The Taj Mahal Continues to Lure Visitors

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.

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.

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!

 

A Visit to Agra turned out to be a treasure trove of snapshots!

An unplanned trip to Agra turned out to be a boon especially as it combined sightseeing and meeting relatives. It being a long time since my Mom had visited her sister in law and her nephew and nieces we decided to leave early in the morning of the 19th of June. The route from Gurgaon took us through the Sohna Elevated route, the Eastern, Western Express ways and the Delhi-Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway. a total distance of 193.7 kilometers taking us 5 hours. This included a half an hour stop at a Dhaba for tea and an hour's stop at Sikandra, Emperor Akbar's tomb.

The Gateway to Akbar's Tomb-look at the archway, it looks like the letter A!

Akbar's Tomb

Seen here are two depictions of the tree of life.

Fresco adorning the ceiling and walls of the tomb of Akbar

An intricately designed fresco on the entrance to the tomb of Akbar

The intricate patterns in the frescos adorning the walls and the ceiling of entry to the tomb of Akbar are simply amazing. Two trees of life figures in one of the frescos. The actual tomb, however lies unadorned. Accessed through a tunnel or shaft that descends down a slight slope, the tomb lies in a chamber that is lit by two skylights. Also, I noticed that the gateway to the complex has a distinct 'A' for 'Akbar'. It is not that Akbar was not aware about the English language. Perhaps, it was a deliberate intention to have the letter 'A' on the arch and gateway to the complex.

This is one of the gateways to the Taj Mahal notice the intricate inlay work.

The Taj Mahal is set in the midst of green lawns and bright blossoms.

The entrance to the Taj Mahal complex is made of red sandstone inlaid with intricate inlays of white stone and red stone in geometrical and floral patterns. The Taj Mahal itself is made of white marble. Seen in the above photograph is a mosque.

There are many more monuments to visit in Agra, especially Fatehpur Sikri, I'timad-ud-Daulah and the Red Fort. I wasn't able to visit all of these monuments because I was in Agra for a couple of days. The best time to visit these monuments is early in the mornings, probably at about 6:00 a.m. when there would less of a crowd. The visitor to the Taj Mahal complex has to go through a stringent security check which might take some time. While visiting Agra and its monuments, one needs to be aware of touts, unscrupulous auto-drivers, people who will take you for a ride. Also beware of the spurious products being sold in all the shops close to the monuments. While Panchhi Petha used to be a big name in the making of Petha, now almost every shop is named Panchi Petha though the spelling might vary. My suggestion is for visitors to be careful why buying stuff. It would be advisable to buy things from Government Approved outlets.