Incredible India: a voyage with Robyn and Sara

Day 8: Jaipur- Agra

Today we drove to Agra which is around 240 kms from Jaipur.

Along the way, we visited an amazing stepwell. The Chand Baori is a stepwell built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan. It was built by King Chanda somewhere in the 9th century. Stepwells, also called bawdi or baori, are unique to India.  The wells have steps built into the sides that lead down to the water. Centuries ago, they were built in the arid zones of Rajasthan to provide water all year through.

Abhaneri Stepwell is a four-sided well which is 100 feet deep. It has 13 storeys and 3,500 steps to descend to the bottom. The air at the bottom of the complex is cooler than at the surface. It is one of India’s largest and deepest stepwells.

The stepwell houses some idols of Lord Ganesh and Mahisasurmardini along with some stunningly carved jharokhas. Figurines of gods and goddesses and arabesque designs are intricately carved on the pillars and walls of the complex. Here’s Robyn pointing in the general direction of Lord Ganesh.

At the back of Abhaneri Stepwell is the  Harshat Mata temple which is partially intact but many of its destroyed stones are being collected in the hope that one day it will be restored.

We reached Agra about 3 pm. Known to the world as the city of the ‘Taj Mahal’, Agra is still associated with the Mughals, who besides being great rulers were also great builders. Agra Fort is an outstanding example of Mughal architecture and the seat and stronghold of the Mughal Empire under successive generations. To ward off enemies, the entry to the fort had a drawbridge, but if somehow the enemy got in, then large cannon balls would be sent down the passage where Robyn is standing.

Mughal emperor Humayun was crowned at this fort in 1530. It was later renovated by the Mughal emperor Akbar from 1565 and the present-day structure was completed in 1573. It served as the main residence of the rulers of the  Mughal dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi.Before being captured by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas.

Shah Jahan was Emperor from 1628 until his deposition in 1658. As the fifth Mughal emperor, his reign marked the zenith of Mughal architectural and cultural achievements. He loved white marble which is clearly apparent in many parts of the fortified palace.

Why am I telling you about Shah Jahan? Because the Taj Mahal is where he and his wife are buried. In September 1657, Shah Jahan was ailing and appointed his eldest son as his successor. After Shah Jahan recovered from his illness in July 1658, his son imprisoned him in Agra Fort from July 1658 until his death in January 1666. (Clearly, love was not at the heart of this family!) He was laid to rest next to his wife in the Taj. This is the area in the fort where Shah Jahan was imprisoned.

In 1983, the Agra fort was inscribed as a  UNESCO World Heritage site because of its importance during Mughal rule. It is about 2.5 kms northwest of its more famous sister monument, the  Taj Mahal.

Reached our hotel around 6 pm, just in time to look at the Taj Mahal from our hotel balcony. You’ll need to study the photo very carefully to see the Taj….its between Robyn and I!

Hotel is gorgeous. This is the view from our room.

Time for dinner, and we are planning an early start just in case the fog lifts and we can see the Taj at sunrise.