I have never been one to dissect the construction of a building, looking for an architect’s style, or features that can pinpoint the age of the building and  the influences at the time it was erected.  I generally see a building and decide that I like it, or I don’t. We have toured enough of India for me to note that there are certain recurring themes in the architecture, and one of them I like very much; the scalloped arches that appear on both very old buildings and very new buildings in every city that we have visited.  I like them, very much.

I hadn’t given much thought to them until we were in Mysore this weekend, and actually toured the Maharaja’s Palace.  These scalloped arches are in virtually every room, and in the decorations that cover the walls and floors in some places.  We were standing in the marriage hall (a beautiful room that I wasn’t allowed to photograph) when the moment hit.  Armed with my newfound knowledge that the peacock is the National bird of India, I realised that these arches are actually the outline of a peacock’s tail feathers when they are displayed in their full glory.  This is quite possibly old news for some, but I am quite proud of myself for making this connection.

It’s a wonder I didn’t make it with this picture, shot at the Agra Fort in March…