Built for the Emperor, a photo from Madhya Pradesh, Central

Photographer's Note

The Jahangir Mahal is one of the best-preserved monuments in Orchha. Seen in the background in this view, it is one of the 50 or so palaces and forts built by Orchha’s most famous king, Bir Singh Ju Deo during his reign in the 17th century. It is Orchha's single most admired palace & was built as a monumental welcome present for the Mughal Emperor Jehangir when he paid a state visit in 1606 to present the Bir Singh with a sword, for having vanquished an old Mughal enemy.

The rulers of Orchha deftly adapted and experimented with the hybrid architectural style that was prevalent then. To them it was a political necessity (closeness to the Mughal rulers of Delhi), besides being a choice of style and a route to experimentation.

Jehangir Mahal, is airy and lighted since it has countless windows and pierced stone screens looking out over the skyline to the west, and a sea of treetops and ruined temples in the other direction.

Entering the palace from the West, this view of the courtyard shows many typical elements of the Rajput style - the chhatris (domed rooftop pavilion) and chhajjas(a Mughal style angled roof eave), domes, chambers, walkways, and terraces. The palace walls were originally painted in cream color, with decorative blue tile and paintings. From this POV, I tried to show the combination of large dome, open pavilion, continuing chhajjas and ornamental bracelets. The man reading his morning newspaper was a bonus.

japiey, dvlazar, somak_g, sayat, manojtnair, avene, jusninasirun, kiwi_explorer, edytungkal, emjleclercq, dareco, ChrisJ, Graal, Henryk_Bilor, feather, pierrefonds, John_F_Kennedy, ramesh_lalwani, zmey, josepmarin, jafadabret, siolaw, noborders, Dpbours, pablominto, vincz, bakes888, adores, hispic heeft deze opmerking als nuttig gemarkeerd

Critiques | Translate

japiey (10163) 2008-05-15 4:19

Hi Angshu,

Majestic looks in frame.
Beautifull tones and lights.
Wondrous is this Jahangir Mahal.
EXCELLENT.

jp

aadilj (18102) 2008-05-15 4:24

The insights you give into the architecture of the heartland is amazing and very well composed with such playful tones and textures. I like the way you touch the stones and make their textures speak directly into the camera. Vivid and amazingly wonderful

somak_g (497) 2008-05-15 5:11

hi angshu,

nice and sharp - as crisp as it can get. you have captured the architectural elements very well. and the sky is beautiful. the red cloth enhances the capture. great work.

regards somak

jasmis (58653) 2008-05-15 5:48

Exotic place. Superb example of great architecture.
Regards.

sayat (2949) 2008-05-15 6:06

The light and the contrastinc colors of the building and the sky in this shot are amazing. The red also creates a beautiful contrast in a small spot. The overall light is very helpful in conveying the majestic beauty of the place. Great shot my friend.

batalay (41261) 2008-05-15 6:24

Hello Mr. B,

I have been away from Trekearth for a week, preparing a delivering a lecture (to 400 guests) at the National Geographic, accordingly I haven't seen before the wealth of new and superb images you've recently posted. This one is not exception, another compelling architectural gem dating back the Mughals. Although it would not be quite as dramatic, it might be more revealing of the details to slightly reduce the contrast in light. In any event, it is a superb shot and an excellent note.

Warm regards,

Bulent

manojtnair (435) 2008-05-15 7:08

hi angshu,
nice composition. sharp and clear with beautiful blue sky in the bg. tfs.
manoj

carper (96) 2008-05-15 10:24

another good one Angshuman
very nice composition, good orginal pov and a very nice details, nice photo to look at, good photojob here, have a nice evening.
gr. jaap

avene (12675) 2008-05-15 12:46

hello Angshu,
excellent photo of this magnificient building, the strong contrasts work really well to emphasise the elaborate architecture. I agree with the others that the red cloth is a great accent, as is the man sitting in the courtyard. superb quality too, very good work,

with best regards,
Kristine

jusninasirun (17529) 2008-05-15 21:00

Hello Angshuman. Nice clear exposure of this architecture. Sharp detail in well taken perspective against the beautiful sky. Well done and best regards. Jusni

kiwi_explorer (12209) 2008-05-15 21:34

Hi Angshuman,
The colors here is fantastic ... very natural. Beautiful intricate design ... must have taken them a long time to construct this temple. Wonderfully captured and composed with very good resulting image quality. Your notes regarding the history of the place is well written and interesting. Excellent work! tfs
Cheers,
Renier

edytungkal (4551) 2008-05-15 23:19

Another great building presented Angshu, i really admire on how you always composed a fine picture for sharing and especially the story on every picture you have posted..
Excellent work friend, thanks :-)

daniel

emjleclercq (15778) 2008-05-15 23:21

A well chosen point of view, since the court gives a bit of depth to the image, and a very instructive note about this architectural style.

All the best,

Emmanuel

dvlazar (6662) 2008-05-16 1:01

Angshuman - a clear and sharp capture of this building - with an amazing blue sky to top it all off. Thanks for your detailed note, too.

Dave.
:)

dareco (17136) 2008-05-16 1:16

A very beautiful picture and the lighting is excellent. An amazing building. Very good colors. Have a great day!

ChrisJ (172436) 2008-05-16 1:34

Hi Angshuman

A fantastic colour contrast, between the red tinted facades of the fort / palace, & the blue sky. Good sharpness & horizontal layers. Tfs!

