Building Blocks of Bharat | Hindi | EP - 08| किलों और दुर्गों के निर्माण में विज्ञान

In this rigorous journey through Indian architecture you'll take a tour of some selected forts across the country alongside us Our goal is to understand the craftsmanship architecture and engineering of these forts What was the special reputation of the chosen stations for kilometers How were forts constructed across the entire region to serve as protection for the army And what kind of architectural features are highlighted during the tour They demoralized the enemy army for months on end Indian architectural tradition in the flowing stream of heritage We are from Maharashtra and Delhi We will travel as far as Rajasthan And some of the strongest and most remarkable forts in India We will examine it through the lenses of architecture and science We made it to our first floor The shores of Maharashtra's Shandar And the goats that rely solely on grazing to survive struggling through it all A rich historical heritage with They travel from Chote to the beautiful village of Murud One kilometer out in the sea from Murud one side Murdur Jhanjira Fort is located there This is one of India's unique and harmonious hill forts It was carved into a rocky outcrop of the solid Jola mountain Understanding the tidal fluctuations caused by seasonal changes in the ocea The fortress was built We can see the application of maritime science knowledge in the construction of this fort We have been moving toward Murad Jangira using the Dawa that has been propagated for centuries Its strategic importance has stemmed from being surrounded by water Surveillance of ships was maintained from the fort by the Siddi rulers This allowed them to control the ancient trade routes The remarkable fact is that this fortress stands alone on India's western coastline The Marathas made more than 13 attempts to bring it under their control As we approach the castle we realize we can't see the entrance gate But as we approach the gate the sheer scale of the towering 12-meter walls becomes apparent and we catch sight of the entrance and its imposing vertical columns This is a masterpiece of exceptional architecture and engineering skill and this particular structure has also played a crucial role in safeguarding the temple The first objective was to ensure the gateway would be protected from direct artillery fire The second enemy fleet had to advance up to 20 meters through the narrow channel in order to reach the main gate and launch their assault This range was ideal for the cannons positioned on the mound allowing them to easily destroy the enemy Due to the reduced height of the Jaur Istara our dav kolangar kala is located about 15 meters away from the main entrance gate requiring us to walk alongside Murud's massive walls to reach the main gateway The ancient carvings left by generations of sailors who once read the tides along Kala's lower shores are still visible today Kala was first established in the 15th century by a Venetian fisherman who built a settlement atop a massive rock in the sea His vision was to create a haven for his community protecting them from maritime dangers It was meant to be protected but since the Nizam of Ahmednagar had his eyes on this fort the commander of the Ahmednagar kings Siddhi had already seized it Ibn Khaldun built the stone fortress and ruled from it for the next several centuries The name of this fort is Murud Janjira It is believed that the term "janjira" was influenced by the African word "jazira " Which means island As soon as we step inside panels on the walls come into view On one side a scene shows an elephant being trapped by a net in a garden Meanwhile on the other side two elephants are fighting each other And two lions are watching them They were regarded as symbols of the Siddhi rulers This fortress spans 22 acres It is made of stones bound together with a mixture of lead sand and lime The fort contains 19 bastions or towers some of which still stand today And many of them stand with their cannons pointing toward the sea The main gateway of the fort has now turned into ruins For approximately 600 years this has served as a residence for officials and their families Palaces quarters mosques temples natural springs two 18-meter-deep lakes and numerous wells were all constructed as part of the city's foundation There are more than 200 cannons stationed along the fort's ramparts Some cannons were made right here while others were brought in from Europe The entrance gate is guarded by three main cannons crafted from five different types of metals capable of firing projectiles over long distances across the sea It became famous because despite firing shells for hours under the sun's heat it never once grew hot The wells of Kalya are unique because despite being located inside the sea their water remains fresh These still enchant tourists today and we too tried to experience their allure The water is really quite cold Inside the complex are vast reservoirs of fresh water originally constructed to collect and store rainwater