Planned by a Muslim king and built by Hindu masons, the imposing Agra Fort is the most visible testimony of Akbar’s rule. This citadel is a statement of empire, and perfectly illustrates the young emperor’s vision and creativity, which ultimately unified the diverse geographical and racial entities within […]
There were once eleven Mughal gardens that lined the Yamuna river on the stretch between Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal in Agra, Mehtab Bagh is the last of that chain. The garden was probably in existence long before the Taj Mahal was even conceived of, most scholars […]
Here at the utterly beautiful and peaceful Itimad-ud-Daulah is a building which I consider equal to the Taj Mahal, a loving tribute from a daughter, an emperor’s wife, and one of the most famous women of her time.
The Roman Catholic Cemetery in Agra dates from 1550 and was first used for the burial of Armenian Christians who settled in the city during the reign of Akbar. These were followed by burials of other Christian denominations as others settled in the area. The oldest grave you […]
Also known as Bagh-I-Gul-Afshan (‘the flower-scattering garden’) and Bagh-I-Nur-Afshan (‘the light-scattering garden’), Ram Bagh was originally conceived by Babur in 1526 and was inspired by gardens he had seen in Samarkand in modern day Uzbekistan. Of all the pleasure gardens that existed during Babur’s lifetime, it is thought […]
Guru Ka Tal is a historical Sikh pilgrimage site located in the Sikandra district of Agra in Uttar Pradesh. It is dedicated to Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, who was a son of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru of the Sikh religion. My visit to Gurdwara Data […]
Situated on the east bank of the Yamuna river in what was formerly a Mughal riverside garden, Chini Ka Rauza was built sometime between 1620 and 1639 and is the tomb of Afzal Khan. He was a successful courtier and poet under both Shah Jahan and Jahangir, his […]
Anyone travelling on India’s road network in the north of the country may from time to time see a curious little structure standing in isolation by the side of the road. Seemingly unassociated with anything else around them, to the casual observer they can probably be best described […]
Kevin Standage 
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