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The Taj
Mahal - An Emperor's Lament
Agra is the city of the Taj Mahal. It is
a sublime experience of the greatest
love story ever told. Today India's most
fascinating and beautiful masterpiece,
this perfectly symmetrical edifice is
set amidst landscaped gardens on the
banks of the Yamuna river. The Taj was
built by the Mughal Emperor Shahjahan as
a memorial to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
After her untimely death, Shah Jahan had
her mortal remains buried in this
mausoleum. And after his own demise he
was placed to rest next to his beloved
queen in the same mausoleum. Under the
dome, below the ground level, in a dimly
lit chamber, lie the mortal remains of
Shahjahan and his beloved queen Mumtaz,
reminding the world of their undying
love.
Planning and construction for the Taj
started in 1634 and continued for over
two decades. The Taj has been
constructed on a 313 square feet marble
platform that stands above a sandstone
one. The tomb is encased in pure white
marble brought in from Makrana (in
Rajasthan) and Persia (present day
Iran). The walls are decorated with
flawless sculptures and inlaid design of
flowers and calligraphy cut from
precious gems. The dome is made of white
marble, but the tomb is set against the
plain across the river and it is this
background that works its magic of
colors that, through their reflection,
change the view of the Taj. The Taj is
most alluring in the relative quiet of
early morning, shrouded in mists and the
color changes from soft yellow to pearly
cream and dazzling white; it is well
worth a visit at different times.
The Taj has been a visual delight for
viewers over the ages. The monument
looks its best on clear full moon
nights. It looks its spectacular best in
the full moon nights of October, when
the skies are clear and the Taj is
bathed in the off-white moonlight.
However, it is a delight even in the
radiance of dawn and the orange glow of
sunset. The Taj in all its timeless
beauty is still the inspiration of poets
and painters, writers and photographers.
The Taj remains
closed for visitors on Friday.
Fatehpur Sikri - The City of Victory
37 kms from the city of Agra, stands
Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar’s capital. Full
credit goes to the Archeological Survey
of India for this perfectly preserved
example of a Mughal city at the height
of the empire’s splendour. It is an
attraction no visitor to Agra should
miss. This sprawling structure is made
of red sandstone and combines both Hindu
and Mughal architecture.This walled city
contains the mausoleum of the Sufi
fakir, Saleem Chisti who is said to have
granted Akbar and his Hindu queen
Jodhabai their wish for a son. The main
entrance to Fatehpur Sikri is through
the 175 feet Buland Darwaza, the highest
gateway in the world. It was built by
Akbar to commemorate his victory over
Khandesh in Gujarat.
The Panch Mahal ia a five-storeyed
tower, the highest point in Fatehpur
Sikri. This extremely airy tower is
supposed to have been used by one of the
emperor's many queens.
Agra Fort - Architectural wonder in
stone.
Within a radius of 3 kilometers, on the
banks of the river Yamuna, rises the
crescent like Agra Fort. Designed and
built by Akbar in 1565 A.D., the fort is
surrounded by a 70 feet high wall. It
houses the beautiful Pearl Mosque and
numerous palaces including the Jahangir
Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Diwan-i-Am and Moti
Masjid. Later it was used by his son
Jehangir also as the seat of power.
Shahjahan modeled his creation, the Red
Fort at Delhi on this fort. The Agra
fort happens to be on the same bank of
the river Yamuna as the Taj Mahal which
is visible in all its beauty from one
side of the fort. So very ironically,
Shahjahan, a prisoner of his son
Aurangzeb in his old age was put in a
cell from where he could gaze at the Taj
Mahal at a distance, from his cell in
the Agra Fort.
The fort has four gates and is enclosed
by a double barricaded wall of red sand
stone. Many buildings were constructed
within the fort of which very few remain
till date. One of the most significant
ones is the multi storied Jahangir Mahal
built by Akbar for his wife Jodha Bai.
The Mahal is reached through an
impressive gateway and its inner
courtyard consists of beautiful halls,
profuse carvings on stone, exquisitely
carved heavy brackets, piers and cross
beams.
Sikandra
Sikandra, 10 kms north west of Agra, is
the final resting place of Emperor Akbar.
The Tomb of Akbar shows an interesting
fusion of Hindu and Mughal architecture
reflecting the spirit of the Mughal
Emperor Akbar. Akbar began the
construction of his own garden mausoleum
during his lifetime, a red sandstone
structure in a char-bagh meaning
4-square formal garden.
Itmad-ul-Daulah's Tomb
This tomb was erected by Nur Jahan in
sweet memory of her father Ghiasud-Din-Beg
between 1622-1628 A.D. This white marble
structure of the pre-Taj era though
smaller is often considered equal if not
better to the great one itself.
Chini Ka Rauza
Reputed to be an Afzal Khan creation, a
high official in the court of Shahjahan,
Chini Ka Rauza is decorated by glazed
tiles on the facade. It depicts the
Persian influence on Mughal
architecture.
Ram Bagh
It was created by Emperor Babar and is
one of the earliest Mughal gardens.
Soami Bagh / Dayal Bagh
15 km from Agra, Soamibagh houses the
samadhi of the founder of Radha Swami
faith, 'Swamiji Maharaj'. The main
structure is a majestic building, 110
feet in height, built of pure white
marble. The most impressive features of
the samadhi are the detailed and
exquisite carvings on the walls, arches
and pillar capitals. The belief here is
that construction work should never end,
making it into a living monument, for
work is going on incessantly since 1904. |
