of.  Finally, all the buildings that make up the Taj Mahal are freestanding. Not to mention its impressive scale, standing at 73 meters tall. Influences The most prominent feature of Indian architecture is the lotus flower that is featured atop all of the domes. The symbolism in Hinduism of the lo...

When you first think of India, you may think of the food or the people or seeing the Taj Mahal. But with all the things that make up India, it’s easy to forget that there’s an abundance of wildlife that calls India home. Among these animals are Bengal tigers. Mythology Throughout Hindu mythology, tigers represent courage and strength. These ideals are shown very clearly in the goddess Durga who can be seen riding fearlessly into battle on a tiger. She is depicted with many arms and in each hand, she carries a weapon. The stories say that all of the gods came together to create the goddess. Because of this, her powers are a combination of all the gods. Durga means ‘fortress’ and it’s for this reason that she is called the protector but we can all play a role in protecting the tigers. Project Tiger As an apex predator, tigers are incredibly important for maintaining the biodiversity in India. Sadly, from 1875 to 1925 around 80,000 tigers have been killed to make medicines and to keep ...