Agra
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Agra
Agra is about 200
kilometers or 125 miles southeast of the capital of India, New Delhi. Most
of the historic Agra City is on the west bank of River Yamuna
although the most ancient pre-historical city was probably settled on its
eastern banks. Linguistically it is in the region of Braj Bhoomi, the area
where the Brajbhasha dialect of Hindi is spoken. It is also the
territory where the incarnation of the Hindu Trinity God Vishnu, Lord
Krishna had lived. His birthplace, Mathura, is about 50 kilometers or 30
miles northwest of Agra. The city was a suburban Aryan settlement in
northeast India and is referred to as Arya Grah – home of Aryans in
ancient Hindu religious literature. The area of Agra is mentioned in the
Hindu epic Mahabharata as Agraban or the forest of Agra. Ptolemy, the
historian and companion of Alexander mentioned it as Agara in third
century BCE. The Chinese Buddhist pilgrims Fa-Hsien (401-410 CE) and Hueng-Tsang
(seventh century CE) have also mentioned Agra in their descriptions of north
India.
In 1504 second last
Sultan of Lodi Dynasty,
Sikandar Lodi
, decided to build a capital in Agra region, so that he could subdue the
Hindu Rajas of Dholpur, Itawah and neighboring areas. He named the new
capital Sikandara. A few derelict ruins still remain of this capital city
but the area where this city was built is still called Sikandara. The
third Mughal Emperor,
Akbar,
made his mausoleum in this area and it is popularly called
Sikandara.
After winning the Indian empire in the Battle of Panipat in 1526, the
first Mughal Emperor,
Babur, decided to make his capital in Agra. He had many
beautiful, geometrically laid out Gardens planted on the eastern bank of the
River Yamuna. He did not live long enough to patronize any grand
architectural projects. Only one of his gardens, the
Ram Bagh,
has survived the ravages of time. Parts of another of his gardens, the
Zuhara Bagh, have also survived. The
second Mughal
Emperor, Humayun ruled from the old fort of Delhi.
The third Mughal
Emperor, Akbar, moved his capital back to Agra and built the
Agra Fort
on the ruins of an earlier fort. Originally there were over 500 red
sandstone buildings in the Fort. He also built a substantial fort in Lahore
and smaller forts in Ajmer, Allahabad, Attock and Jaunpur. When he did not
have a male heir to the throne, he sought the blessings of a Sufi saint,
Sheikh Salim Chistie, who lived with stone cutters in the village of Sikri
where red sandstone was quarried for building material. The saint correctly
predicted that Akbar would have three sons. When his senior queen was
pregnant with his son, Salim (named after the saint), Akbar decided to move
with the queen to the village of Sikri to enjoy the company of the saint.
Construction of Fatehpur Sikri started when Emperor Akbar moved,
probably as early as 1569. By 1571 the formal building of a
new capital city in Sikri village had started in full swing and Emperor
Akbar took personal interest in its construction as chronicled by Father
Monserrate, the Jessuit priest, who lived in Fatehpur Sikri in 1580. Father
Monserrate mentions: He even quarried stone himself, alongside the
workmen. Buland Daraza, the gigantic south gate of Jama Masjid
was constructed after the triumphant return of Emperor Akbar to his new
capital to commemorate the victory in Gujarat in 1573. Emperor Akbar
consulted scholars and priests of many religions and religious sects in
March 1582 and finally launched his own religion, the Din-i-Ilahi
or the divine faith. Abul Fazl, his dear friend, philosopher, a very highly
respected minister and official chronicler, described this religion quite
elaborately in his Ain-i-Akbari manuscript. The architecture
of his palaces in the Agra Fort was already inspired by his philosophy of
religious tolerance. In architecture of Fatehpur Sikri it was even more
emphasized. The most remarkable buildings where the assimilation of
architectural influences of many religions is very obvious are the
Diwan-i-Khas and the Kiosk for astrologer but the design of
almost all the palaces was inspired by this philosophy. Sometime in 1585
Emperor Akbar deserted this new capital of Fatehpur Sikri. Too much
population and lack of water are just two among many other factors for the
reason behind deserting this remarkable Mughal capital city. Emperor Akbar
remained in Lahore to suppress the constant uprisings in the north-west of
Mughal Empire until 1598. The Mughal capital at Fatehpur Sikri remained
almost deserted until the beginning of 20th century when the
British Viceroy, Lord Curzon, took personal interest in its renovation by
the Archaeological Survey of India. This work is still ongoing in 2008. A
small village below the Buland Darwaza and the complex of Jama Masjid was
never completely deserted as followers of the Sufi saint visited his white
marble mausoleum in the courtyard of the mosque. The tomb of Sheikh Salim
Chistie was originally also built in red sandstone like all other buildings
in Fatehpur Sikri.