To ensure the entire catchment area of the Murud-Janjira fort remains supplied with water for an entire year After carefully studying the daily fluctuations of the Murud-Janjira fort and its surrounding terrain the architects and builders would have devised their construction plans accordingly In 1687 the English scientist Sir Isaac Newton explained that the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon causes the rise and fall of ocean tides Because the Sun's gravitational pull on Earth is only 46 percent of the Moon's the Moon's contribution to tidal generation is therefore dominant The gravitational pull of the Moon draws the ocean water toward it creating a bulge Likewise Prithvi too might drift toward the Moon amid this gravitational pull Thus in the ocean facing the opposite direction a ridge known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge forms This also occurs because this part of the ocean is farthest from the Moon As a result of these two effects high tide and low tide occurrences take place If you're on the shore and the Moon is directly overhead You'll experience the exhilarating thrill of the Jour Because Prithvi completes her good deed within 24 hours Thus we experience the lower and upper tides within a span of approximately six hours The first low pressure will develop six hours later And roughly twelve hours after the second peak of the tide A second low pressure system will develop after 18 hours This time interval can vary depending on location on Earth You'll remember When Subha entered the fort the wind was less fierce So the anchor had to be dropped far away It's getting late in the evening now And we're waiting for our boat to rock The demand for jowar has now risen significantly But the boats bringing the yatoks The massive entrance arch of Murad Jangira is drawing near The path we took earlier is now submerged underwater Indeed this is nothing short of astonishing Our next read Rajasthani is the language of Rajasthan Delhi Where we will head toward an old fortress among the city's forts Although Delhi has older forts than the old fort And there are magnificent memorials present But hardly any of them have The roots of history run so deep The current form of this fort is a legacy of the second Mughal emperor Humayun and the Afghan Sher Shah Suri The Delhi Sultanate ruled Delhi during the mid-13th century Humayun had begun the construction of the fort in 1533 But a few years later Shedsa Suri had deposed him from the throne After twelve years Humayun once again seized control of the fort We'll uncover what special feature of this fortress makes it so formidable It is believed to have been built at Indraprastha a sacred site It is mentioned in myths and history Archaeological surveys in India have uncovered evidence of human settlement dating back to 1500 BCE If we look at the vast framework of this intricate design It appears the plan was carefully designed with a two-kilometer perimeter in mind The height of the ancient Kali's massive walls reaches up to eighteen meters Three massive gates have been built into these thick walls Surrounding it is a wide ditch that was connected to the Yamuna River And one part of it can still be seen today This fortress signals a shift in the construction materials used in Delhi By the 16th century builders had begun using sandstone and limestone instead of quartz stones Quartz stones were used as traditional building materials in the early medieval period in Delhi and its surrounding areas We can see evidence of this in the Qutub Minar Alai Darwaza and the monuments built by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq Later Humayun's Tomb and other monuments like the Lal Qila were constructed on a grand scale using white marble and sandstone In the old fortress travertine was used sparingly along with flagstones of various colors The distinctive feature of Balwa stone and Sanki marble is that intricate carving is possible on both types of stone Second and crystal stones are unsuitable for any kind of intricate carving because cracks form on these stones when chiseled Upon examining the outer wall of the fort it becomes evident that it is constructed from red sandstone There are three entrances in the walls but the most impressive is this large gate which is now used as the main entrance to the complex All three doors are two-storied and constructed from boulders On both sides are two massive semi-circular pillars adorned with decorative work in colorful sandstone and blue tiles On the northern and southern gates of the old fort you can see Islamic-style niches or mihrabs crafted from a combination of Hindu chhatris and pillars We can also see Jayamati Patan throughout the entire fort The architecture of the fort showcases a harmonious blend of Hindu elements within Muslim-style mihrabs and domes To understand this thoroughly we examine in detail the Kuhna Mosque built in 1542 by Sher Shah It is well preserved The main part of the building is surrounded by a mihrab named Question and Answer On both sides of the main mihrab