Agra - The Moghul Saga

The Taj Mahal

"Taj Mahal, It’imad-Ud-Daula, Fatehpur Sikri, Agra Fort", blurted out the guide whose help I was taking in creating an immersive itinerary for myself. I had visited the Taj Mahal twice in the past too but the Taj Mahal can and must be visited as many times as one can. The enigma, the intrigue and the beauty captures the beholder in a spell. It gets more majestic and prettier each time you visit.

I wanted an easygoing itinerary and wanted to experience the city fully, so took two days out for Agra alone. In a typical Golden Triangle tour, just a day is given for Agra which I feel is insufficient because Agra is not just about the Taj Mahal; Agra is a whole book of history within a city that requires its reader to be engrossed and lost in its pages.

Ours was a road trip from Jaipur, and Fatehpur Sikri fell on the way and hence had to be the first box to check in our sightseeing checklist.

Fatehpur Sikri

This was my first visit to this once-upon-a-time city. Fatehpur Sikri is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is under the protective wings of the ASI. Built in red sand stone, it's beauty captures one's eye and heart. You enter from the large gates that open towards the Sikri village and make your way to the designated parking area. Here onwards it is a walk to the ticket windows and a bus ride to the main entrance of the Royal Complex of Fatehpur Sikri.

As is the norm from time immemorial, guests are received in an outermost chamber of a house/palace/fort/mansion/business house, there is a Diwan-e-aam as soon as one enters Fatehpur Sikri too. This is where the emperor had his audience with the general public. Beautifully manicured lawns in the typical char-bagh Moghul feature welcome you to this city.

Fatehpur Sikri

The impeccably clean Fatehpur Sikri is a historian’s, an architect’s, a photographer’s, in fact, everyone’s delight. The tour keeps one so enraptured in the depths and details of Akbar’s times and the Moghul way of life, the charm of Jodha Bai aka Harka Bai aka Mariam-uz-Zamani and the finesse of the palace of Rukaiya Begum, one gets enveloped in the realms of the past as if floating through a gallery of sepia hued pictures. A closer look at the pieces of evidence of Din-e-Ilahi, the religion founded by Akbar as an amalgamation of all religions, a walk through the jewellery box of the empress and the vault (not wallet) of the emperor will make your jaw drop in amazement of the sizes of these chambers and the fact that these were once full to the brim and bursting at the seams.

Rukaiya Begum's Mahal

The detailed carvings, paintings (though only traces can be seen hither and tither), the planning of spaces, everything is so detailed. The Anup Talab is yet another attraction that holds your attention for a while. The performing stage for such legends as Tansen and Baiju Bawra and frozen in time as the location of the musical competition between these greats, Anup Talab witnessed the spontaneous lighting of lamps as an answer to the call of Raag Deepak followed by a shower to the call of Raag Megh Malhar. The private chambers of Akbar and his consorts are made keeping the various seasons in mind. Jodha Bai’s palace is exceptionally well planned and quite large as well owing to the fact that she bore an heir to the throne, thus protecting the Moghul lineage. The striking feature here is her expansive personal kitchen.

Anup Talab

Beyond the royal chambers are the places of worship, living quarters of the palace staff and stables. Most visited are a mosque and the Dargah of Salim Chishti- the saint whose blessings gave Akbar his son, Shahjahan or Salim as he was christened at birth.

Here in the second part of Fatehpur Sikri stands the World’s Tallest gate - the Buland Darwaza. Capturing this gate in your lens can pose a challenge for sure.

The serenity of Fatehpur Sikri is palpable and calms one down. Preserved well by the ASI, this gist of a city must surely be visited by every traveller who wants to peek into the history of Agra. Can you walk across a city in just one day? Sure you can, at Fatehpur Sikri, here you can walk a few times across the length and breadth of the whole city.

As the sun sets and the night announces its arrival, an evening at the local market of Agra for some delectable street food must be your next indulgence. The famous chaat gali in Sadar Bazaar is a tiny exhibition centre for food from across the globe! While the regulars like Pani Puri, various chaats, pav bhaji, dosas are available at most of the stalls, you can find Chinese, Mexican, Mughlai and Italian cuisines as well. Shakes and waffles to satiate that sweet tooth too. This is the hub for buying knick-knacks as gifts, stationary and imitation jewellery are available in abundance and you can bargain your way to a steal deal too!