Emperor Jahangir
mentions in his memoirs that his foster brother, Qutubuddin Khan Koka,
had outer white marble screens installed and a white marble ambulatory floor
paved in 1606. The complete lamination of the exterior of the mausoleum was
completed much later in 1866.
Prince Salim, the
eldest son of Emperor Akbar and his heir apparent was born in the short
lived capital city of Fatehpur Sikri in 1569. The
fourth Mughal
Emperor, Jahangir, also chose Agra as his capital initially
until he moved to Lahore and Srinagar in Kashmir. His Persian queen
Mehr-un-Nisa, who was honored with the title of
Nur Jahan
or the light of the universe, had the first major white marble mausoleum
constructed for her parents on eastern banks of Yamuna River. It was named
after the title of her father, Mirza Ghiaz Beg, the
Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah. She also built the mausoleum for her
husband, Emperor Jahangir, in Lahore in present day Pakistan. The main gate
of the tomb of Emperor Akbar at Sikandara may also have been
influenced by her ideas. The
fifth Mughal Emperor,
Shahjahan, had many buildings in Agra Fort demolished and
replaced with grand white marble edifices. His most remarkable architectural
feat in Agra was the mausoleum famous as
Taj Mahal
that he built for his queen, Arjumand Bano Begum. She received the
title of Begum
Mumtaj Mahal
or the crown of the palace. She was the niece of Nur Jahan and the favorite
queen of Emperor Shahjahan, his most trusted advisor and constant companion.
She died delivering his fourteenth child while they were camped near the
battlefield of Burhanpur in central India, about 1000 miles away from Agra.
The emperor was heart broken and decided to build for his beloved queen the
most beautiful mausoleum ever constructed. Shahjahan also built a complete
new capital in Delhi and named it after him, the
Shahjahanabad.
The most prominent buildings in this new capital were his Red Fort of
Delhi, the Jama Masjid and the Chandni Chowk bazaar. The
sixth Mughal Emperor,
Aurangzeb, remained in Agra for the initial years of his rule but
later moved to Aurangabad where he is buried. The Mughal monuments in Agra
and elsewhere were ransacked and looted in eighteenth century by Maratha and
Jat rulers among many others and remained in disrepair during the British
Raj until the beginning of 20th century.
Tourism provides
employment to a large section of the population of Agra. There are two main
non-tourism related industries in Agra. One is the leather shoe industry
that produces about 200,000 pairs of shoes in the organized shoe factories.
Thousands of people work from home in the cottage shoe industry of Agra. The
ferrous and non-ferrous casting as well as molding industry is the other
very big employer in Agra. The casting and molding industries were mainly
based in an industrial area in north-eastern Agra and on the east bank of
the River Yamuna. Because of pollution from coal fired furnaces, these
industries have been re-located in the north-western part of Agra, further
away from Agra.
Monuments of Agra:
The World famous Taj
Mahal - Rauza-e-Begum Mumtaj Mahal
Arjumand Bano Mumtaj
Mahal Begum died on June 17, 1631 while she was camped at a battle field
near Burhanpur in west-central India delivering her fourteenth child, a
daughter that was still born. She was temporarily buried in Burhanpur the
same day.
On January 8, 1632
Begum Mumtaj Mahal was again temporarily buried in a red sandstone enclosure
very close to the white marble mausoleum in the northwest side of the garden
of the Taj Mahal. This enclosure can still be seen in the garden of Taj
Mahal. On March 4, 1633 the locality of Taj Ganj was established for all the
construction workers to live near the site. There is confusion about the
main architect of the Taj Mahal. It was most probably designed by a
committee consisting of several persons including the emperor himself.
Ustad Ahmad Lahori was one of the specialists in construction who served
Emperor Shah Jahan between 1624 and 1635. He was honored with the title of
Nadir-al-Asr or wonder of age. Amanat Khan who was originally
from Persia worked on the calligraphy inside the central chamber during the
years 1635 and 1636 and elsewhere in the building according to an
inscription on the main gate. On December 19, 1637 Shah Jahan honored him
for his calligraphy work. In 2004 a team of researchers from the
Archaeological Survey of India discovered the names of 670 previously
unknown persons who specialized in various artistic areas. These names were
inscribed in the vaults in the foundation of the Taj Mahal. Apart from these
names there is sufficient evidence to believe that Ismail Khan from
Turkey (or of Turkish origin from central Asia) was the designer of the dome
of the Taj Mahal. Qazim Khan was from Lahore and specialized in the
casting of solid gold finial on top of the dome. A local lapidary from Delhi
was the chief sculptor and the specialist for mosaic work. Muhammad Hanif
was given the task of supervising the thousands of masons. Mir Abdul
Karim and Mukkarimat Khan of Shiraz in Persia were the paymasters
for the thousands of specialists and ordinary construction workers who were
employed by Shah Jahan. Apart from these few there were sculptors from
Bukhara (in Uzbekistan), calligraphers from Syria and Persia, specialists in
inlay of semi-precious stones in marble from South India and stone cutters
from Baluchistan (frontier province of Pakistan). There was a man who
specialized in the construction of turrets. There was another specialist for
carving flowers from marble slabs. In all there were thirty seven men who
had special talents and formed a creative nucleus in the
monumental task of building the Taj Mahal. The ordinary labor force of
about twenty thousand was employed mostly from various cities in North
India. The materials required for the building were imported from all over
India and some from various countries in Asia. The white marble was from
Makrana, a region in the kingdom of Mirza Raja Jai Singh I of Amber. There
are original firman with seal and signature of Emperor Shah
Jahan that confirm that Emperor Shah Jahan asked Raja Jai Singh I to
expedite the delivery of marble. More than 1000 elephants were used to
transport the marble pieces and also for lifting huge pieces of marble over
a seven mile long ramp. Jasper stone came from Punjab. Jade and
crystal came from China. The turquoise stone came from Tibet. The Lapis
Lazuli came from Afghanistan. Sapphire was imported from Sri Lanka. The
Cornelian came from Arabia. Various shades of Agate were available in India.
