Agra - Fatehpur Sikri

Precision zapped Taj Mahal

2 nights before, we returned from our short trip to Agra city. The city played host to our channel partner summit, organized by Daikin. Since I am completely averse to be shown around the city on guided tours, I was to be on my own and Agra not being far I took my truck. My plan excited Vineet to join in as well.

The drive to Agra on 1^st December was pretty much un-eventful sans the traffic sense of the people of Uttar Pradesh and near lying areas of Haryana. The basic assumption of driving sense in the other, fell to a new low as we passed through the region. The road condition was good as was the drive, with all the left and right curves in the road keeping interest alive. Vineet sold me the idea of kebabs and we soon were walking on the street, scouting Agra’s Sadar Bazaar. Disappointed we were not to find a decent place, maybe we were directed wrong; the dinner was courtesy DOMINO’s – the hungry kya thing.

Vineet & I at Agra Fort

Night zoomed past in the beds of The Ashok and we woke up to a fine crisp morning. Change of hotels happened, hello welcome with other members happened, breakfast happened and then… TAJ MAHAL happened. Had only heard of the monument for all these years, and seeing it for the first time I could see that the place lives more than each and every word said about it till date. The sheer scale and size, the imposing grandeur, precision construction, amazing marble artistry, expanse of lawns and so many more add to the awe about the place. What times they would have been, what must have Emperor Shah Jahan been thinking….are things beyond contemplation. But it was saddening to see the conduct of my countrymen going about Taj Mahal. How easily we see Taj Mahal as a place so casual as to laugh out loud, scream, and spit about. The place is symbol of love and we Indians conduct ourselves completely oblivious of the heritage, of the history of the place. The visit to the museum was informative.

Eat like King Breakfast by now was settling down, and we made our way to the Agra Fort. The fort stands across Taj Mahal, and was host to Shah Jahan as jail, in his last days. Not much information was gathered about the place as we denied any possible opportunity to local guides to fleece us. Not taking a guide was a mistake we discovered the next day.

No soon had the summit started in the evening that it ended for me; my non-interest in the flair of events to be held responsible. Staying at ITC Moghul, Vineet was not going back without checking out their spa, (rated as number 1 in Asia) which is precisely what we did before leaving from hotel. Vir Sanghvi, the tainted or non tainted journalist of today, speaks high of the place and I could pretty much see as to why. Thank You very much.

Sikri

We reach Fatehpur Sikri and my countrymen judging me as a tourist, pounce on my truck. The aggressive conduct, the false claims of so on and so forth charges of presumed destinations, dispensing with un-asked information……. made me shoo them away. No wonder tourists are having harrowing experience, thanks to the cartel existing between the forced guides, the ASI and the police. The guide we eventually took swore by Vineet’s negotiation skills on tomb of Salim Chisti as he shelled out 1/6^th of the asked price. Taking this guide chap along was the best thing we did, as the explanation of the history of each palace one by one, the architectural engineering behind them all left us wanting for more. The palaces of Emperor's queens, the bedroom & dining of Emperor Akbar, the high seated observation room which the Emperor and his Queen used to see the sunset, Emperor Akbar’s durbar, his treasury and the tomb of Emperor Akbar’s favorite elephant HIRAN is all there. The detailing, to which Emperor Akbar and his craftsmen have gone into, is pretty much in the face. Emperor Akbar, being a secular king had got crafted different symbols of different religions in his buildings. The Star of David, the Persian geometry, church steeple shaped roofs, lotus flowers are to be found. Exiting Sikri, we walk steps on an inclined road and enter into the compound called Fatehpur. The tomb of Salim Chisti, the tombs of his following generations till date, Jama Masjid and the BULAND DARWAAZA are there. Legend has it that, it was with the blessings of Salim Chisti that Akbar was blessed with son, Jehangir. People tie threads along the windows, each for a wish to be fulfilled as did we.

Hoping to return to untie our respective threads, we made our way back.