Graal (103040) 2008-05-16 2:08

Hi Angshuman,
another interesting view from Jahangir Mahal. Great old architecture, an interesting informations. Well done photo. I like it.
Gr., Aleksander

Henryk_Bilor (20803) 2008-05-16 2:48

Hi Angshuman
Again great architecture. Good capture with a perfect light and sharpness.
Regards

feather (51130) 2008-05-16 3:27

Your country has some amazing architecture. You have captured the details very well, and the whole image is enhanced by the lovely sky. I like the little cameo of the man and the red curtain, a possible subject for a close up. Well done
Kath

pierrefonds (115596) 2008-05-16 4:20

Hi Angshuman,

This is an impressive palace. I like the different style of architecture of Jahangir Mahal. The presence of the person has an effect of scale. The light brings out the different tints of colors. Have a nice day.

Pierre

John_F_Kennedy (43797) 2008-05-16 4:55

I like this POV with the inclusion of the man that show us the real size. This is very beautiful. Well done.
Best wishes,
Achim

TopGeo (38220) 2008-05-16 7:12

Hi Angshu! Have here a marvellous opinion of his internal palace, afterwards from his exterior knowledge. He is spectacular and impressive, for the season where it is also manufactured for his architecture and for the size! Beautiful the note. ciao,,,compliments
Georgios

zmey (7335) 2008-05-16 8:30

hello angshu

i like this one. the strong contrasts work extremely well to accentuate the spacial nature of the building. the shot is very good 3d feel to it. color contrast between the saturated sky and the fasade palette work well too. my compliments to your note too, friend.

regards,
kristaps

josepmarin (59385) 2008-05-16 9:50

Hi Angshuman,
I like the angle that you have chosen for this capture, which creates a slight diagonal and gives good perspective of the magnificent architecture of the palace on such a blue sky.
The quality of the image and of the colors is very high, in addition I like much the effect of the shades by the angle of the light on the building and the court.
A great work, my friend.
Best regards,
Josep
PS: thank you very much for your beautiful words on having commented on my last photo.

jafadabret (56501) 2008-05-16 11:43

Hi Angshu.
Ce palais est une réussite architecturale qui a subie les attaques du temps mais on peut entrevoir la splendeur qu'il devait avoir à ses origines avec ses belles couleurs.
Beau travail et belle lumière.
Jacques

rajiv_077 (1412) 2008-05-16 22:40

Hi Angshuman Ji

Another very great architecture picture, The most attracting point in this picture if lights and color with sharpness, blue background is also amazing me. Composition is good as always. Which type you capture this shot ?

Good shot indeed

regards

rajiv

siolaw (38294) 2008-05-16 22:46

Hi Angshu,
You got excellent light on this fort...
it gave warm colors with good contrast Sharp and clear picture.
Greetings
Laurent

noborders (1010) 2008-05-17 2:41

I enjoy specially this series from Orchha as I spent a few days there but such a long time ago ! I remember having been fascinated by the whole ambiance and your photo confirms me this although my remembrances are rather hazy...
Another beautiful shot from that place, there is a lot of feeling in it...
Compliments,
Cath.
(NB - there were 2 palaces side by side if I remember well and I had the chance to stay inside the only single room (very complex, with a long corridor and a dramatic and vast view on the plain below) : I wonder if it is this building or yet another one ?

crckt (7222) 2008-05-17 9:18

Hi Angshumanda,
This is truly a high quality shot, I especially like the sky in contrast to the reddish tones of the mahal. Fabulous Orchha, yet again.
Well done,
Shaeri

Dpbours (222) 2008-05-17 12:52

Hello Angshu,

Nice! Massive structure! That asks for a 12mm lense, or a lot of stitching ;-). Wow, I missed the photograph in the link!! That's a strong composition. And as always an interesting note. I don't always find the time to read them entirely, but always interesting to read.
The only little critique is that perhaps the man in the lower part with the paper is slightly feeling overly digital. Next to that, wonderful detail all over!

Greetings,
Dennis

Stepan (27210) 2008-05-18 0:29

Typical from the place again. Ruins, beautiful ruins... Nobody, just mood... And this architecture is really interesting.
Stéphane

pablominto (53746) 2008-05-18 0:41

Hello Angshu,
An impressive piece of architecture, and your note tells they often had the strangest of reasons for creating some impressive architecture..!
The point of view works well, fine details in the building...
Greetings,
Pablo -

vincz (19113) 2008-05-19 1:27

Beautiful catch with a wonderful blue sky with dotted clouds over this strongly lit building with great tones. i like the man and the touch of red, an excellent composition.

bakes888 (18499) 2008-05-19 1:32

Hi Angshuman. You have bought out the detail well in this shot. Good colour and sharpness also. Well composed and thanks for sharing.
Cheers, Paul.

Bluejeans (64251) 2008-05-19 10:48

Ola Angshuman ,
Que lugar mais interessante e muito bonito este templo a sua arquitectura é incrível com belos detalhes ,boa luz, parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

adores (46979) 2008-05-28 15:52

Hi Angshuman!
The monuments in your country are always amazing.This pov is very good and the details of the architecture are simply fantastic. The light and the sky are really good and you're right, the man is really well placed there, he helps to transmit the peacefulness of the place.

hispic (9658) 2009-06-08 20:16

Hi Angshuman Ji,
Nice shot by using a widest angle of this lens. A bit stronger contrast and fine sharpness create an amazing three-dimensional impression. The shadow in the foreground also helps to make a stable image. Cool shot!
Best wishes, Hisashi