Sigh. Another early day. I am not a morning person. It helps that there are lulls in between the sight seeing, so I can catch a few zzzzzzz's in the car. Day 3 and I'm already complaining...hahahaha
Well, there was one more place to see in Agra before we headed out. The Agra Fort as you see it now, was rebuilt by Shah Jahan. His grandfather, Akbar, was the first of their line to occupy this fort. Red sandstone was greatly utilised in the re-construction during his reign.
It's ironic that in his last few years Shah Jahan was imprisoned in this fort by his son Aurangzeb who accused him of spending too much wealth on his construction projects. He would walk 2.5 kilometers to the Taj Mahal everyday to visit his wife's resting place. Deepak, our ever informative guide told us a bit of trivia. From Shah Jahans prison tower in the fort, he could see the Taj Mahal and at night the dome would glitter like stars from the large diamonds that were embedded in the white marble.
Another claim to fame by the fort is that this is where the famous Koh-i-Noor diamond (a whooping 186 carats) was taken from. This valuable stone has a long and intriguing history, but to cut that long story short, it was taken and is now part of the British Crown Jewels.
I told you Deepak knew his stuff...
These were some of the architecturally interesting points we would see near the entrance. The Agra fort is also a massive complex and there is still a restricted area occupied by the military.
Being predominantly Hindu, the Indians have such a high regard for life of any form and animals are generally left alone. I found this bird living with its brood in a hole on the wall. Scenes like this are fairly common in this country.
This is a carved area map of the Agra Fort. Try and look for the building named MACHCHHI BHAWAN (it's in the middle portion and a bit blurry) as we will see more pictures of this in a bit. It's very interesting, I guarantee. Trust me...
The canopied alcove you see below is the most important part of the DIWAN-I-AAM or the Hall of Public Audiences where the Mughal ruler sits and rules. This is where he usually received foreign dignitaries or ruled on disputes among commoners.
Another lost historical treasure was positioned right in the center of this alcove. The Peacock Throne was made for Shah Jahan and consisted roughly of 1,150 kilos of pure gold and inlaid with 230 kilograms of diamonds, rubies, garnets, pearls and emeralds. The Koh-i-Noor diamond was part of the throne. It was stolen and brought to Persia in 1739 and soon disappeared after that. Someone please make a modern spy movie that incorporates these tidbits!
Now, for the MACHCHHI BHAWAN or Fish Palace. I asked Deepak why they had to spell it with so many C's and H's. He said that if it was spelled MACHI then it sound like the word "match-i", when it should be pronounced like how a Klingon would say "Mochi" with spit coming out. Only Star Trek Fans will get this. At least I hope they do...
The central grass covered courtyard used to be filled with water and fish. Members of the royal family would come here and fish from the balcony on the second floor. The ground floor consisted of shops where fishmongers would set up shop. The next photo shows ringed extensions from the eaves where torches could be place for lighting.
There are other interesting structures around this building and there are passages that just open up where you least expect them. As I understand it, these Palaces that we saw were constructed piecemeal on an as needed basis. Buildings or annexes were constructed in intervals through the years. So one will not see a unified design rather a patchwork of the best architecture and craftsmanship at the time the structures were built.
It will be midday soon and it was time to head on to our next stop, Fatehpur-Sikri, before we can grab a bite. It's going to be a late lunch...
I told you this was going to be a long day! End of Part 1, on to Part 2...
I told you this was going to be a long day! End of Part 1, on to Part 2...
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