The total cost of the construction of the mausoleum surpassed
Rupees forty million (about one million dollars) in the period of
Emperor Shah Jahan when one could buy one gram of gold for Rupees 1.3.
Originally there was a
solid gold screen around the grave of Mumtaj Mahal. This screen was replaced
with a larger and very beautifully carved white marble screen that we see at
present in 1642. The marks of the pillars of the golden screen can still be
seen on the floor around the grave of Begum Mumtaj Mahal. This suggests that
the construction of main building may have been finished by 1642. On January
31, 1647 the best friend of Arjumand Bano Begum and another queen of Emperor
Shahjahan, Sati-un-Nisa died. She must also have been
temporarily buried somewhere. In early 1649 a red sandstone mausoleum was
built just outside the western gate to the southern courtyard of Taj Mahal
where Sati-un-Nisa is buried. Across the road on its southern side is the
Fatehpuri Mosque built with brick and mortar that was later laminated
with red sand stone like all peripheral buildings of the Taj Mahal. The
tomb of Akbarabadi Begum, the other queen of Emperor Shahjahan, is on
the southeast corner of the southern courtyard. Both the mausoleums for
Sati-un-Nisa and Akbarabadi Begum are referred to as the Saheli Burj
or the towers for the girl friends of Begum Mumtaj Mahal.
Ustad Ahmad
died in 1649. The year 1648 is inscribed on the main gate of Taj Mahal and
many historians and archaeologists of the Archaeological Survey of India
believe that the entire complex of Taj Mahal must have been complete in
1648. According to this construction the Taj Mahal took 17 years to
complete. The Emperor Shah Jahan himself died on January 31, 1666
and his body was carried on a boat through the gate in the moat of Agra
Fort. The body was transferred in the night in absolute secrecy through the
Khizri Gate of Agra Fort over the Yamuna River to the tomb of Mumtaj
Mahal through the riverside entrance to Taj Mahal that is now closed.
Emperor Aurangzeb feared that there could be a revolt against him in Agra if
people found out that the beloved Emperor had passed away in captivity. Shah
Jahan was still very much beloved by the local population in Agra even at
the time of his death.
The total length of the
Taj Mahal complex from the south gate of the southern courtyard to the north
wall of Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna is 579.2 meters or 1900.3
feet. The width of the complex from its eastern wall to the western one is
304.8 meters or 1000 feet. This entire area has seven very conspicuous
elements:
The Darwaza or
the main gate to enter into the gardens in front of the mausoleum; the
Mughal Charbagh or the garden that is divided in four parts that is in
front of the Taj Mahal; the Masjid that was constructed for the royal
family and their guests to pray when they visited the mausoleum; the
Mehman Khana that was built to maintain symmetry with Masjid on the
western side of mausoleum and finally the main white marble mausoleum
that is the focus of attention of every visitor immediately after one enters
the red sandstone main gate of the Taj Mahal. In the middle of the garden is
a white marble platform with a fountain pool, where most visitors to this
tomb like to be photographed.
All royal mausoleums
built by Mughal Emperors had a Charbagh Garden around them or the
mausoleum was placed in the middle of the garden with four divisions. In Taj
Mahal’s design the main mausoleum was placed in the north of the Charbagh.
