|
| |
 |
Taj Mahal - The Symbol of Love |
|
| |
|
Located at the city of Agra in the State of Uttar Pradesh, the Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful masterpieces of architecture in the world. Agra, situated about 200 km south of New Delhi, was the Capital of the Mughals (Moguls), the Muslim Emperors who ruled Northern India between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Mughals were the descendents of two of the most skilled warriors in history: the Turks and the Mongols. The Mughal dynasty reached its highest strength and fame during the reign of their early Emperors, Akbar, Jehangir, and Shah Jehan |
 |
| A dream in marble,etched in stone,the Taj mahal is the symbol of a monumental passion set in
imperial times,few love stories have so grand a memorial. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Agra Fort |
|
| |
|
| While most people visit Agra to see the Taj Mahal, Agra, once the capital of all of India, has more to offer. Less than 2 kilometers from the Taj Mahal, on the same river bank, you'll find the impressive Agra Fort. |
|
Agra's history goes back more than 2500 years, but the it wasn't until the reign of the Mughals that Agra became more than a provincial city. Humayun, son of the founder of the Mogul empire, was offered jewelry and precious stones by the family of the Raja of Gwalior, one of them the famous Koh-i-Noor. The heydays of Agra came with the reign of Humayun's son, Akbar The Great. During his reign, the main part of the Agra fort was built. Construction of the fort started in 1156 and was finished in 1605. Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, erected most of the buildings inside the fortress |
| The fort is built alongside the Yamuna river and stretches almost 2.5 km. It consists of a wall built in red sandstone and several buildings inside. The wall has 2 gates, the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate. You can only enter the fort via the Amar Singh Gate. Part of the fort is still in use by the Indian Army and are not accessible to the public, but there's still enough left to get an insight on the way the Mughals lived in the 16th century. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Fatehpur Sikri |
|
| |
|
Unfortunately I've not visited Fatehpur Sikri, a ghost city 37 km from Agra, simply because I didn't know it existed. I would encourage any future visitor of Agra to pay it a visit.
The site is founded by Akbar the great, who at 26 years did not have a heir. He went to a saint, Shaikh Salim Chishti who lived in a city called Sikri. His blessing gave Akbar 3 sons. As a gesture, Akbar built a whole new city in Sikri.
|
 |
| It was built between 1569 and 1585 and was intended to be the joint capital with Agra, but was soon deserted because the water system could not support the any residents. It remained untouched for over 400 years now and its palaces are a remainder of the extravagance of the Mughals. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Sikandra |
|
| |
|
|
|
Sikandara, near Agra, is famous for the beautiful mausoleum of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Construction of this aesthetic monument was planned and started by Akbar himself. But Akbar died before his mausoleum could be completed and his son Jahangir completed it. While executing the dream of Akbar, Jahangir made many modifications in the original plan of the building. Akbar's mausoleum at Sikandara is a unique pyramidal tomb structure. The architectural specification of the tomb shows that the structure is a perfect blend of Hindu, Islamic, Buddhist, and Jain motifs, thus reflecting the spirit of religious toleration, which Akbar practiced during his reign. |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
Itimad-ud-Daulah |
|
| |
|
After Noor Jahan married the Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Mirza Ghiyas Beg was appointed the Lord Treasurer of the Empire or Itimad-ud-Daulah. After her father's death, Noor Jehan built this mausoleum for him from 1622-1625 A.D. The first example of a tomb built on a riverbank in India, Itmad Ud Daulah's Tomb situated on the banks of the Yamuna, has many design features that were later used in the Taj Mahal. Itmad Ud Daulah's Tomb marks a significant departure from the tombs of the Mughal dynasty built earlier, because this tomb follows the central Asian pattern of a
|
 |
| Idomedstructure, set in a formal garden, with waterways and paths laid out in a geometrical pattern, a design followed while constructing the beautiful Taj Mahal.The marble inlay work or pietra dura style was first used in India at Itmad Ud Daulah's Tomb and later in the Taj Mahal. The inlaid designs on the wall of the tomb include flowers, trees, fruit, animals and birds as well as wine jars and even people, which is surprising since Islam does not permit the use of human images as decorative forms. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
