The

Dave & Angela

McIllece Family

Home

Agra Fort

...and Taj Mahal take two.  September 22, 2007 - Joan & Lena came for a visit and we headed out to the Taj Mahal (a mandatory stop for all visitors).  It was another brutally hot day that tested Ange's patience and endurance, but seeing the Agra Fort after lunch made the whole trip worth it to me... even the almost unbearable train ride home that evening.  Despite the apparent lack of technology, this fort had there own form of water drainage system, ceiling fans, and A/C.  I don't think they were given credit for their ingenuity, and the idea that they weren't "civilized" begs an argument. 

Train Station We decided to take the train to try to cut back on commute time. It took an hour off the drive on the way there, but the ride home was still 4 hours. Don't know if we'll do that again.	Back at the Taj	Joan & Lena
Agra Fort A view from the Taj Mahal	Entrance to the Agra Fort The fort took 95 years to build	A fully self-sustaining village
Fam at the Fort	Fort Plan Only 25% of the fort is open to the public. Some is under renovation, but a large chunk of it is still used today by the military	Beautiful!
King's seat on top Queen's seat behind a curtain, below.	Dave & Ange at the fort with the Taj in the background. I was in awe of the life they must have lived in this amazing palace...what a view!	Side of the fort There were two moats...the outer was filled with water, the inner one was filled with tigers and crocodiles.
The fam at the fort with the Taj in the background	Wall detail	The Shah Jehan wing It was Shah Jehan who built the Taj Mahal, so naturally his "wing" of the fort palace was also done in white marble.
Tourist attraction... These guys asked if they could get a picture with the kids.	Amazing arches	Cute D!
His daughter's bedroom Picture all these fabulous rooms with hanging curtains and carpets.	The Taj	Farsi writing There were several "prophets" writings quoted. Each prophets name was written in the circle in the middle
The fountain room I can't remember whose room this was, but this fountain was fed by a water tank on the roof which supplied the water pressure.	Another shot of the fountain room	The Harem Court The Emporor had a few wives, but 365 girlfriends in his harem. This court was where they hung out.
Gorgeous marble inlay	More amazing detail work They just don't build things like they used to. I guess without slave labor the cost would be astronomical.	The onyx throne carved from one piece of stone from Belgium
Umbrella twirling In this courtyard there are spaces on the floor in the background... it was a game played with women as the pawns.	Fishing pond The grass was put in only a few years ago to stop people from throwing garbage into the 7 foot deep pool of water where Shah Jehan and his wife would fish with arrow. On Fridays, around the pool, there would be a "ladies market" where the women could shop for all their needs.	The People's Court The Emporor and the Prime Minister would listen to the people's concerns and pass judgement here. I love the arches!
The resting place... of a British Governor. I won't comment on that here.	Refreshment A little reprieve from the heat.	The Agra Mall This was attached to the McDonald's we stopped at. It was strange for me to see this in India after 3 months of markets.
A typical cow blockade	On the train This was the beginning of the longest, most uncomfortable train ride in my life.