The reason for this change in tradition was probably esthetical. By this
placement it is reflected in the still waters of Yamuna River. The site was
chosen at a specific location where even the River makes a symmetrical
U-curve flowing from the northwest towards the mausoleum and flowing away
from the mausoleum towards the northeast. The other advantage was that there
was no building behind the mausoleum. In the bright moon light when the
white marble of Taj Mahal shines, the building appears to be suspended
because the gardens in front are dark and there is only open sky behind the
building. There were two entrances designed in the Taj Mahal. In the north
there are two stairways in the red sandstone platform leading to a gate
opening on to banks of River Yamuna. The boats could come right up to the
River gate bringing the royal visitors during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan
and even subsequently. This entry is now closed. The other entry in to the
Charbagh is through the massive red sandstone main gate of the Taj Mahal
that in itself is a very impressive building. It is 151 feet wide, 117 feet
deep and 100 feet high. One gets just a glimpse of white marble mausoleum as
one approaches the gigantic arch in the main gate. As one proceeds further
inside gradually more and more of the mausoleum is visible. When one is
standing in the middle of the interior of this main gate, the entire
mausoleum is beautifully framed in the northern arch of this gate. From the
main gate to the red sandstone platform on which the white marble mausoleum
is standing the total distance is 1000 feet. The entire area between the
main gate and the mausoleum is covered by the Charbagh that is 1000
feet wide also.
The red sandstone
platform at the end of Charbagh is 970 feet 7 inches wide and 364 feet 10
inches deep. This platform is about four feet higher than the garden level.
There are three buildings on this Chameli Farsh red sandstone
platform. The mosque is on its western side, in the center is the main
mausoleum and on its eastern side is the ‘Mehman Khana’ guest house.
From the top of this
red sandstone platform another white marble platform rises further 5.79
meters or 19 feet higher. This white marble platform is 57 meters or 187
feet long and its width is exactly the same. On the southern side of this
white marble platform there are two stairways leading up to it. At each of
the four corners of this platform are four minarets with three balconies
jutting out regular levels in each of them. These minarets are 40.2 meters
or 132 feet high. They were planned to be slightly leaning outwards. In case
of an earthquake they would fall away from the mausoleum and not on it. From
this white platform one climbs another 3 feet over the white marble steps in
front of the mausoleum’s entrance. The total height of the mausoleum from
the bottom of the 19 feet high white marble platform to the top of metal
finial crowning the main dome is 74.2 meters or 243 feet 6 inches. On the
roof of the Taj Mahal the dome rests on a drum shaped structure that is 39
feet tall. From the bottom of this drum to the top of the metal finial
crowning the dome it is 44.4 meters or 145 feet 8 inches high. The metal
finial on top of the dome alone is 32 feet 5.5 inches tall.
The foundations of the
Taj Mahal are also very special. Shah Jahan had wells dug on the River bank
below the Chameli Farsh platform. The walls of these wells have masonry
arches on top. The Chameli Farsh Platform of Taj Mahal is resting on these
arches. There are two domes in the Taj Mahal to reduce the weight of the
dome and to harmonize the height of the dome inside the monument with its
interior and its height outside with the exterior architecture of the
mausoleum. On the roof of the Taj Mahal there is stairway leading into the
empty space between the two domes. Entry to the roof of the Taj Mahal is
closed to public. The Taj Mahal was used by officers of the English East
India Company for a considerable period as a private club. On the
roof of the mausoleum one can still see marks left behind by roller skates
used by the British. The East India Company Governor General, William
Bentinck once proposed the marble of Taj Mahal and other Mughal monuments to
be sold in Europe for building material. The English Parliament considered
the proposal but found it to be financially not feasible because marble from
Italy, Bulgaria and other European sources was cheaper.
Arjumand
Bano Begum, for whom the Taj Mahal was built, was of Persian origin. Persian
influence in the design and decoration of Taj Mahal was very natural. The
founder of the Mughal Empire in India was brought up by her mother and
grandmother who were very well versed in Persian language. His son, Humanyun,
was forced to spend many years in exile in the court of Persian ruler, Shah
Tahmasp. The Mughal Emperors from period of Emperor Humayun were very much
influenced by Persian language, literature and culture. Persian was the
official language of India under many Islamic dynasties before Mughals and
the Mughals as well as for some time even under the British East India
Company until Lord Bentinct replaced English as national language instead of
Persian. For many years after independence of India in 1947 the legal
documents like property deeds etc. remained in Persian language. In the
reign of Emperor Akbar the influence of Hindu, Buddhist and Jain art and
architectural forms was pervasive as one sees in Agra Fort and Fatehpur
Sikri. Many forms of architectural decoration from these religious cultures
had become universally accepted by the time when Shah Jahan started his
grand scale constructions. In the Taj Mahal there are some very obvious
Hindu influences like the inverted lotus flower motif at the base of the
finial on top of the dome. In the interior of central chamber in Taj Mahal
there is a beautiful Sunflower motif carved in marble in the center of the
dome. The grave of Emperor Shah Jahan was not planned originally to be
placed in the building. It is the only element in the entire Taj Mahal
Complex that disturbs the absolute symmetry. His grave is on the western
side of the grave of the queen. This second grave was added to the monument
in the period of Emperor Aurangzeb who followed a very strict and rigid form
of Islam. He did not allow the use of Arabic language on the gravestone. On
the grave of the queen her name is written in Arabic language and there are
the classic 99 names of Allah inlaid with semi-precious stones on the sides
of her gravestone. The name of the Emperor on his gravestone is written in
Persian language and instead of the 99 names of Allah, a motif of Poppy
Flower with two leaves on its sides is repeated in the rectangular spaces on
either side. The Poppy Flower was used to symbolize that the Emperor was in
eternal sleep. On top of the gravestone on grave of Shah Jahan there is a
very beautiful Sun motif that reminds one of such motifs used in many Hindu
temples. In the center of this motif a large stone is missing. It could have
been a very large Sapphire or Ruby that could have been looted during the
Jat, Maratha and other invasions of Mughal monuments during the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries.
