India (Frommer's, 4th Edition) (253 page)

WHAT TO SEE & DO

Agra is today a large industrial city with a woeful infrastructure, but sightseeing is quite manageable given that there are five major attractions and very little else to keep you here. Ideally, you will see the
Taj
at dawn, then visit
Itmad-ud-Daulah’s Tomb
and
Agra Fort,
and move on to
Fatehpur Sikri
the following dawn. Besides those sights listed below, you may also want to make time to visit beautiful
Jama Masjid,
built in 1648 by Jahanara Begum, Shah Jahan’s favorite daughter, who clearly inherited some of his aesthetic sensibilities. It is in the heart of the medieval part of Agra, best approached by cycle- or auto-rickshaw; you can stop along the way to bargain for jewelry, fabrics, or carpets. The other sight worth swinging by is
Dayal Bagh Temple
—begun 97 years ago, it is still under construction and is being built by the progeny of the laborers who built the Taj. The families guard their traditional craft techniques like gold, passing them on only to the sons in the family. Other minor attractions are ill-kept and a disappointment after viewing those reviewed below. Note that Bharatpur, where Keoladeo Ghana National Park lies (see chapter 11), is only 54km (34 miles) from Agra, with a stop at Fatehpur Sikri along the way.

Taj Mahal
You expect to be disappointed when coming face to face with an icon that is almost an archetype, but nothing can really prepare you for the beauty of the Taj Mahal. Built by Shah Jahan as an eternal symbol of his love for his favorite wife, whom he called Mumtaz Mahal (“Jewel of the Palace”), it has immortalized him forever as one of the great architectural patrons of the world. It’s not just the perfect symmetry, the ethereal luminescence, the wonderful proportions, or the sheer scale (which is virtually impossible to imagine from staring at its oft-reproduced image), but the exquisite detailing covering every inch of marble that justifies it as a wonder of the world. What appears from afar to be perfectly proportioned white marble magnificence is in fact a massive bejeweled box, with
pietra dura
adorning the interior and exterior—said by some to be an Italian technique imported to Agra by Jahangir, but more likely to be a craft originating in Persia. These intricately carved floral bouquets are inlaid with precious stones: agate, jasper, malachite, turquoise, tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, coral, carnelian—every stone known to man, as well as different shades of marble, slate, and sandstone. Beautiful calligraphy, inlaid with black marble, is carefully increased in size as the eye moves higher, creating an optical illusion of perfectly balanced typography, with the letters the same size from whichever angle you look. Carved relief work, again usually of flowers, which symbolized paradise on earth for the Mughals, decorates much of the interior, while the delicacy of the filigree screens that surround the cenotaph, carved out of a single piece of marble, is simply astounding. The tomb is flanked by two mosques—one is a prerequisite, but the other is a “dummy” built only in the interests of symmetry; both buildings are worthy of examination in their own right. At the center of it all lies Mumtaz Mahal’s cenotaph with the words
HELP US OH LORD TO BEAR WHAT WE CANNOT BEAR
; Shah Jahan’s cenotaph was added later.

Work started in 1641, and the structure took 20,000 laborers 22 years to complete—legend has it that Shah Jahan cut off the hands of the architect (Persian-born Ustad Ahmad Lahori) and his laborers to ensure that they would never build another, but there is little to substantiate this sensational story.

Be the First to Arrive

Get to the Taj entrance at dawn, before it opens, then rush—run if you must—straight to the cenotaph chamber (remember to remove your shoes before ascending the marble steps). If you manage to get there first, you will hear what might aptly be described as “the sound of infinity”—the vibration created by air moving through the huge ventilated dome. As soon as the first visitor walks in, jabbering away, it reverberates throughout the room, and the sacred moment is lost until closing time again.

The Taj changes color depending on the time of day, and many recommend that you witness this by visiting in the morning and evening; however, your ticket is valid for one entry only. Eat a hearty breakfast before you head out (no food is allowed past security), and stay the day, or come in the early morning.

Finally, to understand the symbolism of the Taj, as well as what has been lost since Shah Jahan’s day (such as the plunder of the pearl-encrusted silks that covered Mumtaz’s cenotaph), it’s definitely worth hiring the services of a good (read: official), well-spoken guide. Besides
Rajiv Rajawat
and
Sudhir Agarwal
(for contact details, see above), you can consider arranging a reputable guide through your hotel.

