India Day 5 (Saturday the 10th)

India Day 5 (Saturday the 10th)

 We left Delhi around 7:20 am and started the 5 hour drive to Agra (the train only takes 1.5 hours and departs around 6:30 am).

The roads are jam packed with cars, people, motorcycles, bikes, livestock, tuk tuks and similar...

 Vehicles are also stuffed with as many people that can possibly fit. I saw Tuk Tuks that hold two people holding 5 inside with another 5 hanging on for dear life off the back.

 Truck full of people...

At one of the tax stations (you have to pay a tax when you enter into a new province...my driver told me to stay in the car and avoid speaking to the vendors...I did just that, but while I had my cap over my eyes and was almost horizontal a huge 'bam!' hit the window and some guy had his monkey jump on the window...what the...?


Monkey trying to work its magic...

 After about 4 hours drive we came to Tomb of Akbar The Great and I met my 1st of two local English speaking guides (Nadeem) employed by our company in Agra.

Nadeem gave me a length history of the Tomb...

The Tomb of Akbar the Great is an important Mughal architectural masterpiece, built 1605-1613, set in 48 Ha (119 acres) of grounds in Sikandra, a suburb of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. The third Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great (1542–1605), himself commenced its construction in around 1600, according to Tartary tradition to commence the construction of one's tomb during one's lifetime.

Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it, after his death, Akbar's son Jahangir completed the construction in 1605-1613. It is located at Sikandra, in the suburbs of Agra, on the Mathura road (NH2), 8 km WNW of the city center. About 1 km away from the tomb, lies Mariam's Tomb, the tomb of Mariam-uz-Zamani, wife of the Mughal Emperor Akbar and the mother of Jahangir.

The grounds are a precise 690 m square, aligned with the points of the compass, surrounded by walls, and laid out as a classic charbagh garden style. A gatehouse stands at the center of each wall, and broad paved avenues, laid out in Mughal style with central running water channels representing the four rivers of Paradise, lead from these to the tomb at the center of the square.

The south gate is the largest, with four white marble chhatri-topped minarets which are similar to (and pre-date) those of the Taj Mahal, and is the normal point of entry to the tomb. 

The tomb itself is surrounded by a walled enclosure 105 m square. The tomb building is a four-tiered pyramid, surmounted by a marble pavilion containing the false tomb. The true tomb, as in other mausoleums, is in the basement.

The buildings are constructed mainly from a deep red sandstone, enriched with features in white marble. Decorated inlaid panels of these materials and a black slate adorn the tomb and the main gatehouse. 

Panel designs are geometric, floral and calligraphic, and prefigure the more complex and subtle designs later incorporated in Itmad-ud-Daulah's Tomb.

 The 1st gate to enter the courtyard before the tomb...

A panoramic view of the courtyard.

 It was beautiful outside but in the low 90's with 100% humidity so was pretty muggy...You could see a lot of wild deer, antelope, rabbits and etc running around in the huge grounds.

 This is the front of the 3 story tomb. You can see the white door in the center of the main entrance...

...and once inside you would look back through the inlay work. The roof used to be covered in gold and gems, but the British burned the inside to melt the gold inlay work and you can still see how beautiful it was...


A lot has been restored, so you can imagine what it looked like, but the y left a lot of the original state before the restoration so you can see what it looked like after the British were there...

 This is the view from down within the tomb looking up the walkway to the entrance.

This is the view from the Gateway Hotel Agra. My 1st hotel site inspection today...you can see the Taj Mahal in the background from every hotel room...


I used the zoom on my small camera (same room) and you can see easily the Taj from your normal view.

I had a great lunch after the site inspection with the front desk manager.















Of course I tried the local Indian food  (Mugli style goat curry with yellow dahl and assorted Nan breads.










In front of my hotel 'Orient Taj' we had to move out of the way of the ox who were coming back from the watering hole...


 Orient Taj-was a new property only 15 minutes away from the Agra Fort (Red Fort) and from the Taj Mahal.

This is where I ate breakfast at the Taj Orient.



 My room was HUGE! Very well equipped with a large flat screen TV and everything was controlled from the bed.

Large bathroom...very clean and very new.

Wife would have liked the bathroom...so you know it must be nice...:)

 This is the view of my quad. I was the bottom floor.

 It was hot at 8 am and a bit hazy

 In the distance is the reception area.

This was a panoramic view of the property. They will finish construction next year doubling the size and adding about 100 deluxe rooms and suites.


The ox/cows go a few miles to a watering hole by themselves and in the evening come home...

 This is the front view of the Orient Taj.

 After checking into the hotel and dropping of my luggage we went to the Agra Fort (Red Fort).

Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, India. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city.

