I didn't think we'd see anything as cool as the Taj Mahal on this trip, but Agra Fort gives it a run for its money. We're planning for an extra day in Agra on our next trip north so we can devote a full day to the Taj and a full day to the fort. The kids just can't take that much awesomeness in one day without moments like this:
Samuel napped through lunch, so we wrapped up some naan to take with us. Mmmm ... naan. Another reason to visit us in India.
By the time we got to the fort, the kids were definitely showing the effects of a long train ride, a late night, and several hours at the Taj Mahal. This makes my memory of the history and significance of the fort a little hazy. I know it's been in constant military use since the mid-1500s (maybe even before) and that a large chunk of the fort is off limits, because the current Indian army uses it for barracks and training.
There's a definite medieval feel, especially when you enter the main gate. The gate and the fort are connected by a long walkway with high walls, and it was easy to imagine archers ready to shoot or vats of boiling oil waiting to be dumped over attackers. We saw an enormous bird of prey (some kind of eagle maybe?) perched on one of the battlements, which added to the Lord of the Rings-esque atmosphere.
The fort is across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, and on clear days there's a great view of the Taj from the walls of the fort. It was hazy when we were there (curse the North Indian winter!), so we could only see the Taj Mahal if we squinted our eyes and knew exactly where to look. I didn't bother to post our lousy pictures of that, but here's a cute one of Samuel looking out over the river.
The fort had a wet moat and a dry moat. I overheard a tour guide telling his group that the wet moat was stocked with crocodiles and the dry moat had tigers and elephants. I have no idea if this is true, but it sounds pretty exciting. The most dangerous wildlife we saw were the scores of monkeys that now inhabit the fort. Caroline and I saw one up on the battlements that I swear must have been 5 feet tall. John wanted to jump a barrier and climb up there, but I talked him out of it. Actually, I went a little hysterical and forbade any kind of questionable exploration. In John's mind, if there's a good reason to make something out of bounds you really should use more than a rope to block it off. A locked door prevents snooping. A rope is meant to be stepped over. I humbly but loudly disagree with his theory.
The fort is really a walled city, with palaces, mosques, and even an underground labyrinth (off limits) that housed Emperor Akbar's 500-strong harem. 500 ... seriously? The most opulent part of the fort (that's open to tourists, anyway) is the part built by Shah Jahan, the same emperor who built the Taj Mahal. There's a lot of white marble with semi-precious stone inlay, which I guess he really liked, and beautiful arches everywhere you turn.
As if the fort weren't interesting enough, there's a tragic story that gives it even more mystique. Shah Jahan's son, Aurangzeb, usurped the throne and imprisoned his father here. Shah Jahan spent the last 8 years of his life gazing at the Taj Mahal from the fort. It's said that he died on this balcony, facing the tomb of his wife. Can't you just see an imprisoned emperor pacing this place?
It's interesting how beautiful these sections of the fort were. John mentioned that European castles he's toured that date to the same period are dark, dank fortresses. Agra Fort is a heavily fortified luxurious palace, that was probably a pretty comfortable place to live. It shows that the power, technology and artistry of the time were centered in Asia, not in the West.
The fort closes when the sun sets, and we were some of the last to leave. That gave us time for pictures like this (both taken by Caroline):
Don't these kids look adorable?
Well don't let them fool you! By this time they were absolute monsters, running around, crying at the drop of a hat, picking at each other ... auuuuugh!
It's my fault, though. We had them up super late the night before, and then we dragged them all over Agra for a good 10 hours. All things considered, I guess they weren't so bad. I don't know when I've been so relieved to have everyone in bed and asleep, though.
The next day they were back to their normal excellent-traveler selves, and it's a good thing, too. John called the night before to check on the status of our train back to Delhi. Eight hours delayed! That meant we wouldn't get to the airport in time to catch our flight back to Chennai. We did some frantic calling around and ended up hiring our driver from Delhi to come pick us up and take us to the airport ... a five-hour trip one way.
The drive wasn't as horrendous as I was expecting it to be. Plus, Caroline got the added benefit of seeing more of the "real" India, and we ate some yummy dal makhani at a roadside kitchen. We got to the airport with plenty of time to catch the plane back to Chennai. It was good to be home.
