Things you need to know before traveling Delhi Agra and Jaipur

The Golden Triangle is the most popular tourist route in India, and for great factor. Delhi, Jaipur and Agra are 3 cities that catch your imagination and take you into the fascinating, decadent and enthusiastic world of the Mughals and maharajas. Exactly what they left is a few of the world’s best architecture, from the Qutab Minar in Delhi to the Amber Fort in Jaipur and naturally the Taj Mahal in Agra. Even if you have just five days, here’s how you can see the highlights of the Golden Triangle.

Delhi

India Gate, Delhi

A lot of Golden Triangle tours begin in Delhi, and rightly so; the capital city is really incredible. If you only have a couple of days in Delhi, then you really don’t have time to spare, so head straight to Chandni Chowk. The centre of Old Delhi, this market was produced by Shah Jahan in 1650 A.D., and is still among the liveliest parts of the city. The narrow alleys are filled with stalls selling spices of every scent, cloth, electronic devices in addition to a lane that is well-known for selling any sort of parantha you desire. Chandni Chowk is an experience that makes you feel truly alive!

Stop for lunch at Karim’s, popular for its savory kebabs, and then head to the superb Red Fort or Lal Qila. The palace walls and public halls were as soon as embellished with precious stones of every shade.

Whilst its size alone is massive, the lovely blend of elaborately carved white marble and red sandstone makes this site simply amazing. Stroll up the narrow spiral staircase of the minaret to get the best view of Old Delhi.

If you still have a long time left, do visit Raj Ghat, the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi. At night, head back to Red Fort to see the popular Sound and Light Show.

The next day, begin early and head to Mehrauli, home to the Qutab Minar complex. Over 72 metres high, building and construction on this structure started in 1193 A.D. In the very same complex, you can likewise see some Mughal burial places, and an iron pillar that dates back over 2,000 years.

Head back into Delhi for a time-out and picnic at Lodhi Gardens. From there, check out Humayun’s Tomb, among the most magnificent monuments in Delhi. Set amongst big gardens, and with intricate carvings of stars, this is a website not to be missed out on.

In the evening, stop at India Gate simply as night falls to see it lit up in all its splendor. You can also treat on chaat and take pleasure in the carnival atmosphere here.

Many Golden Triangle trips begin in Delhi, and appropriately so; the capital city is really incredible. If you just have a couple of days in Delhi, then you really don’t have time to spare, so head straight to Chandni Chowk. The centre of Old Delhi, this market was produced by Shah Jahan in 1650 A.D., and is still one of the liveliest parts of the city. Head back into Delhi for a brief break and picnic at Lodhi Gardens.

The Incredible Taj Mahal, Agra

Taj Mahal Agra

The next morning, get up early for the drive to Agra. On the method, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the ancient fortified city that was when the capital of the Mughal Empire. The fort provides an insight into the life of Emperor Akbar, with homes for his Hindu, Christian and Muslim better halves, and an amazing mosque. Take your time and explore this city before continuing to Agra.

Agra is naturally the home of the Taj Mahal, among the Seven Wonders of the World. This renowned monument is just breathtaking in reality. Built by Shah Jahan as a memorial for his preferred spouse Mumtaz, this makes sure to be the emphasize of your Golden Triangle trip.

After you have actually wandered through the premises of the Taj Mahal, see Agra Fort, where his ruthless child Aurangzeb held Shah Jahan slave. It was here that he would look across the river to the Taj Mahal and remember his stunning Mumtaz. In the night, dine under the stars like an emperor at Esphahan Restaurant in the luxurious Oberoi Amarvilas.

The Pink City of Jaipur

Jaipur

Your journey to the Pink City of Jaipur begins early. When you reach Jaipur, the Old City is the best place to start.

Neighboring is the City Palace, which blends Rajasthani and Mughal architecture completely. From its vibrantly painted Pitam Niwas Courtyard, with reliefs that represent every season, to the elaborately etched armory room, the City Palace will offer you a peak into the sophisticated world of the maharajas. If you have sufficient time, you can likewise go to Jantar Mantar, which houses a collection of some of the most interesting scientific instruments. Do not miss the sundial that has a 27-metre high gnomon.

Amber is 11 kilometers from Jaipur, and was when the ancient capital. Take your time and enjoy this interesting ancient city; wander through the town behind the fort before heading back in to Jaipur. Perhaps, take out time and do some shopping in Jaipur; the area is popular for its ethnic handicrafts, silver precious jewelry and semi-precious stones that are polished close by.

In the early morning, you will be all set to head back to Delhi. Whilst it may have just been four days since you left, you will return a various individual as the Golden Triangle certainly leaves a lasting impression on all who go to.

Your journey to the Pink City of Jaipur commences early. Once you reach Jaipur, the Old City is the best place to start. Take your time and enjoy this remarkable ancient city; roam through the town behind the fort before heading back in to Jaipur.

For more information on Golden triangle tour packages contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agency in Delhi India.

