Along with the Taj Mahal, Agra is also home to the Agra fort and palace. The Maghuls ruled for 8 generations, and in that time built about 500 forts and palaces. Apparently they would move around the country, and when they found somewhere they wanted to spend a few years, built a palace. As you do.
We’re slowly getting our head around the generations. Fatehpur Sikre that we saw yesterday was built by Akbar. His only son, Jahangir, built the Agra Fort and palace in the 16th century. He was a lover of wine and women (360 wives and 20 000 concubines.. Seriously?!?) and was considered a drunkard, so his first wife made all the decisions and essentially ruled the land.
One of the beautiful remaining features of this fort is the coloured tiles in the entry way. It’s another simple Persian design, but remarkable that they’re still there.
One of my favourite features of the architecture of the time is the screens used for light and ventilation, and to separate the men and women inside the palace. The craftsmanship is beautiful and so varied, and creates amazing shafts of sunlight in the morning.
Jahangir’s son was Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal. He extended the palace during his reign, and the red sandstone makes way for his preferred building material… white marble.
He preferred very ornate and opulent spaces, so many of the walls and ceilings were inlaid with gold and jewels. Sadly, when the ‘Britishers’ took power in India, they melted the gold and jewels from the walls.
Coupled with the translucent marble, these spaces would have been absolutely amazing.
Shah Jahan had 8 sons, but his youngest, Aurangzeb, was furious at the waste of his predecessors, and felt the Taj Mahal had stripped all the wealth that belonged to the people. He wanted power, so killed his 7 older brothers, and confined his father to the palace for the final years of his life. Shah Jahan lived in a small but stunning area, inlaid with jewels, which cost the equivalent of the Taj Mahal. He never recovered from the loss of his wife, so spent his days staring at the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal is only about 1.5 km away in this photo. Can’t see it? That’s what happens in one of the most polluted cities on earth…
Aurangzeb lived a frugal life, and was the first generation that didn’t build or extend a palace or fort.
Agra Fort is one of the most heavily fortified in India, with 5 lines of defence. There was a crocodile moat, army, dry moat containing bears, lions and tigers and another layer of army. If you made it through that, boiling hot balls of oil were rolled down the entry ramp. The Fort was never compromised.
This afternoon Andrew and Alex went to explore the riverbank in front of the Taj Mahal – a tip from from our guide. Even though they were pretty close, it brought home how fortunate we are to have been to the Taj Mahal on such a clear day.
The challenge to source cash continues. This afternoon we identified that Alex is our greatest weapon in the ATM war. Andrew joined a long queue, but Alex was offered a spot at the front of the line. Having never used an ATM in Brisbane, she successfully navigated foreign exchange at an Indian one… Star!
It’s also beginning to somewhat like Christmas. A couple of hours away from the hotel this morning, and the lobby was transformed. They showed people visiting Santa on the news tonight, but he wears a full mask to so that his face is pale – really creepy!!!
Love theBunch x
PS… In the tradition of the GradyBunch blog there is a GFP (Grady Family Photo) to close, but this has to be the worst photo ever!!! Might have been smoggy, but didn’t stop us squinting!
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