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The Taj Mahal - Home to the greatest love story
ever told, The Taj Mahal is India’s most fascinating
and beautiful masterpiece. Set amidst landscaped gardens
on the banks of the Yamuna river, this edifice was
built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial
to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. After her untimely death,
Shah Jahan had her mortal remains buried in this mausoleum.
And after his own demise he was placed to rest next
to his beloved queen in the same mausoleum. The Taj
is most enthralling in the quietness of early morning,
cloaked in mists, and as the color changes from soft
yellow to pearly cream and |
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white,it is well worth a visit at different times.
A visual delight for viewers over the ages, the monument
looks its best on clear full moon nights. It looks
its spectacular best in the full moon nights of October,
when the skies are clear and the Taj is bathed in
the off-white moonlight. However, it is a delight
even in the radiance of dawn and the orange glow of
sunset. The Taj in all its eternal beauty is still
the inspiration of poets and painters, writers and
photographers. |
Agra Fort
- Within a radius of 3 kilometers, on the banks of the river
Yamuna, stands the crescent-shaped Agra Fort. Designed and
built by Akbar in 1565 A.D, the fort is surrounded by a
70 feet high wall. It is home to the beautiful Pearl Mosque
and numerous palaces including the Jahangir Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas,
Diwan-i-Am and Moti Masjid. Later it was used by his son
Jehangir as the seat of power. With four gates the Fort
is enclosed by a double barricaded wall of red sand stone.
The Jahangir Mahal is reached through an impressive gateway
and its inner courtyard consists of beautiful halls, profuse
carvings on stone, exquisitely carved heavy brackets, piers
and cross beams.
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Itmad-ud-Daula
- This tomb was constructed
by Nur Jahan in sweet memory of her father Ghiasud-Din-Beg
between 1622-1628 A.D. This white marble structure
of the pre-Taj era though smaller is often considered
equal if not better to the great one itself.
Chini-ka-Rauza - Reputed
to be an Afzal Khan creation, a high official in the
court of Shahjahan, Chini Ka Rauza is decorated by
glazed tiles on the facade. It depicts the Persian
influence on Mughal architecture. |
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Ram Bagh - Laid
out in 1528 by Babur the first of the Mughal emperors
this is one of the first Mughal gardens. It is said
that Babur was temporarily buried here before being
permanently interred at Kabul in Afghanistan. The
Ram Bagh is 2 to 3 km further north of the Chini Ka
Rauza on the riverside and is open from sunrise to
sunset.
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Sikandra - Sikandra, 10 kms north west of Agra,
is the final resting place of Emperor Akbar. The Tomb
of Akbar shows an interesting fusion of Hindu and
Mughal architecture reflecting the spirit of the Mughal
Emperor, Akbar. Akbar began the construction of his
own garden mausoleum during his lifetime, a red sandstone
structure in a Char-Bagh meaning 4-square ceremonial
garden.
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