Travel Information on Fatehpur Sikri Agra

Nearly all tourists to India commit themselves to the touristy circuit of the Golden triangle (Delhi, Agra and Jaipur). This is approximately thousand kilometers drive that comprises of the cities, Delhi (Delhi the heart of India), Agra (Agra the city of love) and Jaipur(Jaipur the pink city of India).

To be sure Golden triangle tour is one of the best ways in which some essential and momentous and experiences of India are enjoyed.

In their excitement to visit the Taj Mahal (Taj Mahal seven wonder of the world) and the bustling markets of Jaipur, some tourists sadly omit to visit Fatehpur Sikri.

Fatehpur Sikri Agra

Information on Fatehpur Sikri Agra

Adjectives fall short when describing the Road extravagantly-built capital city of the greatest Mughal emperor, Akbar. And vet, this was a city that was abandoned in 1585, within 14 years of its inauguration.

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For centuries, historians have tried to unravel the mystery of why Akbar meticulously designed, built, and then deserted his capital. Popular belief is that the emperor moved out as the city’s water supply proved inadequate but it seems more likely that Akbar’s relocation was politically motivated. He was after all the first Mughal king with the means and opportunity to build extensively, and from Fatehpur he moved to Lahore, where he built himself another fortress.

The architecture of the city is an amalgamation of the Islamic architecture of Afghanistan, Persia and Rajasthan. From the Persians, Akbar’s artists took geometrical motifs, and from the Hindus and Buddhists, their floral designs. Built with red sandstone, Fatehpur Sikri has palaces and courtyards, official buildings, audience halls, a treasury, harem, an aqueduct — as there was no natural water source — soldier’s barracks and enormous kitchens. The adjoining complex has the main congregational mosque, and the shrine of Sheikh Salim Chishti, which opens on to a massive gateway.

By 1568, Mughal emperor Jalal-ud-din Akbar, the third ruler of the Mughal dynasty, had established a substantial empire and all of north India was under his control. Peace and prosperity prevailed in his kingdom and his only sorrow was the lack of an heir.

It is said that an anxious emperor prayed before the Sufi pir, Sheikh Salim Chishti, who lived on a hillock in Sikri, a little over 30 kms from Agra. The pir prophesied that Akbar would be blessed with three sons. His prophesy came true when his queen Jodha Bai gave birth to a son, named Salim after the Sheikh, prompting a grateful Akbar to build an extravagant mosque here.

Fatehpur Sikri Agra

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Then the largest mosque in the empire, the Jama Masjid was completed by 1571. Built with red sandstone and inlaid with marble relief work, the masjid was the first monument to be built in the dargah complex.

Later, a grand entrance, named Badshahi Darwaza was added to the complex, to be used only by the emperor when he joined the prayers. Both the Buland Darwaza, and the sublime marble tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti were built later.

The enormous 40-m Buland Darwaza, literally meaning Lofty Gate, can be seen long before one reaches it. Built in 1573 after Akbar’s successful conquest of Gujarat, this ‘gate’ has an inscription in Arabic translating to, ‘The world is a bridge, pass over it but build no house upon it. He who hopes for an hour, hopes for Eternity, for the world is but an hour’.

The Darwaza follows the early pattern of Mughal architecture, with carved inscriptions and rising arches topped by chattris on tiny pillars. There are 12 m of steps leading to the gateway, and the whole structure is about 52 m high.

Diwan-i-khas Fatehpur Sikri

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Situated in the heart of this red sandstone complex is the transcendental white marble dargah or tomb of Sheikh Salimuddin Chishti. The entrance to the tomb has four surprisingly slim pillars with unique serpentine struts that curve towards the roof. Built on a one meter-high plinth, the dargah has extremely detailed trellis work which covers all sides of the verandah. The faithful, and the curious, often tie threads on this lattice-work, hoping that their wishes come true.

The outer walls of this marble tomb have Arabic inscriptions while the interiors have been inlaid with stones of various colours; the grave itself has a canopy on top with a mother of pearl finish. A visit to this beautiful dargah is made even more memorable by the local singers singing heartwarming folk and Sufiana gawmilis in its hallowed compound.

The royal enclosure houses the main palaces of Fatehpur Sikri and was the seat of the Mughal Empire. The Palace Complex, with its pavilions, charbah gardens, palaces and courtyards has long baffled historians.

Over the years there have been countless accounts, and due to lack of concrete evidence, the purpose of each palace has become a matter of pure conjecture. Some palaces have gained names, and legends have been spun in the fertile minds of local tourist guides.

Diwan-i-Am, is the first building tourists comes across; according to the Akbarnama, it served as the venue for a variety of occasions, from festivals to weddings. Behind it, through a tiny entrance, is the mardana or the gentlemen’s quarters.

Fatehpur-Sikri Inside

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A structure popularly believed to be the Diwan-i-Khas, is situated at the northern end of the courtyard, and is one of the most intriguing buildings in the complex. From outside looks like a double-storeyed building but it actually has only one floor. A massive, intricately carved column, called the Tree of Life by some and a Hindu mandala by others, rises from the centre of the ground floor.

The top of the column broadens into a wide circular seat with four catwalks connecting it to the circular galleries that run halfway up the wall. Another account claims this to be the Ibadat Khana, where Akbar met religious leaders of different faiths, while another claims this was the royal treasury.