There are
only three forms of architectural decoration used in the Taj Mahal. The
carvings in marble on its exterior are very limited and are done in spaces
that are protected by an overhanging stone. That is why there is no space on
its exterior where rain water could accumulate and erode the marble. Almost
all decoration on its exterior is done with very large motifs made with
semi-precious stones inlaid in white marble using geometrical and floral
designs and inlay of black marble in white marble for Arabic calligraphy.
The calligraphy around the arches on all four sides of the mausoleum is also
done with inlay of black marble in white marble. As one proceeds in the
interior of the main building the decoration with carvings and also with
inlay work gets more and more intricate. On the tombstones and the latticed
screen around them, the inlay-work as well as the carvings are most
intricate. On the screen a single lotus flower motif that is repeated many
times is made up with more than 60 pieces of semi-precious stones in an area
of less than two square inches. On the screen the inlay work is done even on
curved surfaces that would have been an extremely delicate work and also
very time consuming to execute. In the red sandstone main gate of the tomb,
in the mosque towards the west and in the Mehman Khana (guest house) in the
east there is some painting done with white mineral color on red sandstone
surface.
Taj Mahal
is open for tourists from 6 AM to 7 PM on all days except Fridays when local
Muslim offer prayers in the royal mosque of Emperor Shahjahan. This mosque
during the reign of Mughal Emperors must have been only for royal family and
close friends as well as royal guests because it has a separate section for
ladies to pray which one usually does not find in Islamic mosques. Entrance
Fee for foreigners is Rupees 750 per person and this ticket is valid for
entry on same date in Agra Fort, Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah, the Tomb of
Emperor Akbar at Sikandara and Fatehpur Sikri.
Taj Mahal
is open on full moon night and 2 nights before and after but not on Fridays.
Entrance costs Rupees 750 per person for foreign adults and Rupees 500 for
foreign children between the ages of 3 to 15 years. The children that are
younger than 3 years old have free entrance. The tickets are
non-transferable. The entrance tickets have to be purchased 24 hours in
advance between 11 AM and 5 PM on the preceding day. Entrance tickets cannot
be purchased on the day tourists wish to visit. Opening Time is 10.30 PM to
12 mid-nights. In total 400 persons are allowed in batches of 50 for 30
minutes each. Tourists have to collect at Shilpigram artisan village near
east gate of southern courtyard, 30 minutes before the allotted time. During
the full moon night in the month of Ramzan, the Islamic holy month of
fasting and prayers, entry for tourists is not allowed.
The Taj
Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Agra
Fort
Agra Fort
has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the
western bank of River Yamuna about 2.5 kilometers or 1.6 miles northwest of
the world famous Taj Mahal mausoleum. All the initial six Mughal Emperors
lived in this or the fort that existed at this place before the present
structure was constructed. Many European travelers visited and wrote about
this fort. There could be a fort at this location even earlier and there is
historical evidence that Chauhan Rajput rulers controlled this fort before
early eleventh century. In 1080 CE an army of Mahmud Ghazni conquered it.
The Sultanate rulers did not seem to have lived in this fort but they may
have controlled it until the second last ruler of Lodi dynasty, Sultan
Sikandar Lodi (1487 to 1517) moved to Agra Fort to suppress the constant
rebellion of Jat chieftains of Bharatpur and Dholpur region. His son, Sultan
Ibrahim Lodi controlled this fort for 9 years and built several palaces,
wells and mosque in it, although he ruled from Delhi. After defeating Sultan
Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat in 1526, Emperor Babur came to
this fort although he lived mostly in his favorite garden, Aram Bagh, on the
east bank of River Yamuna. Babur sent his son, Humayun, to Gwalior to secure
the treasure of the Hindu ruler, Vikramaditya, who had sided with the
defeated Sultan Ibrahim Lodi. His queen presented Humayun with the famous
Kohinoor diamond to secure her welfare and the fortunes as well as property
of her family. After defeating the 2nd Mughal Emperor, Humayun,
Sher Shah Suri controlled this fort for 5 years. Emperor Akbar was crowned
in the old fort of Delhi but he decided to move his capital to Agra in 1558.
