Trails and Treasures

Just about every city, town, village, and rural hamlet, every place on the globe, faces similar issues when it comes to aesthetics.  I’m talking about things like utility wires, trash, and buildings in a state of disrepair or abandoned.  I live in a planned community that dates from the early 1960s.  All the utility wires are underground; the county picks up the trash; and the civic association works hard to enforce the building covenants.  Big cities that have existed for centuries have a tougher problem, but where there’s a will, there usually is a way. 

In New Delhi, the wires are underground, but in Old Delhi, it’s another story.

I never quite figured out the trash system in New Delhi, but I think there was a collection point across the street from my hotel.  There certainly wasn’t any curbside collection of either trash or recycling.  On the other hand, given the number of people living in the city, it wasn’t bad.  Small towns and villages were another story.  Gathering places like markets and bus stops were heavily littered.  Heaps of garbage were commonplace.

Garbage pile in some small town on way to Agra

Dealing with structural decay isn’t an easy problem.  Just think of those old abandoned barns you see along the road;  the old, neglected home you wish you could afford to buy and restore to its former glory; or even the abandoned storefronts on Main Street waiting for urban renewal or just a turn in the town’s economy.  In India, the problem seemed worse, perhaps because most of the buildings were made of concrete and didn’t seem to be all that old.

Just so you don’t think every building is in need of repair or lacking in style, here are a couple of new office buildings in New Delhi.

Shah Jahan’s favorite wife Arjumand Banu Begum, to whom he had given the title Mumtaz Mahal (Exhalted of the Palace), died on 17 June 1631 after thirty hours of gruling labor.  This was her fourteenth child in nineteen years; on average, one child every 16.3 months.  Mumtaz Mahal was just 38 years old.

While her life was short, more than 375 years later the tomb under which she rests has to be on any world traveler’s short list for “Places to See Before I Die.”  It was on mine, and it didn’t disappoint.  Unfortunately, my photographic abilities do.

Work began on the tomb in 1632 and was essentially complete in 1643.  Work continued for another ten years on the remainder of the complex—gardens, mosque, guesthouse, gates, etc.  By the end of the 19^th century, after years of neglect and looting, the mausoleum was greatly in need of some TLC.  Lord Curzon, who became Viceroy of India in 1899, initiated a mammoth restoration project that lasted until 1908.  Almost a century later the white marble was covered with grime emitted by vehicles and nearby coal-fired power plants.  In 2002, multani mitti, a mixture of soil, cereal, milk and lime that had once been used by Indian women to beautify their skin, was used to wash away the effects of industrial pollution.  Moreover, vehicles powered by internal combustion engines were banned from the immediate area.

The tomb is just one component of a large complex that sets the stage for this beautiful structure.

Taj Mahal Site Plan

 From the main entrance all one sees is a lawned forecourt surrounded by a red sandstone colonnade, other gates, and the Main Gate or darwaza, which rises to a height of 90 feet.

Darwaza or Main Entrance to Taj Mahal

 The surface decorations of the darwaza provide a hint of what is to come.

Calligraphy and Herringbone Stonework on Darwaza

 The Darwaza is topped by a line of chhatris.

Chhatris atop Main Gate

Once inside the main gate, the mausoleum sets at the end of a long reflecting pool which is just one of four pools that create the chahar bagh, a four-square garden design symbolizing paradise that originated in Persia.  The lawns were added by Lord Curzon, replacing what probably was a more natural assemblage of trees and flowers that after several centuries had been transformed into a jungle.

Center of Chahar Bagh and Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal stands on two bases: a sandstone terrace topped by a 313-square-foot marble plinth.  Since the tomb sits on the raised marble platform at the end of the gardens with only the river behind it, the only backdrop is the sky.  Unfortunately, when you visit in early April when it’s been months since a pollution-cleansing rain, the sky is not very blue.

Note the red sandstone base beneath the square marble plinth

At each corner of the platform are 137-foot-tall, ornamental minarets, which were built at a slight tilt away from tomb.  Some say the tilt was designed to insure the towers would fall away from the tomb in case of an earthquake, but it’s more likely the tilt was intended to compensate for the human eye’s optics.  That is, as in railroad tracks, parallel lines viewed from a distance tend to appear as if they are approaching each other.

