Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Raj Mahal

Wednesday, 18 February 2015

Twice a capital of Bengal, Raj Mahal today is mostly ruins that lie about 4 km to the west of the current town of Raj Mahal. At one time it was a major complex containing a mosque, fort, and palaces. Today only the mosque and a minor ladies' palace remain.

The mosque was quite large -- as befits a capital city. The domes on the right side of the mosque have collapsed.
The missing domes allow plenty of light into the right side of the mosque and that makes the interesting brickwork more visible. 


This structure is directly on the Ganges, with a high "seawall" to protect it. At first I had assumed that this was the mosque, but it turns out to be a palace for the women.
Like the mosque, this structure is mostly in ruins.
The tree in this complex had beautiful dense red flowers. It is a "semal" (Bombax ceiba), also known as "silk-cotton" or "Indian kapok".

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