THE MASTERPIECE

TAJ MAHAL - AGRA - FEBRUARY 2008

Prince Khurram, as Shah Jahan was known before becoming the fifth Mughal Emperor, fell in love with the beautiful Arjumand Bano Begum (later known as Mumtaz Mahal - the Chosen One) and married her, making her his third (and favourite) wife.

Muntaz Mahal died while giving birth to their fourteenth child. Whether she asked for it or not, the emperor decided to build an immense mausoleum to honour the memory of his beloved. The result is an elegy in marble, the finest example of Mughal architecture, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, a symbol of endless love and a magnificent monument that astonishes anyone who experiences a visit there!

Built between 1631 and 1653, the entire complex consists of five major components, namely Darwaza (the main gateway), Bageecha (the beautifully laid out walled gardens), Masjid (the mosque), Naqqar Khana (the rest house) and Rauza (the mausoleum). Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort, from where he could see the Taj Mahal. Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb buried him in the Taj next to his wife.

The white marble structure acquires different shades at different times of the day and with changing seasons. And of course, the top experience would be, according to the chronicles, the moonlit night view of the Taj. However, that seems to be impossible, as the monument is closed for public viewing at night. A true fairy tale!


"DARWAZA - The Taj gateway is a tall niche doorway in the shape of an ogival arch that rises till the mid-height of the structure"


"DECORATION - With a vertical symmetry, the main gateway stands bordered with Arabic calligraphy of verses from the Quran, made up of black stone. Flowers, leaves and vines ornament the sides of the niche. These motifs were formed by semi-precious stones inlaid in the marble"


"DARWAZA - The main gateway seen from the middle platform in the gardens. A bit misty..."


"MOSQUE - On the western side there is a red sandstone mosque used for prayer purposes. Adorned with pietra dura on the outside, the mosque has four octagonal towers and three domes"


"NAQQAR KHANA - Opposite to the mosque, on the eastern side, there is the rest house, a twin of the mosque. It is built exactly like the mosque, and people believe that it was constructed to conserve the symmetry of Taj Mahal"


"THE COLOURS OF INDIA"

***


"NO COMMENTS!"


"REFLECTION"


"COMING CLOSER - The tomb stands on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an arch-shaped doorway, topped by a large dome"


"COUPLE"


"FROM EAST"


"FROM WEST"


"IN FRONT"


"MAIN IWAN - An iwan is defined at Wikipedia «as a vaulted hall or space, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open». A trademark of the Persian Sassanid architecture, iwans became a fundamental unit in Islamic architecture"



"EXTERIOR DECORATION - Borrowing from Wikipedia «The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture. [...] The decorative elements were created by applying paint or stucco, or by stone inlays or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs. The calligraphy found in Taj Mahal are of florid thuluth script[...]. Higher panels are written slightly larger to reduce the skewing effect when viewing from below. Throughout the complex, passages from the Qur'an are used as decorative elements. [...] As one enters through Taj Mahal Gate, the calligraphy reads «O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you». Abstract forms are used especially in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab, and to a lesser extent, on the surfaces of the tomb. [...] Vegetative motifs are found at the lower walls of the tomb. [...] The dado frames and archway spandrels have been decorated with pietra dura inlays of highly stylised, almost geometric vines, flowers and fruits. The inlay stones are yellow marble, jasper and jade, levelled and polished to the surface of the walls». No photos allowed inside the tomb..."


"MINARET AND DOME"


"DOME"


"EAST SIDE"



"WEST SIDE"


"FAREWELL"

AGRA FORT

AGRA - FEBRUARY 2008

Agra, at 171 metres on the banks of the Yamuna River, was mentioned in the epic Mahabharata when it was called Agrabana, or Paradise. Ruled by Sikandar Lodi in the year 1506, it achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658 and keeps many magnificent monuments of the Mughal-era, including the Taj Mahal, the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, all three listed in the UNESCO's World Heritage Site List.


"THE AGRA FORT, a walled palatial city also known as Lal Qila, is the most important fort in India, having been the residence of the great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, who governed the country from here"


"WALLS - Originally a brick fort, Akbar had it rebuilt with bricks in the inner core and sandstone on external surfaces"



"AMAR SINGH GATE, also known as the Lahore Gate, was originally known as «Akbar Darwaza» and was reserved for the emperor. Shah Jahan renamed it after Rao Amar Singh of Jodhpur, who, according to the legend, slew Salabat Khan, the chief treasurer of Shah Jahan, in front of the emperor and leapt with his horse over the high walls. The horse died and Amar was arrested and put to death. However, his courage won the admiration of the emperor and the gate was renamed in his honour"




"JAHANGIRI MAHAL, the principal palace for women, used mainly by the Rajput wives of Akbar, is the most noteworthy building inside the Fort. Built in red sandstone between 1565 and 1569, it has an impressive façade facing an open court to the west, an arched portal, a series of ornamental arches and an octagonal tower on its either side. The eastern verandas have a beautiful view towards the river and the Taj Mahal"


"GEM MOSQUE - The «Nagina Masjid», built between 1631-40, is made up of pure white marble and was meant for the personal use of the emperor"


KHAS MAHAL - Built by Shah Jahan between 1631 and 1640 for his two favourite daughters, it has a beautiful tank in front with fountains, white marble pavilions and open courts"


"DIWAN-I-AAM - The Hall of Public Audience was the result of Shah Jahan's love for marble. Constructed between 1631 and 1640, the assembly hall has an arcade façade with nine arches and the hall is divided into three aisles. Though constructed in red sandstone, it had been plastered with white shell plaster to resemble white marble"


"JOHN RUSSEL COLVIN, lieutenant-governor of the North-West Provinces of British India during the mutiny of 1857, died of cholera during the peak of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. His body could not be carried out of the Agra Fort..."



"MUSAMMAN BURJ - The Octagonal Tower seems to have been built by Shah Jahan as a marble tower inlaid with precious stones for his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. It served also as his residence for the last years of his live, since his son Aurungzeb imprisoned him till his death. It offers exotic views of the Taj Mahal. The most ornate building of the entire fort is the small pavilion known as Shah Burj"


"PORTAL"


"DECORATION"





"FINALLY - The Taj Mahal is coming closer..."

SELF-INDULGENCE

JAYPEE PALACE HOTEL - AGRA - FEBRUARY 2008

After a road trip in India one definitely needs some rest... and there are some excellent (to say the least) hotels where that can happen. Booking at the last minute has some disadvantages, so the Oberoi Amarvilas was full; but the Jaypee Palace wasn't bad at all...


"THE GARDENS"



"THE ROOM"


"CAREFUL"


"PATIO GARDEN"


"ART WORK"


"CORRIDOR"


POOL"


"ROOMS"




"MORE GARDENS"


"FOUNTAIN"


"SECURITY"


"SUNSET"


"NIGHT VIEW"