An ode to love

My escorted tour through northern India stopped for two nights in Agra. This imperial city in the heart of Uttar Pradesh is home to several landmark buildings including the majestic Taj Mahal, the Red Fort and the nearby, abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri. This became the first of two trips I ultimately made to Agra, as I returned for a day tour with Garry eight years later.

Visiting the Taj Mahal was, without a doubt, one of my most precious travel moments. Nothing can beat the experience of walking through its majestic red sandstone entrance gate, and into the open air, to be greeted by its iconic silhouette glowing pink in the dawn light. I received a book prize at High School that included a coffee table tome filled with images of the world’s greatest wonders. It instantly put the Taj Mahal on my lifetime bucket list. The experience of sitting in the still dawn air watching those pages come alive will stay with me forever.

Our day in Agra started with that dawn visit to the Taj Mahal. We arrived shortly before sunrise in time to witness it turning pink in the sun’s first light before slowly transforming into its familiar iridescent white. The complex was relatively empty thanks to the early hour. This gave us plenty of time to explore its grounds and world-famous onion dome mausoleum before the crowds arrived.

Our local guide took us through every nook and cranny. We learned that it was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan to commemorate and house the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife who died while giving birth to their 14th child. You can see her tomb, and that of Shah Jahan, lying side by side surrounded by an ornate ring of marble screens.

The mausoleum was completed in 1643. However, work continued around the grounds and on its surrounding structures for another decade. From a distance, it appears to be a uniform white. As you approach the building’s elevated podium, its marble cladding starts taking on a more mottled appearance. Then, as you draw closer, you notice the incredibly intricate stone inlays and carvings used to decorate its walls, windows, arched recesses, and doorways.

Of note are the vine, flower and fruit motifs inlaid using yellow marble, jasper, and jade. Each inlaid element has been meticulously polished and levelled to the surface of the walls. Equally impressive is the bold Islamic script framing the mausoleum's main entrance, each verse skillfully inlaid in black onyx. Elsewhere, floors and walkways use contrasting tiles or blocks in tessellation patterns. In other words, this building is just as beautiful up close as it is from a distance.

I was surprised to discover that the iconic building is flanked by two nearly identical grand red sandstone buildings; an active mosque on one side and an imitation building, or jawab, on the other. Four magnificent soaring minarets, one at each corner of the Taj Mahal’s central platform, frame the entire scene. The Tah Mahal really is something special.

Naturally, I had to sit on the marble bench made famous by Princess Diana and replicate that generation-defining news photo of her sitting alone in front of the Taj Mahal. I’ll let the images I've posted here tell the rest of the story.

Our tour then made its way to the Red Fort of Agra. This magnificent complex sits on the right bank of the Yamuna River, about 2.5 kilometres upstream from the Taj Mahal. We toured its extensive grounds. The present-day structure dates back to 1573. It features walls more than 20 metres high, accessed by four arched gateways. 

Inside the grounds stand dozens of buildings and defensive structures. The most famous of these is the Muthamman Burj, a riverside palace. It was home to Shah Jahan for eight years after he was deposed and imprisoned by his son. Windows and alcoves on its eastern wall offer an uninterrupted view of the Taj Mahal. You can see his balcony and forlorn view above.

The open-air, white-columned Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audiences where Shah Jahan received courtiers and state guests was equally impressive. A second building, constructed in red sandstone pillars, known as the Diwan I Am, or Hall of Public Audience was used by members of the general public to air their grievances.

The following day we took a private tour of Fatehpur Sikri. This town, located 35km west of Agra, was founded as the capital of the Mughal Empire by Emperor Akbar in 1571. However, extended periods of drought eventually saw it abandoned in 1585. The palace complex, courtier buildings and surrounding grounds have been meticulously restored.

I must admit I'd never heard of Fatehpur Sikri before I joined this tour. It's a classic example of how much there is to see and do in India that never makes the cover of a travel magazine. India is simply loaded with cultural experiences beyond imagination.

Without a doubt, this red stone complex is truly extraordinary. There’s so much to explore and for much of the time, we had the complex almost to ourselves. Highlights include the Panch Mahal, a multi-storied pillared palace, and the 54-meter high, highly ornate Buland Darwaza gate that leads into Fatehpur Sikri’s equally photogenic Jama Masjid Mosque.

I also loved the story behind The Hiran Minar, or Elephant Tower. This circular tower is covered with stone projections in the form of elephant tusks. Most visitors see from an elevated viewpoint on the edge of the main complex. Traditionally it was thought to have been erected as a memorial to Emperor Akbar's favourite elephant.  However, modern scholars believe it's a zero-mile marker from which distances across the empire were measured.

The scale of the mosque is awe-inspiring. You enter through the main gate into an enormous Sahn, or courtyard. This open space extends 165 metres from side to side and is an equally impressive 130 metres wide. Towards the courtyard's northern flank sit several tombs, including that of Salim Chishti. His tomb, unlike its red sandstone neighbours, is made entirely from brilliant white makrana marble.

Fatehpur Sikri is one of those tourist destinations where you simply can't take too many photos. Structure after structure offers spectacular shadows, ruddy hues, angles and perspectives that simply leave you in awe. I’ll let just a handful of the dozens of images I took tell the story for me.

After a full day of touring our group returned to our hotel for dinner before heading to the railway station where we caught an overnight train to Varanasi. The train took about nine hours to reach India’s holy city on the Ganges, the final stop on our eight-day tour. 

Our sleeping carriage consisted of tiered bunks accessed from a corridor running down the carriage. Privacy was maintained with nothing more than a “well-used” curtain and the bathroom at the end of the carriage contained a classic squatting pan. I slept reasonably well despite the carriage’s constant jostling as we headed east. 

Follow this link to experience the colour and chaos of Varanasi for yourself.