If you’re an absolute romantic, you might like to check with your hotel whether or not one of the
full moon Taj-viewing experiences
is likely to fall on one of the nights during your stay. Since early 2005, the Taj has been open for night viewing for 5 days each lunar cycle: the full moon night and the 2 nights before and after. These after-hours sessions happen between 8pm and midnight and are highly regulated (and certainly no substitute for daytime visits); try to time such a visit for around 10pm.

Note:
The Taj is closed on Friday. Your Taj ticket also entitles you to a small discount at the other four major attractions (Agra Fort, Itmad-ud-Daulah, Sikandra, and Fatehpur Sikri), so keep it on hand and show it when paying to enter the others.

Taj Ganj.
0562/233-0498.
Admission Rs 750, children under 15 free; Rs 50 limited video use. Sat–Thurs sunrise–sunset. Only water, camera, film, batteries, medicines, and other similar essentials are allowed. No food, sharp objects, tripods, or electronics—if you have any of these items, you can leave them at reception. Mobile phone use is a criminal offense.

Agra Fort
Built by Akbar (or rather, by his 4,000 workmen) on the west bank of the Yamuna, Agra Fort first took shape between 1565 and 1573, but each successive emperor was to add his imprint, and today the towering red-sandstone ramparts house a variety of palace apartments, representing the different building styles of Akbar and his grandson Shah Jahan. Akbar’s son, Jahangir, installed a
“chain of justice”
(1605) by which any of his subjects could call on him, which provides some insight into the ruling qualities of the man many dismiss as a drunkard. Entrance is through impressive
Amar Singh Gate.
On your right-hand side you pass
Jahangiri Mahal,
the palace that housed the women of the court, dating to Akbar’s reign (ca. 1570). In front is a stone pool with steps both inside and outside—legend says it was filled with rose petals during Nur Jahan’s time, so that she could bathe in their scent. Much of the exterior (the jutting
jarokhas,
for example, and the domed
chattris
) and almost the entire interior were clearly built by Hindu workmen, who used Hindu building styles and decorative motifs—indicative of Akbar’s all-embracing religious tolerance. Adjacent, facing
Anguri Bagh
(
Grape Garden,
where flowing water, flower beds, hidden lamps, and hanging jewels would have transformed it into a fantasy garden), is
Khas Mahal
(1636), built overlooking the cooling breezes of the Yamuna. You are now entering Shah Jahan’s palaces, immediately recognizable by the extensive use of white marble. Historians also point out that here—unlike in Akbar’s buildings, which feature straightforward Hindu elements next to Islamic—a subtle blend of Hindu and Persian elements resulted in a totally new style, referred to as the “Mughal style,” with its classical purity. The Khas Mahal is flanked by two
Golden Pavilions
(a reference to the fact that they were once gilded): the bedrooms of the princesses Jahanara and Roshanara, before the latter plotted the downfall of her father and sister. On the left is
Mussaman Burj,
an octagonal tower open to the cooling breezes, which may have been the emperor’s bedroom. Romantic accounts would have us believe that Shah Jahan, imprisoned by his son in this room, would gaze at the Taj Mahal until his death of a broken heart in 1666. However, evidence points to death by a massive dose of opium, complicated by the prolonged use of aphrodisiacs. Near the tower are the mirrored
Sheesh Mahal
and
Mina Masjid
(Gem Mosque);
adjacent is
Diwan-i-Khas
(
Hall of Private Audience;
1637), its marble columns inlaid with semi-precious stones in
pietra dura
floral patterns. In front of Diwan-i-Khas are two
thrones
(from where the emperor watched elephant fights below); facing these is
Machchhi Bhavan (Fish House),
once filled with the sounds of trickling water. Beyond lies
Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience),
the arcaded hall where the emperor would listen to the complaints of his subjects, seated on the Peacock Throne (see Lal Qila [Red Fort], in Delhi, earlier in this chapter). Note the insensitive placement of the tomb of John Russell Colvin, who died here during the Mutiny and was laid to rest in front of Diwan-I-Am. The ugly barracks to the north are also 19th-century British additions. From here on, most of the buildings (except for
Nagina Masjid,
the private mosque of the ladies of the court) are closed to the public, undergoing extensive excavation at press time.