The central structure is a square with cut-off corners.  The four identical faces have a vaulted arch in the center and have been decorated with carved flowers inlaid with semiprecious stones, pietra dura scrollwork, and quotations from the Quran created using jasper inlay.

Corner of Taj Mahal

Chhatri atop Taj Mahal

 According to one source there are 22 different Qur’anic quotations on the Taj Mahal.

Calligraphy Inlay

Geometric designs, especially in a herringbone pattern, are used extensively to demarcate space on the exterior.

The main dome is really two domes—an outer shell that is 200-feet high and an inner shell that is only 81-feet high.  The four large chattras balance the dome which is higher than the minarets.

The inside of the mausoleum is spectacular.  Finely-cut marble screens filter the light.  Tiny flowers composed from 43 different types of inlaid semiprecious stones decorate the raised cenotaph.  A single one-inch flower has 60 pieces.  Some of the gems used are: yellow amber from Burma; lapis lazuli from Afghanistan; jade from Chinese Turkestan; cornelian, agate, amethyst, jasper, green beryl, chalcedony, onyx and coral from different regions of Indian subcontinent.  Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed inside mausoleum, so the best I could do is this column.

Flower Inlay

To see and appreciate the stunning artistry of the Taj Mahal’s interior, check your local library for Taj Mahal, photography by Jean-Louis Nou, text by Amina Okada and M. C.Joshi, NY: Abbeville Press, 1993.

At the end of my tour, my guide and I spent some time sitting on the steps to the mosque on the west side of the Taj Mahal.  As the sun descended, the sky became bluer, and the marble began to glow.  I wished I could stay longer, but the gates would be locked before sunset. 

West Face of Taj Mahal in the late afternoon

On the other hand, it was full moon, so the gates reopened after dark to let about 40 people enter each half hour for a 20 minute visit.  My travel agent had managed to get one of the coveted tickets in the 9:30 p.m. time slot.  Security for these visits was extraordinary, and while you could take a camera in, you could not take a purse,  tripod or remote control.  At 9:30 the moon was only about 90 degrees above the horizon, so with the atmospheric haze the dome did not shine like in the photographs.  This was my best shot.

Now, to return to my initial question: Is the Taj Mahal “the most beautiful building in the world”?  As long as symmetry, proportional harmony, grace, and elegance are used to determine architectural beauty, the Taj Mahal will be among the most beautiful buildings in the world.  When buildings made of glass and steel are eliminated from the list, the Taj Mahal is THE most beautiful.

Lal Qila or the Red Fort was built by Shah Jahan, starting in 1639 at the core of his new capital Shahjahanabad.  Conceptually, it was no different than the walled cities of Europe with a fortified palace.  Built next to the Yamuna River, the remainder of the 1.5-mile perimeter was surrounded by a moat which is, of course, now dry. 

Wall and Moat of Delhi's Red Fort

The fort housed the emperor, his family, his soldiers, his administrators, and servants.  At one time about 3,000 people lived within the walls of the fortified city. 

Lahore Gate

The main entrance is called the Lahore Gate.  A barbican was added by Shah Jahan’s son Aurangzeb.  After walking through an arcade filled with tourist shops, one reaches the Naubat Khana (Drum House) where musicians use to perform five times a day. 

Next comes the Diwan-i Am.

In the Diwan-i-Am or Hall of Public Audience, the emperor heard the pleas of his subjects and greeted foreign dignitaries while sitting on a marble canopied raised platform.  The throne and the surrounding walls were inlaid with gems (later stolen by British soldiers), and the pillars were painted gold. 

The prime minister sat on the lower marble dais. 

The hall is noted for its polylobed arches in red sandstone which separate the large rectangular space into three aisles.

Behind the Diwan-i-Am is a large open space ringed by royal palaces. 

The most spectacular was the Diwan-I Khas or Hall of Private Audience.  Here the emperor sat on his Peacock Throne brought from Agra.

The walls of the Diwan-i Khas are decorated with stylized vines, flowers, and fruits with inlays of yellow marble, jasper and jade. 

The emperor’s private palace, the Khas Mahal, had rooms for worship, sleeping and living with carved walls and painted ceilings.

The Rang Mahal or Painted Palace was part of the seraglio.    It has a main hall with an arched front and vaulted side chambers. 

