Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal

We left Jaipur this morning and travelled east to Fatehpur Sikri. Fatehpur Sikri was the political capital of India's Mughal Empire under Akbar's reign, from 1571 until 1585, when it was abandoned, due to lack of water. By far, this was Paul and my favorite stop on the trip.

Here we are outside the gates . . .

Inside the walls, the same red sandstone is used to build the structures. A garden remains inside the courtyard.

Paul and I sit on the "royal seat" in the courtyard that was once used to entertain the Akbar and his queens where ladies from the harem played as live pieces on Parcheesi boards drawn on the actual courtyard floor. . .

A photo from inside Jama Masjid, or Friday Mosque, looking out to the walls of the Palace of the Hindu Wife.


Outside the complex, we see the tallest arch that exists in Asia.

We leave Fatehpur Sikri, and drive to Agra. We stay the night at the Trident hotel. We get up for breakfast at 6 am, and go to the Taj Mahal at 6:30 am.

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child. From this grief, he constructed this massive mausoleum, which incorporates Persian and Mughal architectural styles, out of love for his wife, Mumtaz.

It is a foggy morning, so the Taj Mahal appears covered in the mist this morning. It is very mystical to see.

After seeing the Taj Mahal, we hop back in the car and drive to the Delhi Domestic Airport. Now, back to Pune!