MORE MUGHAL



          Agra - known as “the city of the Taj” and is a hotbed of Mogul monuments.  Agra offers ample architectural wonders like the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and the nearby Fatehpur Sikri from where Emperor Akbar reigned over the entire country for over a decade. Due to its proximity to the capital, most people prefer to make a whistle-stop visit to Agra from Delhi. Now this has become even more feasible due to the revamped Shatabdi Express which completes this journey in just one and a half hours. However, one should not leave Agra without exploring two other monuments, though lesser known but just as magnificent – Akbar’s Sikandra and the Itmad-ud-Daulah.

AKBAR’S SIKANDRA

          This tomb is located 4 km Northwest of Agra. It is a beautiful sandstone and marble tomb which lies in the midst of a peaceful garden where you often find deer grazing and monkeys playfully scouting around trees for food. This tomb was started by Akbar himself and was later completed by his son Jehangir. The southern gateway, which is the entrance to the tomb is very striking in itself. It is made of sandstone inlayed with white marble pieces. The layout of all Mogul structures is similar, there are gateways leading up to the main monument, which is characterized by domes and minarets. Akbar’s mausoleum too is made up of a three tiered sandstone structure, topped off by a final tier in pure white marble. The tomb itself is vast, with corridors and corridors leading to the end of the tomb and vice versa. Our son enjoyed the walk through its corridors the most, since he had ample space to run and his voice kept echoing off the ceiling of this impressive structure! Another feature which makes this a memorable stop is the eco-park surrounding the tomb. What I liked about it was that petting the animals or feeding them is prohibited. Even though only seen from a distance, all the animals -- the deer, monkeys and squirrels are a delight to see. The sad part is that the tomb of this great ruler is now overshadowed by other architectural monuments in Agra. But even then, it will be worth your while to take a look-see at this mausoleum, on your next visit to Agra, which by-the-way, was called ‘Akbarabad’ years ago, in memory of Akbar the Great.

Itmad-ud-Daulah

          Itmad-ud-Daulah, located north of Agra Fort and on the opposite bank of the Yamuna, is also known as the “Baby Taj”. It is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas Beg, who was the Wazir or Chief Minister of Jehangir. Later his daughter, Nur Jahan, married Jehangir. Nur Jahan constructed this tomb from 1622 – 1628. This was the first structure which was totally made of white marble and also the first to use pietra dura inlay work extensively. The mausoleum looks very attractive and striking at first glance. It also has the characteristic feature of all Mogul monuments - four minarets and a domed structure in the middle of the building. The inlay work in different contrasting colours is very beautiful and distinguishable on the inside walls and the ceiling. The most intricate work on this structure is that of fine marble latticework all over the building. In fact, this tomb is said to be a foreshadow of the Taj Mahal, whose intricate workmanship far surpasses that of the Taj.

BEWARE OF TOUTS

          When touring Agra or the nearby Fatehpur Sikri, please beware of touts who will stop short of nothing to separate tourists from their money. Under the guise of being a “guide” or under the name of “religion”, they will try their best to extort money out of innocent people. We too got duped at Sikri, which is Salim Chisti’s memorial. Our guide kept exhorting us to buy the ‘chadhava’ or the sacred ‘chaadar’ to be put on the tomb of Salim Chisti. Next, the visit to the Jama Masjid meant that we had to shell out money to one old man who was supposed to be ‘blessed’ when all he did was mumble some gibberish and ‘bless’ us with his palms on our heads. Later, we were taken to show the “Bulund Darwaza” and there too we were forced to pay a beggar, who seemed to be in cohorts with our guide. Finally, we made a hurried exit from there, which has left us with a bad taste in the mouth.

          Please check the identity card of guides, each one is supposed to carry one, issued to them by the Department of Tourism. We as tourists have the right to know and the right not to be duped.