To the west of the `Diwan-i-Khas’, is what is popularly called Aankh Michauli. Tourist guides would have you believe that this was a ladies harem where the great emperor Akbar would play blind man’s buff. However this is most unlikely as this building is in the men’s quarters, and in all probability it was a treasury; the ornamented kiosk in front could have been the seat of the principal treasurer, Phul Malik.

Facing Aankh Michauli is Pachisi Court, where Akbar is said to have played the dice game of Pachisi with harem girls as counters. Next to Pachisi Court is an exquisitely carved colonnaded hall which rises up to five storey’s. Called the Panch Mahal, or badgir, meaning the tower of the wind, this monument has 84 pillars and is undoubtedly the most eye-catching structure in Fatehpur Sikri. Each level of the Panch Mahal diminishes in size as it rises, until there is just one four-columned kiosk at the very top.

Fatehpur Sikri Agra Tomb

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The next courtyard has the beautiful Anup Talao, which sits right in front of the emperor’s double-storied private palace called the Khwabgah or Palace of Dreams. Legend has it that the royal court singer, Mian Tansen used to perform from the seat at the centre of the pool for the emperor.

The building to the north of Anup Talao is popularly called the Turkish Sultana’s House, and believed to have been the residence of a Turkish queen. However, as this building too is in the middle of the mardana, it was probably another one of Akbar’s palaces.

Jodha Bai’s Palace is the most prominent structure in the zenana, or womens’ quarters. Although named after Jodha, Akbar’s Rajput queen, it was probably the residence of Akbar’s principal wives. The palace has a screened pavilion by the northern wall called the Hawa Mahal, where the women could sit in seclusion. The entire zenana complex is reminiscent of the palaces of Gwalior, and it is possible that Akbar built it for the Rajput queens of his harem.

To the west of Jodha Bai’s Palace is an elaborately decorated house, which if one is to believe the local guides, was the residence of Akbar’s adviser and confidante, Raja Birbal. But it seems improbable that a court nobleman would have been allowed accommodation inside the royal complex, and that too within close range of the harem.

Fatehpur Sikri is in many ways a reflection of the king who built it and the dynasty whose rise and fall it witnessed. Vast, ingeniously designed, and just as multi-cultural as the reign of Akbar himself, this once abandoned city is undeniably an unforgettable chapter, both in the pages of Indian history and in the minds of anyone who visits it!

The Secret Chambers of Fatehpur Sikri Agra

For more information on Golden triangle tours from Delhi contact Swan Tours, one of the leading travel agents in Connaught place New Delhi India.

Information on Agra during Mughals

Agra

Agra – City of the Mughals

Like Delhi, Agra is an urban settlement of great antiquity. It would have remained just another small town on the Yamuna but for the fact that two major Muslim dynasties chose to make it an alternative capital. While the Lodis built some impressive edifices in Delhi in the early 16th century, their capital remained the small fort in Agra. It was here that the Mughals (an English derivation from the word “Mongol”) set up court, and who continue to evoke a vivid picture of an urbane culture, exquisite taste and great wealth — from which point “Mughal” becomes “mogul” and gets lost in Hollywood.

It was Babur’s grandson Akbar who made Agra into the city the world came to know. At a time when Europe was riven with religious dissension, Akbar had gathered about him men of culture and genius and sought to create a Universalist religion. His fort in Agra, built on the foundation of the Lodi fort, and his complex of palaces atop the hill near the village of Sikri, are the beautiful shells of a once vibrant court. These sites alone would merit a visit to Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, even without the attraction of the exquisite tomb commissioned by Shahjahan for his consort, the Taj Mahal.

Akbar’s son Jahangir and grandson Shahjahan continued to live in Akbarabad (as Agra was named by Jahangir). Mandis (wholesale markets) and bazaars proliferated, and Agra became a great entrepot of trade as well as a magnet for craftsmen and artists. The carpets, footwear, marble artifacts and kites for which Agra is still famous are traditions handed down for centuries. After Shahjahan impulsively moved the capital back to Delhi, Agra lost some of its lustre but its wealth remained to attract the Jats from Bharatpur, who in the 18th century plundered the Fort to furbish their own palace in Deeg. The Marathas also, shortly after, captured the city with the help of French mercenaries. In a manner parallel to the history of Delhi, Agra was then conquered by the British and in the early 19th century became one of the major military outposts of the East India Company. Agra’s old cemeteries rank as some of the most interesting in India.

Agra-Fort

Agra and its historic buildings are today threatened by the pollution and environmentalists see the oil refinery in Mathura as more sinister than the Jat invaders of an earlier age. North of Agra is the ancient city of Mathura (the resonance with the temple town of Madurai in Tamil Nadu led historical records to refer to these as the “northern and southern Mathuras”) sacred for centuries as the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Here, too, efforts are underway to cleanse the river and repair the ghats. It is hoped that the alarmed voices of conservationists will be heard and that the cultural wealth of this area will be preserved.

For more information on Agra during Mughals in India and Golden triangle tour packages in Contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.