Agra – Fatehpur Sikri & Abhaneri – Jaipur, India (B)
Start the day with a sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal. The stunning mausoleum immortalized the
name of Shah Jahan’s last wife Mumtaz Mahal, “light of the palace”. Built by artisans from neighbouring Islamic countries as well as India, it is aptly described by the poet laureate Tagore as “A tear on the face of eternity”. Decorated with a mosaic of semi-precious stones and Persian calligraphy recreating verses from the Koran, the mausoleum is an important place of pilgrimage as the empress died in childbirth, making her a martyr. At dawn the marble structures glow and gently change colour as the sky brightens.
After returning to the hotel to freshen up and for breakfast, visit mighty Agra Fort.
Richly decorated with marble and mosaic, it was in part of this fort-palace that Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal in homage to his wife, spent the last years of his life, imprisoned by his son. The quarters where he was confined have a magical view of the Taj Mahal across the river Yamuna. Enjoy free time to wander the intriguing streets and lane ways of Agra’s old city.
This afternoon stop at Fatehpur Sikri as you continue onto Jaipur. Fatehpur Sikri was built by the Mughals in the 15th century and abandoned within 20 years due to a lack of the water, the ornate buildings and palaces are remarkably well preserved, they offer a somewhat eerie in sight into the grandeur of the Mughal Empire at its peak.