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Agra is the
one of the prominent destinations of the World Tourism map with three
heritage monuments - The Taj Mahal, Red Fort & Fatehpur Sikri. It is more
just a dacadent city of graveyards and stones, but it is a vibrant centre
of Culture, Art and Religious philosphies that have enriched mankind and
shaped humen thought over centuries.
A pleasant town with comparatively slow pace, Agra is known for its superb
inlay work on marble and soastone by craftsman who are descendant of those
who worked under the Mughals. The city is also famous for its carpets,
gold thread embroidery and leather shoes.
Agra was once the capital of the Mughal empire and even today it seems to
linger in the past . Not surprising , for the Mughal emperors with their
passion for building, endowed the city with some of the finest structures
in the world . It is very easy to slip away here through the centuries
into the grandeur and intrigues of the Mughal court .
Agra is an old city and it is said that its name was derived from Agrabana,
a forest that finds mention in the epic Mahabharata.
in more recent times Agra came into prominence when Sikandar Lodi made it
his capital city in 1501 . The Lodi rule was to end very soon and Agra
passed into the possession of the Mughals.
It was during the time of the third emperor Akbar that Agra came into its
own . He embarked on the construction of the massive Agra Fort in 1565.
Though Akbar was diverted into building a new capital at Fatehpur sikri
not far away.
Agra continued to retain its importance and Shah Jehan, Akbar's garndson
ornamented the city with that masterpiece of Mughal architecture - the Taj
Mahal and built several other beautiful buildings within the Agra fort.
Taj Mahal
The history of the Taj Mahal tells us "why was the Taj Mahal built" and
many other myths and facts associated with this wonderful structure. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan erected the Taj Mahal in the memory of his
beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram) met Mumtaz
Mahal (then Arjumand Banu Begum) at the age of fourteen and fell in love
at the first sight. She was a Muslim Persian princess and Shah Jahan was
the son of the Mughal Emperor, Jehangir. Five years later, in 1612, they
got married.
It is believed that during her last moments, Mumtaz Mahal obtained a
promise from Shah Jahan that he will build world's most beautiful monument
in her memory.
Agra
Fort
Though Agra is more famous world over as the city of Taj, Agra Fort is
another dimension to the city thatattracts tourists in hordes. It is the
most important fort in India. The great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar,
Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was
governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint. It
was visited by foreign ambassadors, travellers and the highest dignitaries
who participated in the making of history in India.
Itmad-Ud-Daulah
The city of Agra is full of architectural wonders. On one hand, it has the
famous Taj Mahal, and on the other hand, it has the Agra Fort and
Itimad-ud-Daulah’s.
Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb is a
Mughal mausoleum in the city of Agra in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.
Often described as 'jewel box', sometimes called the Baby Taj, the tomb of Itmad-Ud-Daulah is often regarded as a "draft" of the Taj Mahal.
Along with the main building, the structure consists of numerous
outbuildings and gardens. The tomb, built between 1622 and 1628 represents
the transition between the first phase of monumental Mughal architecture -
primarily built from red sandstone with marble decorations, as in
Humayun's Tomb in Delhi and Akbar's tomb in Sikandra - to its second
phase, based on white marble and pietra dura inlay - most elegantly
realized in the Taj Mahal.
Ram Bagh
The Ram Bagh is the oldest Mughal Garden in India, originally built by the
Mughal Emperor Babur in 1528 A.D., located about five kilometers northeast
of the Taj Mahal in Agra. Babur was temporarily buried there before being
interred in Kabul.
The garden is a Paradise garden or Charbagh, where pathways and canals
divide the garden to represent the Islamic ideal of paradise, an abundant
garden through which rivers flow. The Ram Bagh provides an example of a
variant of the charbagh in which water cascades down three terraces in a
sequence of cascades. Two viewing pavilions face the Jumna river and
incorporates a subterranean 'tahkhana' which was used during the hot
summers to provide relief for visitors. The garden has numerous water
courses and fountains.
Jama Masjid
The mosque at Sikri was the first structure to be built in 1571. The
exterior is modest but the interior carries the most gorgeous
ornamentation in the floral arabesques and ingenious geometrical patterns
in brown....
Fatehpur Sikri
Fatehpur Sikri, also known as a ghost city 37 km from Agra. The name of
the place came after Mughal Emperor Babur defeated Rana Sanga in a battle
at a place called Khanwa (about 40 KM from Agra). Then Mughal Emperor
Akbar wanted to make Fatehpur Sikri his head quarters. So he built this
majestic fort. But due to shortage of water he had to ultimately move his
headquarters to Agra Fort.
Jahangir Mahal
Undoubtedly, the most noteworthy building inside Agra Fort is the Jahangir
Mahal (Jahangir's Palace), which was the principal zenana palace (palace
for women belonging to the royal household), used mainly by the Rajput
wives of Akbar.
Diwan-I-Aam
Diwan-I-Am (Hall of Public audience)was again a building constructed by
Shahjahan who replaced an earlier wooden structure.
Diwan-I-Khas
Diwan-I-khas (Hall of Private audience) is a small hall with double marble
columns inlaid with pietra dura decoration.
Seesh Mahal & Khas Mahal
Both Jahangir (Akbar's son) and Shahjahan (Akbar's grandson) were enamored
of the sensuous effect of white marble; in their quest to make buildings
of marble.
Moti Masjid
Further north stands the Moti Masjid (pearl mosque), its three domes in
white marble.
Octagonal Tower
Musamman Burj is the most romantic, ornamental pavilion wherein lived two
most beautiful and powerful Mughal queens-Nurjahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
Akbar Mausoleum
At Sikandra 10 km north of Agra, the tomb of Akbar lies in the centre of
the large garden.
Panch Mahal
Panch Mahal, a five storeyed pavilion, stands on the western line of the
courtyard. This is the badgir, the Persian wind tower for ladies of the
harem.
Buland Darwaza
Buland Darwaza, the colossal triumphal arch, was built in 1575 on the
southern wall of the courtyard.
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