We hired a car and driver and Delhi and took off for Agra...
Agra: Agra is where the Taj Mahal is located. The drive from Delhi took about 3.5 hours though the road is pretty good as it's the new national highway. I didn't find much charm in Agra itself. There are parts of it that were quite dirty and umpteen hawkers and others trying to take advantage of tourists. The two main attractions, the Agra fort, and the Taj Mahal, did not disappoint, however. The Agra fort is built with red sandstone and is an impressive structure. The intricate carvings and different areas of the fort were most impressive. The great Mughal king, Akbar, built the fort and was later imprisoned in it by his son.
Taj Mahal: Like the Parthenon in Athens, the Taj is one of those world famous sights that still manage to amaze when viewed in person. We got there just after sunrise, which is a great time to see it as the sun lifts the fog and the grounds lack the throngs of people en route from Delhi for those wanting to do the Taj in a day trip. What can I say, it is amazing to think that all of this was built by one person to show love for his wife.
Mughal Sheraton: This used to be THE place to stay in Agra before
being eclipsed by other properties. It is still a very
comfortable hotel, conveniently located to the sights. The
service was courteous and the food was good. Their breakfast
buffet was especially nicely done with Western and Indian, hot and cold
options.
Fatehpur Sikri: On our way out of Agra, we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the ancient abandoned former capital of the Mughal empire, which is about 35 km outside of Agra on the way to Jaipur. I think I enjoyed this most of the 3 sites. It was much less crowded than the others because of its distance, and has been maintained very well. Also built by Akbar, it has 4 palaces. One for Akbar, and 3 for his different wives. He was a great politician and took wives of the 3 great faiths -- Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity -- to show that he didn't favor one religion over the other. Each of them lived in a separate palace on the grounds, and you can see the faith of each reflected in the palace's architecture. While Akbar was a great king, don't go giving him any women's lib awards: one of his pastimes was playing parchesi...with women as pieces. The remains of the human scale parchesi board can be seen.
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