Agra Fort

March 31, 2018

After visiting the Taj Mahal, we went back to the hotel for breakfast before going to the Agra Fort. The fort was a huge complex that served as the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty. Agra was the capital of the region until 1638 when it was moved to Delhi. The construction of the fort started in the early 1500’s and continued until the early 1600’s.  The majority of the structures are made with the red sandstone.

This is the main entry gate.

The first courtyard has the Dewan-i-Aam (public meeting hall). It is made of the red sandstone but was painted white to look like marble.

 

The supports were made to slightly resemble an elephant trunk. 

Behind the public courtyard you enter the private area of the Khas Mahal Palace and the Anguri Bagh gardens.  

 

The Khas Mahal was originally built of red sandstone but was later replaced with a marble structure.

It has some of the same style of inlaid marble designs as the Taj Mahal.

 

A mixture of the sandstone and marble.

There are walled patio areas located on each side of the gardens. This was so parties could be held for different guests at the same time.

 

 

The beautifully decorated architecture.

 

 

 

In another area of the fort, a palace was built for the emperor’s son and wife. 

 

We stopped for lunch at Sheroe’s Hangout. It stands for She+Heroes =Sheroes.

The cafe is run by a group of women who have been attacked by acid and who have fought to survive. The acid attack survivors are from various backgrounds and were attacked at different ages and for different reasons. The gentleman in the blue shirt with our group is the journalist who began writing about the attacks and the emotional and social issues surrounding the survivors. Due to his writing campaign, others rallied together and formed the cafe giving those women an opportunity to have employment and to support themselves. It was a very emotional experience talking with one lady who was attacked by her father at age 3 who was told if he killed her he could then have a boy child. He did go to prison but threatened the family that if they didn’t get him out he would have the whole family attacked. He is now living back with the family including the now 28 year old victim. The woman says she feels safe now and that she holds no grudge against her father. I don’t think I have met a more courageous person. When asked if she wanted to have any corrective surgeries she said that she was happy with her looks and she is now.

 

Later that afternoon we went to a marble workshop to learn how the inlaid patterns are done. 

The semi-precious stones are ground to shape by hand to fit the pattern on the marble. 

The pattern on the marble is slowly chiseled out by hand. All done by knowing the pattern and no stenciling is done. The marble is painted red to help the artist see his designs more clearly.

The patterns are very intricate.

Here are some pieces of stones that have been shaped and are ready to glue onto the marble. The glue used is a highly protected secret.

A piece that is setting up and then will have the red color removed.

They also work with green and black marble. The finished work is beautiful.

Tomorrow is basically a travel day as we take a 3 hour train ride then a 5 hour bus ride to reach Khajuraho. 

Taj Mahal

March 31, 2018

The world famous Taj Mahal is located in Agra, India. It is a mausoleum for the burial of the favorite wife of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It’s built out of white marble and took over 10 years to complete. The main center was constructed between 1632 and 1643 and is the focus of the complex.

We took a ride to the riverside site directly across from the Taj Mahal last night to get a sneak view. There were lots of people in the park. Even though this was the backside, it was still stunningly impressive.

 

One of the red sandstone buildings that sits on the side of the complex.

Our Bhutan travel group seized the opportunity for a photo.

This morning we had a 4:30 wake up call so we could get to the Taj Mahal before all the crowds. This is the entrance gate into the complex.

I love th red sandstone and marble mixture in its construction.

Walking into the garden area and seeing it in all its glory was a moving experience. I never dreamed I would be able to stand at the end of the reflection pool and gaze upon what is one of the greatest architectural designs of the world.

Messing around and trying to get a comic shot picking it up.

I am so glad we made the effort to arrive early as there were very few people and as the sun was rising you could see the light changing the color reflections.

I took over 50 photos but have chosen just a few to share. It was hard not to keep talking pictures as you looked at it from different angles and with the changing light.

As you can see the people behind me, you can get a sense of the massive scale to which it was built.

The marble is inlaid with semi-precious stones that glitter.

 

There are 2 mirror image  red sandstone buildings that stand on the left and right of the main mausoleum. The one on the right is a guest house and the one on the left is a mosque.

They are also highly decorated with carvings.

 

This is the building where the body of his wife was kept until the main construction was finished. It now serves as a museum.

Looking back towards the main gate is an impressive site in its self.

Before leaving we took a group picture.

This is an experience that I will always remember.