The drive from Jaipur to Agra took roughly five hours, and we made a few stops along the way. We had to be quick, because the earlier we got to Agra the earlier we could go to sleep. Why? Because We had a 3:30am wakeup call the next day so that we could make it to the Taj Mahal by sunrise. It’s a shame, too, because our digs in Agra were by far the best of the entire trip. We stayed in a converted palace, which was located on a huge tract of land. There was an outdoor running track, and indoor bowling alley, beautiful fountains and decor, lots of restaurants and bars…and we really only spent about 8 hours there between arrival and checkout. That kind of sucked. Anyway, here are some photos from the road to Agra.
The day began at the Fatehpur Sikri, which was built in 1570 by the Mughal emperor Akbar.
Not to be confused with Admiral Akbar of Star Wars fame. “It’s a trap!”
To get to the city and municipal board we needed to take a short bus ride. This photo was taken
during that bus ride. I think it’s just a part of the complex. Nothing special.
The Fatehpur Sikri is located in Agra District, which is like the American equivalent of a “county”
in the state of Uttar Pradesh (or U.P. for short). It was the first planned city of the Mughals as well
as the first one designed in what is now known as Mughal architecture, an amalgamation of
Indian, Persian and Islamic architecture.
Fatehpur Sikri served as the captial of the Mughal Empire between the years 1571-1585. Even
though it took 15 years to build, it was abandoned after 14 because the water supply couldn’t
sustain the growing population (also civil unrest). These days it’s known mostly as a GHOST TOWN!
I’ll always remember the Fatehpur Sikri as the site where my mom fell. The poor old lady took
a nasty tumble when she thought one of the manufactured ducts in the stone walkways was a shadow.
It wasn’t nearly as bad as when my sister slipped and fell down a marble staircase in Jaipur. Now’s
probably as good a time as any to mention that I was the only member of my family to survive the
trip to India totally unscathed. Take THAT, everyone who said I’d get sick or die while overseas.
That’s the Diwan-i-Khas, or Hall of Private Audience. It is here that Akbar had
representatives of different religions discuss their faiths and gave private audience.
Here you can see some Islamic architectural influence (the domes!)
That’s a beautiful garden. I don’t know what/who influenced the garden.
All those archways and levels made for some great photo opportunities.
That’s the Anup Talao. Some of the important buildings of the royal enclave
are surround by it including, Khwabgah (House of Dreams) Akbar’s residence, Panch Mahal,
a five-storey palace, Diwan-i-Khas, Ankh Michauli and the Astrologer’s Seat,
in the south-west corner of the Pachisi Court.
Street scene. Uttar Pradesh.
Street Scene. Uttar Pradesh.
Uttar Pradesh. Seriously, driving in India might be the real-world analog of Hell. To drive as
little as 100 miles takes 5 hours. In America that would take about 90 minutes. The civil
engineering, the over-population and the cultural nuances (animals roaming the streets, for example)
all contribute to the horror that is driving anywhere in India. At least in North/West India.
For some reason in India if a cow is white it’s just called a cow, but if a cow is black it’s called
a buffalo. I’m not quite sure how that works, but I guess that would make these bulls
water buffalos, since they’re swimming in a little lake somewhere in Uttar Pradesh.
Water buffalo. Uttar Pradesh.
Transparent Illusion – Killing Time [MP3]
