A one-day trip to Agra with a dozen exchange students from Russia and their teachers proved exhausting but thrilling! Looking at the imposing structure of the monument dedicated to love and the fort from which Shah-Jahan could glance at the memorial of love can be nothing but a poetic experience.
The Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal are close to each other, and it is possible to look at the former from the fort. It is said that during the period of his incarceration, Shah Jahan would often look at the Taj Mahal from his cell in the Agra Fort.
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Mohgul architecture is unique. It combines traces of other forms of art. These can be seen in the structures of the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. Most distinct among these is the art form called Pietra Dora, an Italian art form in which intricate inlays are made in marble slabs and then filled with Semiprecious stones or other materials to create a contrast.
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| Was this one of the windows from which he looked at the Taj Mahal? |
A visit to the Taj Mahal should happen later in the day so one is not roasted by the bright sunlight. One can expect large crowds of visitors to the monument. This time too, the beauty of the monument could not be diminished by the numerous visits I have made. Unfortunately, the fountain beds were dry otherwise the reflection of the monument would have made the whole experience even more mesmerizing!