 The Moti Masjid (Pearl Mosque) was designed by Aurangzeb for his personal use.

When the British took over the property, they replaced a number of buildings with a row of barracks.

Construction of a new Moghul capital at Fatehpur Sikri (City of Victory) began in 1571 after one of Akbar’s queens gave birth to a son, as predicted by a Sufi saint who lived near the village of Sikri–Salim Chisht.  Fatehpur Sikri is today just 23 miles or about a 45-minute drive southwest of Agra.  Unlike the fort at Agra which was built along a river, this walled city was built next to a lake, which it turned out tended to dry up in times of drought.  Just 14 years after moving his capital to Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar moved his court first to Lahore and eventually back to Agra.  It was a period of severe drought, but political factors probably played a larger role in the decision to move the capital.  Once abandoned by Akbar, the Moghul capital never returned.  That means it was never remodeled to meet another emperor’s tastes.

City Gate

At the Agra Gate, one of the gates in the 7-mile wall surrounding the city, we abandoned the car for a rickshaw.  Note the crenellated wall.  The rickshaw took us to the triple-arched gate (Naubat Khana) of the royal compound.  Musicians sat atop the gate and played during imperial processions.  (It’s hard to keep the camera level when riding in a rickshaw!)

Naubat Khana

Along the way we passed buildings in various states of repair.

The following diagram shows the major buildings still standing at the imperial core of the city.   Almost all of the buildings were built of local red sandstone.  Remember: the addition of marble to the fort at Agra didn’t occur until the next century.

Map of major buildings at Fatehpur Sikri

 Like the royal complex at Agra, open pavilions of different designs were arranged around a sequence of courtyards.  And, just like at Agra, there was a Diwan-i Am or Hall of Public Audience, a Diwan-i Khas or Hall of Private Audience, palaces for the emperor and his many wives, ornamental pools and gardens, and a small mosque.  Most of the service buildings (kitchens, storehouses, laundries, workshops, stables, etc.) were located outside the palace walls.

The Diwan-i Am in this palace was a large courtyard (366 x 181 feet) with colonnades on three sides.  The emperor’s throne was located in the following pavilion on the east side of the courtyard.

Diwan-i Am

The emperor’s Hall of Private Audience or Diwan-i Khas looks like a two-story building, but inside there is just one tall room.

Diwan-i Khas

Akbar sat in the middle of the hall on an intricately carved, elevated platform connected to the four corners of the room by walkways.

Akbar would have sat on the platform above my head

Here are some pictures to show the details of the stone carvers’ work.

Chevron-patterned Stone Carving

Stylized Flowers and Vines carved in base of column

From the courtyard behind the Diwan-i Khas, one can see the 70-foot-tall Hiran Minar or Deer Tower.  The spiney, stone protrusions represent elephant tusks.

Hiran Minar

Near the Diwan-i Khas is a canopied platform where Akbar’s astrologer supposedly sat.  The stone diagonal beams supporting the chhatri roof represent makaras–Hindu mythological sea monsters.

Makaras carved in stone

The five-story Panch Mahal was one of several structures composing the Imperial Harem.

Panch Mahal

In the center of the second courtyard (Daulat Khana) is the Anup Talao or Peerless Pool with a central platform connected by four bridges.  The structure on the far side of the pool housed Akbar’s private chambers and the library.  The women’s quarters were to the right.

Anup Talao and Akbar's Private Chambers

To my left stands what is called the Turkish Sultana’s Pavilion.  The signboard states: “This elegant pavilion consists of a small chamber surrounded by a verandah supported on richly carved columns.  Its exterior as well as interior has ornamental relief of geometric and floral designs in red sandstone which give the impression of Timser decoration.  The ornamented shelves of the chamber are also remarkable for their attractive design and finish.  … It was completed before 1575 when an important religious discussion is recorded to have taken place in this pavilion.”

Turkish Sultana's Pavilion

Some examples of the beautiful stone carving–

Fruit or flowers?

Flowers or Vines?

Stars and Geometric Designs

These niches looked as if the backs of them were covered with mirrors or perhaps some sort of reflective pigment.

Wall of Niches in Turkish Sultana's Pavilion

 Most of the surfaces in Akbar’s private chambers are painted rather than carved.

