The picture below shows the south gate to the Taj Mahal. The 11 finials in the top center of this gateway are reflected on the backside and represent the 22 years it took to build the complex.
Pictured below: The Taj from an adjacent mosque
We visited the Agra Fort next. The fort was originally commissioned by Akbar the Great but was greatly expanded by his grandson, Shah Jahan.
The fort is more like a walled palace with public audience halls, a princely mosque and this stately entrance way.
With massive building projects like the Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal, and the Jama Masjid mosque in Delhi, Shah Jahan's son Aurangzeb became worried about the kingdom's finances. To stop the spending Aurangzeb imprisoned his father in the Agra Fort. According to local lore, Shah Jahan died in this room, looking out at the Taj Mahal.
Our final stop was Akbar's Tomb, also known as Sikandra. Akbar was Emperor Humayun from Delhi's son and Shah Jahan's Grandfather. The photo below shows the tomb's impressive gateway adorned with intricate stone inlay.
The photo below was taken halfway between the gateway and the tomb.
One of the most interesting aspects of Akbar's tomb is the surrounding grounds where deer and monkeys roam freely.
We rushed back to the Agra train station only to find out that our train had been delayed. By the time we got back to Delhi well pass midnight, we were exhausted and ready to fall asleep so we were quite happy to see Sanjay at the train station and Mr Ericson waiting up when we got back home. Thank you Mr and Mrs Ericson and Sanjay for helping to ease us into India, our experiences in Delhi simply would not have been as enjoyable without all your help.
1 comment:
Great post, Matt. Your observations mirror Bob's very closely and it appears he will be making a return trip to India in a few weeks time. Continued safe travels for you and Ellie.
hc
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