After Panipat, Mughals captured the fort and a vast treasure - which included a diamond that was later named as the Koh-i-Noor diamond - was seized. Babur stayed in the fort in the palace of Ibrahim. He built a baoli (step well) in it. Humayun was crowned here in 1530. Humayun was defeated in Bilgram in 1540. Sher Shah held the fort for five years. The Mughals defeated the Afghans finally at Panipat in 1556.

Realizing the importance of its central situation, Akbar made it his capital and arrived in Agra in 1558. His historian, Abdul Fazal, recorded that this was a brick fort known as ‘Badalgarh’. It was in a ruined condition and Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone from Barauli area in Rajasthan. Architects laid the foundation and it was built with bricks in the inner core with sandstone on external surfaces. Builders worked on it for eight years, completing it in 1573.

It was only during the reign of Akbar's grandson, Shah Jahan that the site took on its current state. The legend is that Shah Jahan built the beautiful Taj Mahal for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Unlike his grandfather, Shah Jahan tended to have buildings made from white marble, often inlaid with gold or semi-precious gems. He destroyed some of the earlier buildings inside the fort in order to make his own.

At the end of his life, Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son, Aurangzeb, in the fort. It is rumored that Shah Jahan died in Musamman Burj, a tower with a marble balcony with a view of the Taj Mahal.

The fort was the site of a battle during the Indian rebellion of 1857, which caused the end of the British East India Company's rule in India, and led to a century of direct rule of India by Britain.

 View of the Taj Mahal in the distance from Agra Fort.

 View outside of Agra Fort.

Same view, but with me blocking it...;)

 Interesting story here...my guide was able to get us into a 'restricted area' closed off to tourists. it was the queen's bathroom, bathhouse...Seemed a bit dodgy to get in with a wee bit o'cloak and dagger to get the keys, make sure no one was looking and etc.

 There are small pieces of glass in the ceilings where candle light reflects off the glass.

 You can not see too well from the pictures, but was cool up close.

 A curator was waving his hands with two candles in them and gave off quite the sparkle.

 Better pic...

 More close up...

 Even closer...

 The walls were richly decorated with paintings...

 Another room...

 The outer area of the Taj Mahal...we went directly from Agra Fort to the Taj...took only a few minutes, went in through the East gate.

 Beautiful day for sight seeing...:)

 View going in through the East gate.

 What a beautiful day...

Nice reflection in the long pool...

 Hey, my head is as big as the Taj, go figure...

I had to be quick to jump onto the bench to get this picture...

 This one too!

Pretty amazing how the light comes off the Taj and how sunrise, sunset the Taj changes color because it is made out of white marble that turns pink, red, orange when the light hits it.

 I really like this picture...

 We went inside the Taj then walked around the outside for a bit...

 Panoramic view

 This is the view from the Taj looking towards the gate we came through.

 Same view, but panoramic.

 Again

 Super crowded, but my guide got me to the front of the line and we went right in.

 Front of the Taj...had to wear covers on our shoes or you can go bare foot to not damage the stone.

 Clouds start rolling in...

 Gets dark quickly...

 View toward Agra Fort down the river...

 You can see Agra fort in the distance...

 Is Brad hot? Yes, you can see by the soaked shirt and beads of sweat rolling down my brow.

 The rain clouds roll in and we get DRENCHED as we run to the front entrance where we get stuck for 30 minutes under a porch. We eventually decide to walk in the rain since the Taj is closing and we get to a bus that takes us to Pankag and our waiting vehicle...

 then it is off to the Oberoi Amarivilas Agra for a site inspection after high Tea. One word for this hotel...WOW...view of the Taj from every room.

Oberoi Amarivilas Agra at night by the pool

 The lobby...

 View from the bar/cafe-we had nice fresh French press coffee and biscuits.

 Standard room with view...

 Delus room with view...

 Suite with view...

 Suite with view...

Presidential suite with view from tub and from shower...

After our site inspection we then go to ITC Mugal for a site inspection and dinner.

A bit about ITC Mugal

ITC Hotel Mughal Sheraton Agra is spread over an area of 35 acres of landscaped gardens at Taj Ganj, and  is located 10 kilometers from the airport and six kilometers from the railway station.

 Nice pool.

 The bright red brick building presents an excellent blend with the charismatic appeal of Agra city. The hotel Mughal Sheraton is the recipient of the most prestigious 'Aga Khan' award for its framework inspired by Mughal architecture.

 Also meeting its commitment towards safety, the Mughal Sheraton has received the British Safety Council's coveted 'Sword of Honor' award.

 Standard room. The hotel looks about half renovated and is the biggest hotel for conventions in Agra on a huge property.

There is a definite difference between the older style (un-renovated from the 80's) and the next VERY modern wings that were recently renovated.

One of the several restaurants...

My dinner was great and I tried the Mugal Sampler on the menu and had some Australian Cabernet to wash it down. They even had live music (lady singing English songs)...

I ended up finishing this LONG day around 11:30 pm ET and got back to my room around midnight...tomorrow we hit the road to Rajastan (Jaipur)...