I always wanted to write my travel stories & with this trip, I thought to give it a try. Though it was a business trip but somehow I managed to have my personal time to look through the city with exploring point of view. I wont be giving you suggestions about accommodation or food in Agra as my accommodation was booked in a business hotel but will be writing about how i spent my two days and what places i visited.
It was a road trip from New Delhi and we started in early morning to utilize the day productively. The first destination was world's famous Taj Mahal, the symbol of love, which took 22 years to complete with the help of 20,000 workers between 1632 and 1653. Before you see Taj Mahal, you have to go through The Great Gate (Darwaza - i - rouza) , Gateway to the Taj Mahal.
After crossing through the gate, you will see the magnificent Taj Mahal (Dont't miss to take the photograph while you are in gate).
There are three gates to enter the Taj - The West gate (facing Agra city), The East Gate (facing Fatehabad) and The South gate (facing Taj Ganj). You can easily spend 2 - 3 hours at this place by walking around the symmetry of Taj and entering into the mausoleum. The calm environment is waiting for you inside. Formed with black marble inlaid in white, the floor of the Taj is paved in a geometrical pattern consisting of octagonal stars alternating with cruciform shapes. The ninety nine beautiful names of Allah can be found as calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal.
After you come back outside, you can see the huge Yamuna river. Spend some time in taking photographs here before you move to your next destination.
So, I reached Agra Fort - Gem of the Mughal Era, a perfect spot to feel the Mughal architecture and know about how they spend their lives.
The fort has a numerous courtyards, towers, private halls and chambers from the Mughal period. Some pictures are shared below:
Last but not the least, don't miss watching the view of Taj Mahal from the window of Agra Fort.
I decided to go to Fatehpur Sikri the next day and then come back to Agra for some other spots. Fatehpur Sikri is 36 km away from Agra. This city holds the importance as being the capital of the Mughal kingdom during the Akbar's rule. Don't expect too much from this place as most of the monuments are abandoned but some important spots you can find are:
1) Buland Darwaza (The Grand Gate)
2) Panch Mahal (Entertainment Centre)
3) Lotus Throne (Don't miss this piece made from single sandstone)
4) Diwan - e - Khas (Hall of Private Audience)
5) Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti
6) Jodha Bai Palace
After coming back to Agra, I headed towards Itmad-ud-Daula which is renownedly known as "Baby Taj" because of its appearance. Surprisingly, this less crowded monument, has more delicate artwork with marble lattice screens and fine carvings.
But who was Itmad-ud-Daulah ?
Mirza Ghiyas Beg, a Persian noble was the treasurer of Akbar. His daughter Nur Jahan married Akbar's son Jehangir. This was the first Mughal structure made with marbles constructed by Nur Jahan.
You can find floral designs painted on the walls. Cypress tree decorations can also be found, showing the essence of Persian influence on the structure. Carved panels of calligraphy designs are found on both the levels.
The garden of the tomb represents the paradise. The garden is square shaped and is divided into four parts by water channels. The tomb is symmetrically place in the junction of the four quadrants. Each quadrant represents each sea of the paradise. There are four rectangular pools in the garden with fountains.
An important tip for this place: Beware of the monkeys here, there are lots of them but they won't disturb you until you start :)
Mehtab Bagh, last destination of the day, made my trip wonderful and complete. Specially, because of the time I reached there, it was around 4 P.m. and I have viewed a completely different beauty of Taj Mahal with the rays of sunshine touching the Taj. No wonder, it is known by the name "Moonlight Garden". It is also a perfect spot to visualize the sunset in Agra. Do spend at least half an hour in this garden.
While going back, I have encountered a beautiful horse cart in the garden and I captured it as my iconic picture. Sharing with you all!
Overall, it was a nice experience exploring the city of Mughals but as we say, there's never an end to anything. If i get a chance again to visit this city, I will bring some more new experiences. Till the time, look forward for my future travel journeys.
Hope you like my first try :)