After spending a fun-filled week of Durgapuja at my aunt’s place in Delhi, we planned a trip to Agra. We boarded an early morning train and reached Agra in a few hours. From the station, we took a bus and reached Agra Fort. The tourist guide told us that the construction of the Agra Fort was started around 1565, when the initial structures were built by, Akbar. Shah Jahan replaced most of these with his marble creations. Delhi Gate, Akbari Mahal, Amar Singh Gate and the Jahangiri Mahal were among those that survived. The Agra Fort has a crescent shape and is flattened on the east with a long, nearly straight wall facing the river.
[JUSTIFY] The Agra Fort has a total perimeter of 2.4 kilometers. It is ringed by, double castellated ramparts, made of red sandstone. These are punctuated by, bastions at regular intervals. A moat surrounds the outer wall. It is 9 meters wide and 10 meters deep. An imposing inner wall, which is 22 meters high, was constructed for making the fort invincible. The route through the Amar Singh Gate is doglegged. The layout of the fort was determined by the course of the river, which, in those days, flowed alongside the fort. The main axis is parallel to the river. The walls bridge out towards the city. [/JUSTIFY]
The Agra Fort originally had four gates. Two of those were walled up later. The Delhi Gate on the west is fortified by, huge octagonal towers. It leads to the Jama Masjid in the city and faces the bazaar. The architectural plan of the fort was designed in such a way that the defenders had an advantageous position. We could not pass through the Delhi Gate as it is closed for visitors. The Amar Singh Gate lies on the south. It is defended by, a square bastion flanked by round towers. It was built with a crooked entrance with a steep rise and dangerous trap points.
When we entered the Agra fort, we were mesmerized. The glory and pride of the Mughal era seemed to create a trance around us. As we entered through the Amar Sing Gate and emerged from the passage, the first building that we noticed was the Jehangir Mahal on the right, at the end of an elaborate lawn. It was built by Akbar as the women’s quarters and is the sole building that survives among his original palace buildings. It is built of stone and has simple decorations on the exterior. Ornamental stone brackets support the beams. This is one of the most important features of this edifice.
I remember the large stone bowl in front of Jehangir Mahal. Presumably, it was used to contain fragrant rose water. The ornamental Persian verses that are carved along the outer rim record the construction of the palace by Jehangir in 1611 AD. The Jehangir Palace is double storied and has elegance all over it. It reflects a strong Hindu influence with domed chhatris and protruding balconies. After Jehangir Mahal, our eyes fell on Jodha Bai’s palace. It lies on the right of Jehangir Mahal. Jodha Bai was Akbar’a favorite queen. Jodha Bai’s Palace is rather simple in contrast to the other palaces in the fort.
The slits in the wall of Jodha Bai’s Palace enable one to see the Taj Mahal. I remember visiting the Anguri Bagh. These are formal 85 metre square geometric gardens that lie to the left of the fort. During Shah Jahan’s time, the beauty of the gardens was considerably magnified by, ornamental flower beds. I vividly remember the Golden Pavilion. The curved “chala” roofs of the small pavilions made by the Khas Mahal are based on the roof-shape of Bengali village huts. These are made of curved bamboo and are designed to keep off heavy rains. The shape was first expressed in stone by, the Sultans of Bengal.
The Golden Pavilions were originally gilded. It is believed that these were the ladies’ bedrooms as they had hiding places for jewelries in the walls. These pavilions were associated with Shah Jahan’s daughters, namely Roshanara and Jahanara Begum. We went to the Khas Mahal from the Golden Pavilions. This is located in between the pavilions. It was built entirely of marble. It was constructed by, Shah Jahan. The palace exhibits distinct Islamic-Persian features. These features are blended well with an impressive range of Hindu features like “chhatri”s. The Khas Mahal was the emperor’s “aramghar” or sleeping room. The Khas Mahal is a magnificent example of painting on a white marble surface.
The Musamman Burj appealed to me greatly. It stands on the left of the Khas Mahal and was built by Shah Jahan. It is an impressive octagonal tower, which has an open pavilion. This could well have been used as the Emperor’s bedroom as it is favored with openness, elevation and cool evening breezes blowing in from the River Yamuna. Shah Jahan breathed his last in Musamman Burj, gazing at the Taj. We entered this tower through a magnificently adorned and intimate apartment with a scalloped fountain in the center. The inlay works, especially those above the pillars, are exquisite.
Inside Musamman Burj, we had seen a sunken courtyard in front of the fountain. The courtyard could be flooded. We saw further examples of decorative water engineering in the hammams inside the Sheesh Mahal, opposite Musamman Burj. Sheesh Mahal is just below the Diwan-I-Khaas hall. The name means the “glass palace”. It is believed to have been the dressing room of the “harem”. The walls are inlaid with tiny mirrors, which are the best specimens of glass-mosaic decoration in India. The Sheesh Mahal is made up of two large halls of equal sizes. Each measures 11.15 m x 6.40 m.
The two large halls are connected in the middle by a broad arched opening and by two narrow passages on the sides. The Diwan-I Khaas stands on the right of Sheesh Mahal. Diwan-I Khaas means the Hall of Private Audience. We were not allowed to enter this place. But we encircled it to admire its beautiful architecture. The marble pillars are inlaid with semi-precious stones and have delightful floral patterns. On the right of Diwan-i-Khaas stands the Shah Burj or the Hammam-I-Shahi. This place was used as a summer retreat. It was sort of an “air-conditioned apartment” and was attached to the residential quarters.
