Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri

After our visit to the Taj Mahal, it was on to Agra fort. Advertised as "the most important fort in India", Agra fort was home to each of the great Mughals, from Babur to Aurangzeb, and their vast Indian empire was ruled from here. The fort is a huge complex of buildings, with a variety of architectural and decorative styles that reflects the additions by each subsequent emperor.

One of the most poignant sights at Agra fort is Shah Jahan's balcony. After Shah Jahan built the Taj mahal, his son Aurangzeb fought a series of bloody fratricidal battles and placed him under house arrest in the fort. The forlorn Shah Jahan spent his days on his balcony, from where he could gaze out across the Yamuna river and see the Taj mahal shimmering in the distance.



The next day, we continued our whirlwind tour by driving to Fatehpur Sikri.

Emperor Akbar, the greatest of the Mughals, established Fathepur Sikri as his new capital in honor of a Sufi saint whose blessings he had sought. An architectural jewel and another world heritage site, Fathepur Sikri thrived for 14 years until Akbar moved his court back to Agra, possibly because of a persistent water shortage.

What remains at Fathepur Sikri is a spectacular melding of architectural styles. Akbar established a tradition of religious tolerance, and as well as a Muslim queen, he married a Hindu princess and a Christian from Goa to set an example. Each of his queens had their own quarters, whose architecture reflected their own heritage. The painted and carved walls and roofs remain fresh and vibrant even today.