there is a row of smaller mihrabs The outer mihrabs are made of Delhi quartzite a very hard stone that was difficult to carve while the inner portions are constructed from red sandstone The use of ornamental arches is widespread in the windows of these buildings A concave mihrab is set within a recess formed by the intersection of two mihrabs which meet at the top to create a triangle The length of the mihrab and the position of its center are compared to its height to establish the mihrab's proportions and vertical scale Compared to brick masonry load-bearing masonry walls exert less pressure on the foundation This technique allows for longer more precise cuts Small poison vials were also present in the entrance archway alongside the minarets Inlaid with ornamental bands and panels and also adorned with carved marble Five large horse-sized doors opened from the ancient chamber leading into the hall Like most Mughal forts this one also featured an intricate system of water channels and conduits within its walls Since the fort was situated on elevated ground the main well was dug deep containing a water channel with a diameter of 89 centimeters allowing access down to a depth of 22 meters The hammam or bathhouse had facilities for both hot and cold water and you can still see the terracotta pipes here today that once carried the water Come now we turn toward the magnificent eight-pillared structure Sher Mandal built from sandstone This edifice attributed to Sher Shah is considered one of the first libraries in Delhi Humayun used it like a book repository This is it Jaga also died there in 1556 after slipping from the chedi Now we head toward Chittorgarh one of Rajasthan's six hill forts and a UNESCO World Heritage Site Chittorgarh Fort was originally built in the 7th century by the Toravinda dynasty of the Mauryas and is situated atop a 180-meter-high hill In terms of fortification this is India's largest fortress spanning 700 acres It stretches 3 kilometers in length with a defensive perimeter of 13 kilometers The fort's architectural design incorporating natural barriers presents a unique and formidable defensive structure The fortress's strategic positions provided security which was their foremost concern The natural contours of the hills and valleys were utilized in the most optimal way possible The fortress was built to harmonize with the mountain terrain These fortresses They make use of natural landscapes such as mountains deserts rivers and dense forests Natural defenses were further strengthened by such measures The stones of the roughly four-kilometer-long walls were coated with lime mortar and these walls rise 500 meters above ground level Geologically Rajasthan's land is rich in various types of hard rock formations Due to the abundant availability of high-quality stone the use of stone became virtually inevitable making it easy for Rajasthani builders to construct strong and beautiful forts palaces and temples The rich stone-carving craftsmanship of Rajasthan is beautifully evident in the numerous intricately crafted and stunning sculptures found here The fort houses several magnificent structures such as the Rani Padmini's Palace The largest building within the complex is the Rana Kumbha Palace s the nine-story Victory Pillar erected by Rana Kumbha over Malwa and Gujarat Built in 1440 to commemorate the victory over the Muslim rulers this pillar stands 37 meters tall and is 3 meters in diameter It stands on a pedestal an architectural masterpiece visible from any part of the city You'll need to climb 157 steps to reach the top of the tower The second pillar is known as the Pillar of Fame Dedicated to Rishabha Deva the first Tirthankara of Jainism one of the most critical needs during a siege was ensuring a steady water supply for self-sufficiency a requirement that had to be met consistently for several months The planners of Chittorgarh Fort clearly kept this in mind which is why 84 water bodies were constructed within the fort 22 of which still exist today This is why Chittorgarh Fort is often referred to as the "Water Fort " In Rajasthan where rainfall is scarce s scarce and during summer visits to the fort various water conservation techniques such as tanks stepwells and reservoirs were carefully considered Surrounded by 40 percent of the region's water bodies and reservoirs The average depth of the reservoirs is approximately 2 meters It is clear that the annual water storage capacity of these reservoirs is approximately 4 billion liters Thanks to ample water supplies an army of 50 000 soldiers could remain inside the fortress for four years without facing famine The story of Dihās in India is filled with tales of empires rising and falling And the forts scattered across the country are living proof of these tales These castles are filled with love courtesy bravery treachery courtly politics and conspiracies But most significantly these forts are also symbols of Sven architectural style the development of new cities innovative urban planning and the careful sustainable use of natural resources