His
friend, philosopher and official historian, Abul Fazl mentioned that the
fort in Agra was called Badalgarh and was in ruined condition when
the 3rd Mughal Emperor saw it for the first time. Emperor Akbar
had the Fort reinforced with thick and high walls made of the typical thin
medieval bricks with mortar. He had the entire interior and exterior facades
of the fort laminated with red sandstone. The fort was then called Lal
Qila or the red fort. About 4000 laborers toiled for 8 years to complete
the fort in 1573. When the fort was ready it had more than 500 buildings
within the two moats that surround it. The outer moat was filled with water
from the River Yamuna. The inner moat was dry. Many of the original
buildings of the fort of Emperor Akbar were replaced with beautiful white
marble palaces by Emperor Shahjahan who spent the last eight years of his
life as a prisoner in his own palaces.
The
British East India Company and later the British colonial rulers also
destroyed some of the buildings of the period of Emperor Akbar to build
barracks for the army. The western part of the fort is still occupied by
military. The Jat, Maratha and other rulers ransacked the palaces of this
fort before and during the 1st War of Indian Independence in
1857.
The
exterior walls of Agra Fort are about 70 feet high and about 2 miles in
circumference. The fort had 4 massive gates originally. Of these the
Khizri Gate that opened towards the River Yamuna is now closed. The
majestic Delhi Gate on the western side is used by the military. This
gate leads to the impressive interior gate, Hathi Pol, so called
because it is flanked by life sized statues of 2 elephants with riders on
top. The gate used by public now was originally called Lahori Gate
but is now popularly called Amar Singh Gate after a warrior who made
a daring escape from this fort during Mughal rule. There are 2 draw-bridges
in front of the Delhi Gate and the Amar Singh Gate that are still functional
but they are no more used. Emperor Akbar was very impressed by the Bengal
and Gujarat architecture that he saw in his campaigns to conquer these
provinces of India. Abul Fazl mentions in his Akbar Nama that buildings of
Emperor Akbar used many elements of the architecture of these two provinces
in combination with Islamic features. At present only 30 buildings on the
eastern side of the fort facing the River Yamuna exist and have been
maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India. The palace that is
popularly called Jahangiri Mahal was most probably part of the
Zanana or female quarters. The overwhelming Hindu style of the palace
suggests that it may have been used by the Hindu Rajput queen, Jodha Bai,
of Emperor Akbar from the Kachchwaha family of Amber. Much of the interior
decoration that originally used a lot of real gold foil was destroyed during
the tumultuous period after the downfall of the Mughal rulers in the
beginning of 18th century. In some palaces where parts of
original decoration had survived, restoration has been done to give the
visitor an idea of how the entire palace interior would have looked. In the
Jahangiri Mahal there is a central rectangular courtyard around which
all the residential spaces are built. On its eastern side is a spacious
terrace with a high wall towards the riverside. This wall is penetrated with
balconies from where one can have beautiful views of River Yamuna and the
distant Taj Mahal mausoleum. Walking through the palaces along the riverside
one enters the section that Emperor Shahjahan reconstructed with white
marble. It is in stark contrast to the red sandstone palaces of Emperor
Akbar. In these palaces Emperor Shahjahan spent the last 8 years of his life
after his son, the 6th Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, imprisoned him
and usurped the throne, killing all his brothers. The most beautiful part of
this section is the Mussamam Burj where Emperor Shahjahan is supposed
to have passed away. This palace has beautiful carvings in marble on the
floor to create fountains inside and outside the palace. The decoration also
uses Pietra Dure – inlay of semi-precious stones in white marble. A
staircase from this palace leads to the Diwan-i-Khas or the hall of
private audience, another palace that Emperor Shahjahan rebuilt in Agra
Fort. The interior of this palace is also decorated with floral and
geometrical motif created by carving in marble and with inlay of
semi-precious stones. The terrace in front of this palace has a huge black
marble royal throne that was cracked in two pieces by bomb that landed on
it. Across this throne is a smaller white marble throne that may have been
used by the chief minister or Wazir. Below the terrace is a beautiful
rectangular garden in which the flower beds are created by beautifully
shaped red sandstone partitions, walkways, streams of water and fountains.
This courtyard was called Machi Bhawan and was also used by the
ladies of harem. A door in the verandah around this courtyard leads to the
Pavillion of the Emperor in Diwan-i-Am or hall of public audience.
