Insights from Agra
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
~Marcel Proust
‘Agra’,
the Land of Hearts, is the testimony to the power of true love. It is one of
the most famous cities in Uttar Pradesh, India and is also known as Taj City or
Akbarabad. Fatehpur Sikri, the ‘City of Victory’
is known for being the celebrated capital of Mughal Emperor Akbar till 1585,
while Bharatpur shelters diverse variety of rich flora and fauna.
It is true that the experience in these beautiful places cannot be summed up even in infinite words. Nevertheless, let us try to explore them and enjoy to the fullest.
Hope you have a wonderful journey ahead...
Day- 1
Gatiman
Express, the semi- high speed train, rushed towards Agra at 8: 10 am. It took
approximately 1 hour 40 minutes to reach Agra from Delhi.
We
began the city tour by visiting one of the Seven Wonders of the World, ‘Taj
Mahal’.
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| Taj Mahal, Agra |
This
ethereal mausoleum was laid by King Shahjahan in fond memory of his beloved
wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Thus, it came to be called “Taj Mahal” (referring to Mumtaz
Mahal as the ‘crown’ of the ‘palace’).
The
masterpiece was built using brick-in-lime mortar covered with red sandstone,
pure white marble and inlay work of precious/semi- precious colorful stones. Huge
labor (from India and Central Asia) under the main architect, Ustad-Ahmad
Lahori took about 16 years (from 1632 to 1648) for its construction.
The complex of Taj Mahal majorly consists of five
structures - Darwaza (main gateway), Bageecha (gardens), Masjid (mosque), Rauza
(main mausoleum) and Naqqar Khana (rest house).
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| Interior View of Taj Mahal |
I
was extremely mesmerized by the vision and thought put into the development of such
a well- planned architecture. The accurate placing of tomb at one end of the
quadripartite garden (rather than in the exact center) added depth and
perspective to the distant view of the monument. Further, the tomb was raised
on a square platform with the four sides of the octagonal base of the minarets which
were interestingly, tilted outwards for the protection of the main structure from
the unforeseen disasters in future.
Now,
imagine Taj Mahal pinkish hue in the morning, milky white in the evening and
golden at night when illuminated by moonlight. A mere imagination of the
changing tints and colors of the Mausoleum at different times of the day
(symbolic of the changing moods of the queen) brings a smile on the face.
The
live experience of the same truly brought a beautiful sensation to me, and charged
me with passion and optimism.
Later,
we enjoyed the ride on horse carriage, spent time in the local markets
and brought back the famous ‘Petha’ of Agra with us.
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| Local Market of Agra |
Day 2-
Bharatpur was the first destination on the
day’s list which took approximately 2 hours from Agra by road. We reached the famous Bharatpur bird
sanctuary, also known as Keoladeo Ghana National Park. The primary attractions for
the visitors were the migratory birds (coming from as far away as Siberia and
Central Asia) along with a large variety of plants and animals found in the
region.
We thoroughly enjoyed animal and bird watching and took back fond
memories of the place.
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| Wildlife at Bharatpur |
Further,
we went to Fatehpur Sikri, a city predominantly made of red
sandstone under the reign of Emperor Akbar in 16th century. It has now been
identified as UNESCO world heritage site housing three palaces (each for his
Hindu, Muslim and Christian wife); Jama Mosque, Buland Darwaza, and a Tomb of
Salim Chisti. Thus, a unique blend of Indo-Islamic architectural beauty and
religious beliefs sums up Fatehpur Sikri.
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| View of Palace |
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| Jama Mosque |
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| Buland Darwaza |
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| Tomb of Salim Chishti |
Day 3-
We visited Mehtab Bagh where we
could spend quality time and have a classic view of Taj Mahal, surrounded by serene
nature.
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| Mystic View of Taj from Mehtab Bagh |
Agra Fort, more accurately a 94- acre walled city, was the
main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty constructed by Emperor
Akbar. It was the site of a battle during the Indian rebellion of 1857, which
led to a century of colonialism in India.
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Glimpses of Agra Fort |
This historic
fort reflects beautiful amalgamation of Persian and Timurid
style of architecture and acts as an epitome of architectural excellence, especially in terms of its
strategic structure design. Therefore, it was quite intriguing to see the great foresight and wit of the emperors through such a well- planned architecture developed during that era.
The fort was well- equipped for systematic attack and
defense during wars in the region. The halls and rooms of the fort were also
based on scientific principles and mathematical calculations.
Most interestingly, the walls of the guest room in the fort had ears.
Yes, you read it right. The hollow walls of that room were built in such a
strategic way that it ensured the sound made at one side was audible at the
other side and even outside the room. Moreover, it had a secret window which
enabled people to see outside from the room but vice versa was not possible.
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| Interior view of Agra Fort |
Soon, we completed the tour of Agra fort and headed back to
home.
All
in all, wholesome tour of the historical cities like Agra, Bharatpur and
Fatehpur Sikri helped me dive deeper into the quest of our glorious past and
gain a better understanding about the evolution of our present.
This
trip helped me find answers to certain questions. Nevertheless, it also left me
intrigued to decode some unknown mysteries of history.
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