Rest well in one of the many comfortable hotels of Agra with or without the view of the Taj Mahal and be up in time the next day for a morning visit to the Taj.

The Taj Mahal

We would recommend you go for the early morning visit to the Taj Mahal- the sunrise view. Reasons? Well, lesser crowd as compared to during the day, a cooler time of the day, abundant opportunities for some great pictures, Taj Mahal glowing orange in the morning sun, - reasons enough? 

The morning glow

There is so much written about the Taj Mahal, its gardens, its minarets, the Lady Diana bench, the mosque, the Yamuna, Taj’s architecture, the history and indeed the eternally romantic saga of love; that I feel I must not delve there and keep this article focused only on a quick crisp itinerary of Agra.

Framed

The Agra Fort

After your Tour De Taj, return to your hotel for a sumptuous breakfast. Your day has a lot of walking ahead, changing into a comfortable pair of shoes would be a great idea. After breakfast, we head to the Agra Fort, a part of which is with the Indian Army while most of the notable features are open to tourists.

Gazing at the Taj Mahal from the Agra Fort

As you navigate your way through the palaces and chambers and courtyards and passages, you imbibe the richness of the beauty this monument holds. Do not forget to click yourself gazing at the Taj Mahal from the Fort à la Emperor Jehangir. I always recommend that a guide be engaged for visits to historical monuments for a thorough experience. Their storytelling skills make the trip more enriching and entertaining too.

Agra Fort

Leaving the premises of Agra Fort and bidding adieu to the twirling Kathak performers, the musicians, the courtiers, the gardeners, and bowing to the Emperor, just as you exit the gate you would be peeled out of the Moghul Saga that you were part of a moment ago.

Fort

The Throne

Head next to the local market for you must carry a souvenir and some Agra specialities back with you. The shopping list begins with Petha and Dalmoth, the sweet and savoury delicacies from Agra. Next come leather and marble artefacts, followed by jewellery, fabric and home decor with carpets on top of the home decor list. Moghul influence can be seen in most of the products one buys especially in marble craft. The market is flooded with Taj Mahal replicas in not just marble but other stones and metals too. Kashidakari embroidery can be seen all around the markets in its finest and cheapest forms, suiting to the taste and budget of the buyer. If the stomach growls as a reminder to the lunch hour being ignored, bedmi poori with aloo bhaji would be a great UP staple to try.

This is a short jaunt to the market as we have to visit the Baby Taj, It’imad-Ud-Daula. The mausoleum is the final resting place of the parents of the Empress Noorjehan. A mini version of the Taj Mahal, it is believed to be a precursor to the Taj. It is believed that the artists sharpened their carving skills on Baby Taj and worked on the Taj Mahal only after learning all the nuances of intricate marble work thoroughly.

Other attractions

After It’imad-Ud-Daula, it is time for a visit to the Mehtab Bagh - an expansive garden with flower and fruit trees growing in perfect patterns. The Moghuls were obsessed with symmetry and this is quite evident in the planning of every monument, market, garden and the city as a whole. Mehtab Bagh offers a magnificent view of the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna and the sunset view from here is a big attraction among tourists as well as locals alike. Once again the Taj Mahal glows orange in the rays of the setting sun. Orange and then pink and then pale burnt auburn and then slowly making way for the silver, grey and black of the night. Take an e-rickshaw from Mehtab Bagh to your car waiting in the parking lot. And celebrate with more of Agra chaat for you just completed a beautifully curated itinerary of the Moghul City of Agra!

Itimad-Ud-Daula

Sunset view

The Taj Mahal will quietly wave a goodbye to you as you leave for your next destination the next morning, but with a sly knowing smile that clearly conveys “till we meet again.”

Reflection

When Mountains Called

Once a year go someplace you’ve never been before. And I did! Took a flight to Amritsar and then hauled a cab to an offbeat village called Dev Dhar and spent a couple of beautiful and peaceful days there.

Dev Dhar

All about my solo trip:

Let’s begin from the beginning. I had heard about this beautiful locale up in the mountains that, unlike the cliche Kullu-Shimla-Manali is unexplored, clean, green and with no crowds around. Planned a quick trip and took a flight to Amritsar. From there it was a taxi ride to the heaven that I was soon about to discover. I so desperately wanted to grab a lunch of Amritsari chhole kulcha at Brothers Dhaba before commencing my drive to Dev Dhar but the drive was around six hours from Amritsar hence dropped the idea.