Samuel napped through lunch, so we wrapped up some naan to take with us. Mmmm ... naan. Another reason to visit us in India.
By the time we got to the fort, the kids were definitely showing the effects of a long train ride, a late night, and several hours at the Taj Mahal. This makes my memory of the history and significance of the fort a little hazy. I know it's been in constant military use since the mid-1500s (maybe even before) and that a large chunk of the fort is off limits, because the current Indian army uses it for barracks and training.
There's a definite medieval feel, especially when you enter the main gate. The gate and the fort are connected by a long walkway with high walls, and it was easy to imagine archers ready to shoot or vats of boiling oil waiting to be dumped over attackers. We saw an enormous bird of prey (some kind of eagle maybe?) perched on one of the battlements, which added to the Lord of the Rings-esque atmosphere.
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| Amar Singh Gate |
The fort is across the Yamuna River from the Taj Mahal, and on clear days there's a great view of the Taj from the walls of the fort. It was hazy when we were there (curse the North Indian winter!), so we could only see the Taj Mahal if we squinted our eyes and knew exactly where to look. I didn't bother to post our lousy pictures of that, but here's a cute one of Samuel looking out over the river.
The fort had a wet moat and a dry moat. I overheard a tour guide telling his group that the wet moat was stocked with crocodiles and the dry moat had tigers and elephants. I have no idea if this is true, but it sounds pretty exciting. The most dangerous wildlife we saw were the scores of monkeys that now inhabit the fort. Caroline and I saw one up on the battlements that I swear must have been 5 feet tall. John wanted to jump a barrier and climb up there, but I talked him out of it. Actually, I went a little hysterical and forbade any kind of questionable exploration. In John's mind, if there's a good reason to make something out of bounds you really should use more than a rope to block it off. A locked door prevents snooping. A rope is meant to be stepped over. I humbly but loudly disagree with his theory.
 |
| There were plenty of monkeys close up, too, but I was too busy trying to keep Samuel from provoking them to get any pictures. I think Caroline took this one. |
The fort is really a walled city, with palaces, mosques, and even an underground labyrinth (off limits) that housed Emperor Akbar's 500-strong harem. 500 ... seriously? The most opulent part of the fort (that's open to tourists, anyway) is the part built by Shah Jahan, the same emperor who built the Taj Mahal. There's a lot of white marble with semi-precious stone inlay, which I guess he really liked, and beautiful arches everywhere you turn.
 |
| Carrie caught this shot ... I love it. |
As if the fort weren't interesting enough, there's a tragic story that gives it even more mystique. Shah Jahan's son, Aurangzeb, usurped the throne and imprisoned his father here. Shah Jahan spent the last 8 years of his life gazing at the Taj Mahal from the fort. It's said that he died on this balcony, facing the tomb of his wife. Can't you just see an imprisoned emperor pacing this place?
It's interesting how beautiful these sections of the fort were. John mentioned that European castles he's toured that date to the same period are dark, dank fortresses. Agra Fort is a heavily fortified luxurious palace, that was probably a pretty comfortable place to live. It shows that the power, technology and artistry of the time were centered in Asia, not in the West.
The fort closes when the sun sets, and we were some of the last to leave. That gave us time for pictures like this (both taken by Caroline):
Don't these kids look adorable?
Well don't let them fool you! By this time they were absolute monsters, running around, crying at the drop of a hat, picking at each other ... auuuuugh!
It's my fault, though. We had them up super late the night before, and then we dragged them all over Agra for a good 10 hours. All things considered, I guess they weren't so bad. I don't know when I've been so relieved to have everyone in bed and asleep, though.
The next day they were back to their normal excellent-traveler selves, and it's a good thing, too. John called the night before to check on the status of our train back to Delhi. Eight hours delayed! That meant we wouldn't get to the airport in time to catch our flight back to Chennai. We did some frantic calling around and ended up hiring our driver from Delhi to come pick us up and take us to the airport ... a five-hour trip one way.
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| All ready for a long drive |
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