temples and tombs

temples and tombsDelhi, Fall 2012

Posted by Meridel Phillips on 7/30/12 • Comment (1)

: IES students get excited about the first view of the Taj Mahal, from across the river at Mehtab Bagh.

: The sheer size of the Taj Mahal is too impressive to be captured in a photograph.

: The village of Fatehpur Sikri, built by the Mughal emperor Akbar, is now another tourist attraction.

: The vivid red sandstone is a telltale mark of Akbar’s reign.

: A view of the present-day town of Fatehpur Sikri.

: Diwan-i-Khas, or the Hall of Private Audience, at Fatehpur Sikri.

: The entrance to the tomb of the great Mughal leader Akbar in Sikandra.

: The tomb at Sikandra was full of surprises, such as the ruins of this old gate.

: The tunnel leading to Akbar’s tomb had some of the most ornate designs we saw all weekend.

: Another side to Akbar’s Tomb at Sikandra, with a completely different design.

: At Sikandra, we also saw monkeys, peacocks, antelope, and many of these tiny white birds.

: The entrance to the tomb of Nah Jahan’s father, Itimad-ud-daulah.

: We made it to Agra Fort at the end of the day, the perfect time for photos.

: Shah Jahan was imprisoned in Agra Fort for the last years of his life with this view of his wife’s tomb.

: My favorite part of Agra Fort was all its hidden doorways and tunnels.

This past weekend has been incredibly eventful, as it was our first field trip out of Delhi to the single most well-known place in India: the Taj Mahal. However, we also got the opportunity to see five other amazing sites in Agra: Fatehpur Sikri, Itimad-ud-daulah, Mehtab Bagh, Sikandra, and the Agra Fort. I took a ton of pictures from the bus as well, but thought a post should be dedicated first and foremost to all the incredible sights we went to see.

We’re back home in Delhi now (and already thinking of it as “home” …)

Namaste,

Meridel

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