The first few hours of the drive were like any other highway trip but as we started ascending the mountains, it became more scenic and serene with the temperature dropping gradually with each hairpin bend. Oh, I must mention that I started at a scorching 42° C! The drive was interesting with an equally interesting driver who helped prevent my eyes from getting damaged by not allowing me to read, yes, too talkative a travel buddy! By the end of our fourth hour on the road, we both were hungry and tired and wanted a break. We started looking for a decent place for some tea and snacks. Found a roadside shack where we both enjoyed our much-needed sugary tea but no snacks :( as their kitchen was under cleaning for prepping for dinner time. We picked some biscuit packets, water bottles and chocolates and moved on. Hoping to reach our destination and a hot meal and cosy bed, we munched onto whatever our stash held. As the night approached, my buddy fell silent and started focusing on the curves of the mountain road ahead. And I slipped into some “Lessons in Chemistry”, the book I was reading.

A hiccupy bump here, a little swerve there, with the mobile network playing hide and seek, we reached the foothill of our destination. Our abode was barely 800 m as per google maps but the approach seemed imperceptible with a fork on the road where one prong led to a gate to a Govt office and the other to a kachcha road uphill. No network on our phones and unsure about which way to go, we retraced our path to a cluster of shops to ask for directions. Help came only in the form of a phone with a network! We called the eco-home we were headed to and in response were offered a guide who would come down to escort us up the path.

Locating my destination

A weather-beaten, cobbled kachcha pathway added more excitement to the dark night that enveloped us. I am convinced that adventure tourism is made of this! We followed the car that came to guide us but kept our gaze focused on the path. For them it was routine, for us, it was a first-time trip on a path like that, for my cabbie too! Manoeuvring our way through the narrow pathway with a valley on one side and hairpin bends along the way, we kept going without stopping and lo! lost sight of our lead vehicle. In our quest, we kept following the path realising that it got steeper and tougher to access. At one point the driver asked me to get off the car so that he could swiftly manoeuvre a steep turn. To date I am wondering, how did a few kilos less make any difference to his manoeuvring skills?

Just as I got off, the cool breeze tickled me, the trees swayed in welcome dance, the stars brightened their light, and the local guard dogs started barking at this stranger in their land. A mixed feeling of anxiety and anticipation took over me as I was wondering about what the dogs had in mind for me. Just then a villager emerged from inside a hut and quietened the canines. He already knew where we were headed and asked the driver to take a u-turn and drive back a few hundred meters. He also mentioned that we would meet a girl on the road back and that she was waiting for us - eerie, isn’t it? No street lights around, just the starlit night with our car’s headlight cutting across and this “girl waiting for us”! Imagination is an unbridled horse, I imagined a lantern in her hand and an expressionless face too - read too many Ruskin Bonds while growing up.

We drove back after my day’s workout of climbing up and running down a mountain and were indeed met by a girl at a turn. Shakuntala greeted us and guided us into the parking bay of the eco-home that was to be my abode for the next three days. Anxiety evaporated as I followed her to the quaint cottage perched upon a cliff glowing like a gem in the darkest of nights. 

The cafe and the loft library

The welcome

I was welcomed by friendly people and friendlier canines. They let the dogs stay here, feed them and treat them well and never shoo them away. Needless to say, happy positive vibes welcome you to Colonel’s Highland Retreat at Village Dev Dhar! Twelve beautifully appointed rooms constructed in the traditional way using local techniques and hands, kept warm in the cold winter days and cool in the sparse summer they get here. Their chef prepares the most delicious local fare but holds the expertise to dish out plenty of exotic international dishes too. Just that you need to express your desire in advance as they need to source the exotic ingredients from a town nearby. If you are game for exploring the local, authentic cuisine, you are in for the most delightful treat. 