Beside this another door leads to a short stairwell through which one enters
the majestic pillared hall of public audience. This hall was surrounded by a
huge rectangular courtyard where canopies and tents were hung to create
shade for the general public. On the raised platform of the hall of public
audience only noblemen and courtiers could stand during official Mughal
ceremonies. There is a white marble throne just below the gallery of the
Emperor that was used by the Wazir. The gallery of the Emperor is
very intricately decorated with Pietra Dura work. A gate in the north of
this massive courtyard leads to the Moti Masjid or the Pearl Mosque
the largest white marble mosque in the world that was also built by Emperor
Shahjahan.
Mausoleum of Itmad-ud-Daulah
Mirza
Ghiyas al Din Muhammad Beg
was the father of Merh-un-Nisa, who later got the title of Begum
Nur Jahan (the light of the universe). She was the queen of Emperor
Jahangir and paternal aunt of Arjumand Bano, Begum Mumtaj Mahal for whom the
Taj Mahal mausoleum was built. Mirza Ghiyas Beg passed away in 1622 followed
shortly afterwards by his wife, Asmat Begum. Nur Jahan personally designed a
unique mausoleum for them on the eastern banks of River Yamuna in Agra. She
envisioned the mausoleum on the model of a jewelry box. She was the first to
use white marble for the entire main building of the tomb. Like all other
contemporary Mughal buildings this mausoleum is also made of thin, baked
bricks and mortar. The brick surfaces were then laminated with white marble
in the interior and the exterior of the mausoleum. It was set in the middle
of a Charbagh (a garden divided in 4 equal parts). In the east was
the main entrance and on the west there was an entrance from the River
Yamuna. In the north and south there were mock gateways for maintaining the
symmetry. These gateways as well as the surrounding wall of the tomb are
made of brick and mortar that were laminated subsequently with red
sandstone. The mausoleum is very feminine in character. The overwhelming
Persian influence is also very obvious in the motifs used for decoration.
The cypress trees, vases with fruit and flower motifs are very typical
Persian in character. It rests on a white marble platform that is about
three feet high. The tomb has two floors. On the ground floor in the central
chamber are the graves of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and Asmat Begum. Their
gravestones are each carved out of single pieces of Jasper stone. In the 4
corner chambers there are the graves of their relatives. On the upper floor,
there is a spacious terrace surrounding the central chamber where in a hall
with huge screens carved out of single pieces of marble on all sides are the
replicas of graves of Mirza Ghiyas Beg and his wife. The design on the floor
of this upper central chamber is also very unique. Unlike all other Mughal
mausoleums this floor has a floral pattern in its decoration. On the four
corners of the upper terrace there are four minarets that have spiral
staircases inside to climb up to a kiosk that is topped with a dome. The
exterior of these four minarets also has Persian motifs that are inlaid in
white marble using different shades of Jasper and black marble. The entire
decoration in the mausoleum is done with very fine carvings and inlay of
various shades and varieties of Jasper stone as well as black marble. The
interior of Archways leading into the mausoleum from the four sides is
decorated with very special carved design. The design used in these arches
reminds one of Chikan kurta embroidery. Many scholars believe that
Chikan Embroidary was invented by Queen Nur Jahan.
Sikandara
Emperor
Akbar started the construction of his mausoleum in his own lifetime in 1604.
The famous historical chronicle, Akbarnama, that was composed by the
philosopher, official historian and one of his Navratnas, the nine
most important jewels of his court, Abul Fazl who was also a dear friend of
Emperor Akbar. The mausoleum according to this chronicle was variously
called Behistan and Behistabad meaning the abode in
paradise. There are inscriptions on its south gate that is more majestic
and lofty than the mausoleum itself. These inscriptions state that its
construction finished between 1612 and 1614. Akbar wanted the mausoleum to
be very simple in style but reflecting his preference for a blend of Hindu,
Jain and Islamic architecture. One learns from contemporary historical
accounts of the period of Emperor Jahangir who ruled from 1605 to 1625. The
fourth Mughal Emperor Jahangir was displeased by the slow progress in the
completion of the monument. The main gate of the mausoleum was added during
his reign. Jahangir had married the Shia Muslim daughter of a powerful
courtier, Mirza Ghiyas Beg, Mehrunissa Begum. Emperor Jahangir honored her
initially with the title of Nur Mahal meaning the light of the
palace and later with the title Nur Jahan or the light of the
universe. From the decoration of the main gate it is very apparent that
she must have also influenced the construction of the main gate of the
mausoleum of Emperor Akbar.
