Gentlefolk,
This post describes our visit to Agra, 24 - 25 February 2020, and the drive to Jaipur.
The original plan was to leave Delhi on the morning of 24 February, and explore Agra in the afternoon. But the city was locked-down for Trump's visit and we were not permitted to arrive until after 7pm.
In Agra on 25 February we visited the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in the morning, and then drove to Jaipur in the afternoon.
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| Newspaper report of preparations in Agra for the visit by Mr & Mrs Trump. I guess in a way we were lucky to follow them, as the city had been cleaned up. Our bus got to the outskirts of Agra just after 7pm and it took another hour to arrive at the Mansingh Palace Hotel. |
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| The Trump visit to Agra ran two hours late, so our bus couldn't enter the city until after 7pm. Apparently they loved seeing the Taj Mahal. |
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Mid-afternoon we stopped at this road-side stop for 2 hours as we were not permitted to arrive in Agra until 7pm. There is a good toll road from Delhi to Agra. The countryside was surprisingly flat (that continued through most of Rajasthan State). Lots of agriculture, mainly wheat and mustard. Also many brick kilns and associated smoke stacks - the air certainly became more smoggy as we got closer to Agra.
Two of our group, Michelle and Bryan, had owned two Subway outlets in Brisbane, so they were interested in sampling the local fare (they approved!). |
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| The following morning we visited the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, both located on the banks of the Yamuna River. |
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| Up early, breakfast at 6.30am, off at 7.15am to the Taj Mahal. There were already people lining up for tickets (see photo) in this case a group of university students from Varanasi. |
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| The impressive south gate, 30m high red sandstone. |
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| Diwan pointing out aspects of the South Gate. |
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| Our first sight of the Taj Mahal, from inside the South Gate. It was hazy, visibility about 500m, which improved as the sun rose. The gardens and water canals were based on Persian designs. |
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The Taj Mahal, aka Monument to Eternal Love. It was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631 giving birth to their 14th child!
Construction started in 1632; it is said that 20,000 workers took 8 years to build the main building, and other bits (like the 4 minarets) were added later. Only the best materials and craftsmen were used. Our guide said that the country virtually stopped as construction of the Taj Mahal absorbed all the Government's revenue for seven years.
Finally in 1658 the Emperor's son, Aurangzeb, staged a coup and placed his father under house arrest in Agra Fort (about 2km away). When Shah Jahan died in 1666 he was buried in the Taj Mahal, next to his beloved Mumtaz. |
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| A closer look at this marvellous building. |
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| The front courtyard of the Taj Mahal. |
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| The Taj Mahal from another angle. The sun had risen higher and dissipated the haze somewhat. |
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| After the Taj Mahal we visited Agra Fort, said to be the largest fort in India. Construction started in 1565 by Emperor Akbar. Additions were made over the years; Shah Jahan transformed it into a palace. This is where he spent 8 years under house arrest until his death in 1666. |
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| Admission fee to enter Agra Fort was Rs600 (about A$12) for a foreigner and Rs50 for a local. This was the same wherever we went - foreigners were always charged much more. |
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| Amar Singh Gate, the main entrance of Agra Fort. The massive walls measure 2.5km in circumference. |
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| Restoration work on the Hall of Private Audiences (Diwan-i-Khas). |
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| Lovely arches in Agra Fort. |
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| Can you make out the Taj Mahal in the distance??? |
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| After seeing the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort we headed off to Jaipur. Stopped at an outdoor restaurant for buffet lunch. Very pleasant. |
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| Enroute to Jaipur we stopped at this ruined Hindu temple. |
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| No much remained standing of the Harshshad Mata Hindu temple. |
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| Some of the intricate carving (naughty Prince!) along the base of what remains of the temple. |
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| All the pieces are here - one day they may get around to rebuilding this temple??? |
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| Nearby was the amazing Chand Baori "step-down well" built by the local king to help his subjects access water. If the groundwater was low during a drought you had to go down 12 x 6 steps to the bottom of the well, and then carry the water all the way up ... but at least you had water. |
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| Another view of the "step-down well". An engineering marvel, but must have been hellishly difficult to go down and up. |
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We arrived at the Jaipur at 7pm and it took another 2 hours to reach the Sarovar Premier Hotel. Apparently this was an auspicious day for weddings and we passed many wedding celebrations on the drive to the hotel.
We retired early, tired but happy after a long and interesting day.
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My next post will describe our time in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
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Best wishes, stay healthy and keep smiling.
Vera & Alex Olah
Canberra, Australia
Friday 20 March 2020