Pisti

After a sumptuous meal, my first for the day, I was guided to my room, where I was greeted by Pisti, the prettiest pup with the kindest eyes! And the second one to welcome me to my room was a pretty large eight-legged arachnid. I have a mortal fear of them arachnids and do not even say their name, the one that starts with “S”. I don’t even type their name, the smartphones show you the images as you type! No, I don’t shriek and run, just quietly walk out and seek assistance. Lucky came to the room to help and astonished me by simply picking the lady up and leaving her outside, they do not harm any living beings here! On my insistence, he left the broom in my room, after making me promise him that I would only scare them away and not be violent with them, and bid good night. Incidentally, I was the only guest there that night, and as a Rajasthani who has never been in the mountains and never travelled alone, it was overwhelming for me to be staying by myself in a room where I was welcomed by, you know who! To combat the situation, I invited a roommate, and gladly Pisti hopped in and plopped herself on the rug in my room. We spent a peaceful night thereafter, taking sneaky peeks at each other once in a while.

My room

Pisti on her rug

First day of waking up in the mountains

An early riser, I woke up before my alarm went off and was left spellbound by the view outside my window, I deliberately left the curtains open in the night. This was a corner room on the second floor, which had large windows that accorded the most spectacular of views. The sunrise and its orange glow in front, the sparkling snowcapped peaks to the left! If this isn’t heaven, what is? I spent a whole hour just gazing at the spectacle in complete disbelief when my revelry was broken by Lucky and the hot masala chai he brought me. The chai lover in me was pleasantly delighted by a flask full of chai, not a measly single cup! Chai must always be consumed in the plural.

My breakfast

Finished my book

I quickly freshened up to go outside and explore the surroundings. Lo and behold! We were all by ourselves, perched on a side of the mountain with the most breathtaking surroundings. A vertical panorama would begin with potato farms, tall Devdars and Silver Oaks, snowcapped peaks, and cottony white clouds merging into the azure sky. Now the biggest dilemma was whether to stay inside in my lovely room or go out and explore the neighbourhood - both were strong temptations. But, first the breakfast. There is a menu that you can refer to but the best option is to leave the decision to the chef who will then treat you to the most delicious seasonal delicacies for each meal. I gorged on the most delicious aloo paranthas with dollops of butter and fresh dahi, followed by another of those magical masala chai cups. I am told, it wasn’t the season otherwise they would have made “Buransh ki chutney” for me - a pesto made of freshly plucked local flowers!

During these two days of my stay here I chose to laze around a bit on the first day. I

I woke up to this view

finished my airport-find and revelled in dolce far niente. Hadn’t had this experience of not-doing anything in a long long time. A place fit to be called heaven, fresh hot meals and chai whenever you want, a few friendly canines to keep you company and an unputdownable book - BLISS in capital letters!

All about Colonel’s Highland Retreat

This eco-nook by Col.Ajay Raina is constructed using local techniques, with help from local folks, is run on solar power, produces no garbage, serves locally grown produce, employs locals and provides shelter to the stray dogs who decide to walk in! They do not have TVs in the rooms but keep the latest of jazzy Bluetooth speakers for you to play your favourite music on. The cafe has a loft library with board games and lots of books and a seldom-used TV too, just in case any guest requires one. It is a tiny little paradise tucked away from the maddening crowds of the popular tourist destinations and yet only an hour away from the paragliding haven of Bir-Billing. There are a plethora of activities and attractions nearby but a free advice here would be to just explore the neighbourhood on foot and relax in the garden, cafe or your room. My day went by quite peacefully, literally too as there was no cellular network there. I had latched onto their Wi-Fi for WhatsApp connectivity and that was good enough to keep a balance between staying lost and being found. A sumptuous lunch, evening tea and lovely dinner and time to call it a day. Pisti as my roomie and I tucked myself into my most comfortable bed.

My room in the corner on 2nd floor

The surprise on the second day

The weather Gods had a surprise planned for me and my next morning began with
clouds knocking on my door and inviting themselves inside to share a cup of tea! There was a storm brewing somewhere but the fringes of the storm are actually very pretty, fluffy and pristine white clouds that float like fairytale yachts in the sapphire ocean of the sky. They bump around the mountain peaks and tree canopies like those bumpy cars in amusement parks. My big TV of a window turned into a movie scene from a Disney blockbuster. All I had to do was imagine some cascading waterfalls and unicorns. 