Following
the Mughal tradition initiated in the tomb of the second Mughal Emperor
Humayun in Delhi, the mausoleum of Emperor Akbar was also placed in the
center of a Char Bagh or a garden with four squares. The last
construction in the mausoleum was its main gate in the south. There are
three other much smaller gates in the center of eastern, northern and
western walls. The main gate is a square building that has one very high
arch in the center of each of its four facades. This arch is flanked by two
smaller arches, one on top of the other, on either side. The main gate as
well as all the other buildings in the mausoleum complex are constructed
with brick using mortar and then clad with red sand stone. There are
beautiful inlaid decorations in the sand stone laminate that use white and
black marble. The inscriptions on the main gate were designed by the famous
Abd-Al-Haqq Shirazi whose services were later utilized by the fifth
Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan, in the decoration of the world famous Taj Mahal
mausoleum. The inscription in the north of the main gate eulogize the
Emperor Akbar and those in the south side that one views as one approaches
the mausoleum complex praise Emperor Jahangir as the patron of the tomb. On
four corners of the main gate are four white marble minarets that are three
stories high with a round balcony at each floor level. The top of the four
minarets are capped with a white marble domes resting on white marble
pillars.
The main
mausoleum is also a square building that is five stories high reminding one
of Panch Mahal that Emperor Akbar constructed in his short lived capital of
Fatehpur Sikri. There is a massive arched gate in the center of each of its
four sides. These arched gates of the main building reach up to three
stories in height. A white marble kiosk that is rectangular in shape,
perhaps an influence of the architecture of the eastern state of Bengal, is
placed on top of this massive arched gate. This kiosk reaches almost as high
as the fifth floor of the mausoleum. Only the high arched gateway in the
south side of the mausoleum has an access to the grave of the Emperor in the
center of the building. Two daughters of Emperor Akbar, Shakrul Nisha
Begum and Aram Bano Begum, are also buried in the chambers left
of the main arched gateway of the mausoleum. On the topmost floor is a
replica of the grave of the Emperor, just like in the Taj Mahal and the tomb
of Itmad-ud-Daulah. The topmost floor has a beautifully decorated open
terrace with white marble latticed screens surrounding it.
Jama
Masjid
This is
another beautiful Mosque constructed during the reign of Emperor Shahjahan.
This mosque in Agra was built under the patronage of the younger daughter of
Emperor Shahjahan, Roshanara Begum. Its most remarkable feature is the
zigzag pattern done with inlay of white marble in red sandstone on its three
main domes. This mosque is also unique in that it does not have any
minarets. The congested locality behind the mosque is still called Roshan
Mohalla after the name of the Mughal princess.
Ram
Bagh
Babur
died on Monday, December 26, 1530, merely four years after conquering the
Sultanate of Delhi with its vast territories in northern India. In this
short period he laid beautiful gardens in the typical Charbagh (a
garden divided in 4 parts) style along the east bank of Yamuna River in
Agra. Only one of these gardens has survived in its entirety. It was
originally called Aram Bagh and is now commonly called Ram Bagh.
As one crosses the River Yamuna over the new road bridge, one cannot fail to
notice the surrounding wall of this garden on the banks of the river and
just beside the main road on its right hand side that is in its geographical
north. There are partial remains of his second garden, Zuhra Bagh,
named after the daughter of Emperor Babur near Rambagh. Babur was buried in
Aram Bagh at Agra initially. About one year after his death his body was
exhumed and transferred from Ram Bagh to his favorite garden in Kabul,
Afghanistan under the supervision of his widow and one of his younger sons.
He was buried in one of his favorite gardens according to his last wish.
Maryams Tomb
A couple
of miles further west of the Mausoleum of Emperor Akbar at Sikandara is the
tomb of his Hindu queen, Jodha Bai. The tomb is located in the center
of a Char Bagh – a garden divided into 4 parts. It has a simple grave
in a central chamber that is surrounded by rooms and pillars all around.
Emperor Akbar honored his Hindu queen with the title of Maryam Makani
or the Mary of the House.
5-star
deluxe hotel:
Oberoi
Amarvilas Hotel is about 600 yards from the east gate of the Taj Mahal – 109
rooms.
5-star
hotels:
Taj View
Hotel has many rooms with view of the Taj Mahal – 100 rooms
ITC Mughal Sheraton has views of the Taj Mahal from one of its restaurants –
285 rooms
Clarks Shiraz Hotel is less than a mile from the Taj Mahal, has many rooms
with views of the Taj Mahal – 237 rooms
Trident Hilton is close to the Taj Mahal – 138 rooms
3-star
hotels:
Yamuna
View Hotel – 58 rooms
Jaypee Palace Hotel – 350 rooms
Howard Park Plaza Hotel – 85 rooms
Holiday Inn Hotel – 145 rooms
Man Singh Palace Hotel – 100 rooms
Distance from Agra in kilometers and miles:
Fatehpur
Sikri: 40 kilometers or 25 miles
Bharatpur: 60 kilometers or 37 miles
Ranthambhore: 227 kilometers or 141 miles
Mathura: 60 kilometers or 37 miles
Gwalior: 118 kilometers or 73 miles
Jhansi: 221 kilometers or 127 miles
Khajuraho: 295 kilometers or 183 miles
Lucknow: 363 kilometers or 227 miles
Delhi: 200 kilometers or 125 miles
Jaipur: 232 kilometers or 144 miles
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