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Monuments in Agra
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Known
the world over as the City of Taj, Agra is not just about
the Taj Mahal. Although the Taj is the most prized possession
of the Taj, there are other equally majestic and splendid
Monuments in Agra. The Monuments in Agra are the reflection
of the grandeur of the Mughal age, the love of the emperors
to raise huge buildings and the development of various architectural
skills and technology of that period. The Monuments in Agra
give you an opportunity to study the architectural preferences
of Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan, the three Mughal emperors
who ruled from Agra.
Agra Fort
Akbar initiated the construction of the Agra Fort at the same
time when the construction of the Humayun's Tomb began in
Delhi. Constructed on the banks of the River Yamuna, the work
on the fort began in 1565 AD and was completed by 1571 AD.
Akbar initially wanted to build a mud-brick fortress for military
purpose, which acquired the shape of a stupendous fort with
elegant buildings by the reign of Shah Jahan. Akbar preferred
red sandstone as the construction material while both Jahangir
and Shah Jahan had special love for white marble. The fort
with double walls is surrounded by a deep moat. Akbar had
built almost 500 buildings in the Bengali and Gujarati architectural
styles but only a few of them survived, as Jahangir and Shah
Jahan dismantled majority of the buildings to add the new
ones or renovate the existing ones. The important buildings
within the fort includes the Diwan-I-Aam or Hall of Public
Audience, Diwan-I-Khas or Hall of Special Audience, Jahangiri
Mahal or the Jahangir's Palace, Khas Mahal or the Special
Palace, Angoori Bagh or Grape Garden, Sheesh Mahal or Mirror
Palace, Hammam or Royal Bath, Musamman Burj or Octagonal Tower
and Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque.
Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb
Ghiyas
Beg or Mirza Ghiyas-ud-Din, the Treasurer in the ministry
of Akbar rose to become the Wazir or the Chief Minister in
Jahangir's court. He was honored with the title of 'Itmad-ud-Daulah'
or the 'Pillar of the State'. When Itmad-ud-Daulah died in
1622 AD, his daughter and the queen of Jahangir, Noor Jahan
decided to build a mausoleum for him. Built in the shape of
a jewel box, the Tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah is set in the middle
of a garden. It is famous as the first tomb in India to be
decorated with the pietra dura and built entirely of white
marble. The tomb looks beautiful with marble screens, arched
niches, vaulted entrances and octagonal minarets. Instead
of a dome as the crowning glory, a closed kiosk tops the mausoleum.
Like all Mughal toms, this monument is set in the middle of
the Charbagh with water channels running across the garden.
Akbar's Tomb
Just as Akbar conceived new religious policies during his
lifetime, Akbar's Tomb at Sikandra displays unique architectural
feature. Akbar had started the construction of the tomb during
his own lifetime in 1605 AD but died before its completion.
Akbar's son, Jahangir took the initiative to complete the
tomb for his father. The majestic tomb stands in the middle
of the Charbagh entered by an elegant gateway. The architecture
of the gateway is also noteworthy. The gateway with a high
central arch and several smaller arches has four marble minarets
on the four corners. It is believed that these towers are
the inspiration behind the four minarets of the Taj. Built
of red sandstone and white marble, the tomb of Akbar is a
five-storeyed building with a conspicuously missing dome.
The first floor is a pedestal with a series of arches while
the next three floors ha a flat roof resting over a row of
pillars. The top most floor contains marble wall with arches
and the cenotaph of Akbar's grave. Akbar's body lies in the
basement, which can be reached through a portico adorned with
elegant floral calligraphy in stucco paintings using gold,
blue, and green colored stones.
Fatehpur Sikri
Akbar built the Fatehpur Sikri as the Imperial City of the
Mughal Empire in 1571 AD. Built entirely of red sandstone,
the city was completed in 1584 AD. But soon after its completion,
the city was abandoned due to scarcity of water and the capital
was shifted to Agra. The architecture of Fatehpur Sikri represents
the secular personality of Akbar, as Islamic, Mughal, Persian,
Rajasthani, Gujarati, Rajput, Bengali and Christian architectural
traditions were used in the city. Akbar came up with the idea
to built the city at this very place because it was in close
vicinity to the shrine of the Sufi Saint, Salim Chisti. Akbar
along with his wife had once visited the shrine to seek the
blessings for a son and promised that he would name his son
after the name of the saint. Subsequently, he was blessed
with three sons and he fulfilled his promise by naming his
eldest son Salim, who later on came to be known as Jahangir.
The noteworthy buildings of Fatehpur Sikri includes Diwan-I-Aam
or the Hall of Public Audience, Diwan-I-Khas or the Hall of
Private Audience, Anup Talao or the Water Tank, Akbar's Khwabgah
or the Private Apartments, Panch Mahal or the Five-Tiered
Palace, Palace of the Turkish Sultana, Jodha Bai's Palace,
Mariam's Palace and the House of Birbal. Jami Masjid was built
in such a way that the Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chisti came within
its premises. The Bulund Darwaza or the Victory Gateway was
built as an entrance to the mosque after the conquest of Gujarat
in 1575 AD. The highest gateway in Asia, Bulund Darwaza was
built of red sandstone with colored stones and marble for
embellishment.
The Monuments in Agra have been the silent spectators of the
rise, glory and downfall of the Mughal Empire. The monuments
in Agra may be second in popularity to the Taj Mahal but they
manage to hold their own identity and charm.
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