Day 2 - My view

My first ever trek at more than 7000 ft

A little nip in the air, my scarlet jacket making its appearance and walking shoes to
give an extra skip to the feet, a belly-full of puri-bhaji and off I went for a little trek to the peak 360 in Phula-Ri-Dhar. The temperature now was 16-18°C. Sporadic showers teased me along the way as I felt like “Koda” from “Brother Bear” and skipped (okay, panted a little too) my way up the mountains. My companion was Shakuntala who knew not just every human but also every dog along the way. When we got caught in a sudden downpour we took shelter at a “sarkari” guest house where Dadu (one of Shakuntala’s many relatives) treated us to an amazing saunf-mint tea. A few hundred pictures and we marched on to reach the 360! Now what I saw here can not be expressed in words, nor could it be captured in my camera. This was a feeling where one feels being one with the universe. The highest peak of the region and serenity all around. An abundance of the colours green, blue and white was so soothing to the eyes. A few hundred more pictures later we began our descent and reached our “home” in time and with a great appetite for lunch. The rest of the day was blessed by heavy rains and I was holed up inside my nest high up with Pisti for company and occasional interruptions of food and tea. 

At peak 360

The lovely trek

An honest confession: I have not had a more pleasant holiday before!

This was a vacation where there was no itinerary with must-dos and must-sees highlighted in blue. There was no agenda, no rush, no shopping list too. It was peace and I repeat, dolce far niente writ all over my time there. All credit goes to the creator of this lovely space who kept it basic and simple and just so real. This is an ideal getaway for artists, writers, thinkers, peace-seekers, yoga practitioners, bird watchers, adventure enthusiasts and nature photographers. This is an ideal hideaway for corporate honchos, homemakers, executives seeking respite from targets, children, grandparents and even pet parents with their pets. This is an ideal tuckaway for escape seekers, for those who just want to recharge and rejuvenate.

I have to go back in monsoon, in winter, when it snows, in next summer too; I have to go back whenever I can and this time I want to take my orchestra of a family along for the beds in the loft must be used by the tiny people who would love to play doll-house and sniper’s-position there. Even if they are not so tiny anymore and don’t want to, I will ensure they do :)

The loft and the bedroom

Getting there:

The garden

The closest airports are Kangra, Amritsar and Chandigarh with Kangra being the closest. You could also fly into Jammu and drive further ahead from there. Your drive from the other airports, other than Kangra would be anywhere between 6-8 hours long but the journey is scenic and doesn’t bore you out.

Booking your eco-room:

You can find them on various OTA platforms or can simply reach out to Col.Raina on his phone, number on personal messages only. Else you may drop an email at ruralfootprints@gmail.com.

How to thank me for this heavenly find:

Flowers only, please. Okay, chocolates are fine too.

A photoshoot date with the long-legged lasses

The first time I went to see these magnificent beauties, I filled my fuel tank, drove some 100-odd kilometres, paid a fisherman to take us up close in his boat and picnicked the whole afternoon in a ganne ka khet. That was some ten years ago. The place was Bhigwan and the experience was surreal to say the least. That was the time when the travel agents had still not ‘invented’ the flamingo walks and flamingo sighting tour plans. Life was simple with the only commercials involved being the tip to the boatwala and the snacks we bought. Little did I know then that a couple of years later I would become neighbours with these very flamingos. That they would be dining in my backyard each day and flying above my head in waves every evening. Being around them for 8-9 years now, they started to appear like ghar-ki-murgi (in a few clicks they resemble the murgis too), till swanky cars from Mumbai started flocking our NM with their big over-shoulder zoom lenses and tall and lanky teenagers-like tripods. The many pictures in many FB groups and Insta pages inspired and pushed me to get my own flamingo shots- of pink and white and very pretty birds. But these hungry-as-a-Labrador birds royally refused to lift their heads for some good pictures. Besides, they aren’t that pink too, some are murky grey and the others prefer to remain ugly and dirty oblivious to the many cameras staring at them.

Here are some up-close moments with the flamingos of NM. Had to maintain a safe distance to not scare them away or rather keep myself safe. Imagine if they decided to shoo us away, they clearly outnumbered the humans there. I waited for them to take flight, they usually leave this pond by 6:00 pm but today they wanted to hang around till late I guess. I had my household chores to do, so I left. Left them alone to gorge to their hearts’ content. They would soon leave for more comfortable and abundant surroundings to return by the end of the year.

Au revoir, flamingos!

#flamingo #birds #NaviMumbai