Wall Painting in Akbar's Private Chambers

From his private quarters, Akbar could look out over the Anup Talao and see the Panch Mahal.

The View from Akbar's Private Chambers

The entrance to the Haram Sara or what is called the Jodh Bai Palace was through this eunuch-guarded gate.

Harem Entrance

Three palaces face the inner courtyard.

Palace facing Harem Courtyard

Palace Facade

Column Carvings, Haram Sara

Balconies and Niches

Note the use of the same stylized makara stonework over this interior niche.

Interior Niche with Makara

 As we left the imperial palace by rickshaw we passed the Jama Masjid or Imperial Mosque which was built around 1571 and designed to hold 10,000 worshipers. 

Jama Masjid, Fatehpur Sikri

Now that you have some background on the Moguls in Delhi and Agra, I’ll discuss the three “forts” they built in the order in which they were built, which was not the order in which I visited them.

In 1501 the second Lodi sultan Sikander moved the court to Agra from Delhi, and there it stayed for about 150 years.  The first Mogul emperors were too busy consolidating their power to make many changes, but in 1565, the Mogul Emperor Akbar began building a new, moated fortress.  His successors, especially his grandson Shah Jahan, expanded and remodeled the fort, transforming it into a palace. 

Amar Singh Gate into Agra Fort

Entry is via the Amar Singh Gate through the 70-ft high, 1 ½ mile-long wall that encircles the 94-acre site.   There used to be a wooden drawbridge over the moat, but, alas, the drawbridge is gone and the moat is dry. 

Agra Fort's VERY dry moat

 Note the flat-faced rectangular structure in the first photo behind the tower on the right.  This second gate set at a right-angle to the first gate and with a long, walled ramp insured the fort was impregnable by attackers on elephants.

Inner Gate to Agra Fort

Inner side of Inner Gate at Agra Fort

Ramp up from Inner Gate into Agra Fort

 After passing through the gate at the top of the ramp, one reaches a large open area and the Jahangiri Mahal.

Jahangiri Mahal

 This palace was built in the mid 1560s during Akbar’s reign.  It is the earliest Mogul palace extant and the largest private residence within Agra Fort, 250 by 300 feet.

Corner tower of Jahangiri Mahal

Entrance to Jahangiri Mahal. Note the balconies more typical of Hindu architecture.

Eunuchs would have been posted in the small entrance hall which has a lotiform dome.

Lotiform Dome of Entrance Hall

 A narrow dog-legged passage leads from the entrance hall to a spacious courtyard faced by two large rooms with five entrance arches and several small rooms, most with just a single entrance way.

Entrance to one of the large rooms off of Court A in Jahangiri Mahal

Some of the carvings are quite intriquite.

Doorway Carving, Jahangiri Mahal

These birds haven’t fared as well over the years.

Bird carvings

Most rooms have niches for decoration, but this wall had more than most in an interesting arrangement. 

Abstract stone carving

Court B with fort wall on left, a bit of corner turret, and entrances to harem

From this rear fortress wall, I catch my first good glimpse of the Taj Mahal.

Taj Mahal from the river-side wall of Agra Fort

From the first mosque built in India, we went to a far more modern temple—one built by members of the Bahá’i faith.  Familiarly called the Lotus Temple because it resembles a half-opened lotus blossom with three sets of petals, the temple was completed in 1986 and received numerous architectural design awards. 

Bahá’i House of Worship in Delhi

Lotus Temple

In India, the lotus is a sacred flower, and the lotus blossom visage begins when you enter the grounds.  The temple is surrounded by nine pools representing leaves, and the entire site has been landscaped to evoke peace and serenity. 

A Lotus Leaf and Petal

Designed by Fariborz Sahba, an Iranian architect who now lives in Canada, the temple has the features of all Bahá’i houses of worship—nine sides, no pictures or imagery, and no altar or pulpit.  The interior is as sleek and modern as the exterior.  The central hall, which reaches a height of more than 120 feet, can seat 2,500 people.  About 4 million people visit each year.  (The following photo is from the internet; photography is not permitted.)

Interior view

After removing your shoes, you silently enter the central hall, find a seat, and do whatever you would normally do upon entering your own house of worship.  The room is lit with diffused light; a quiet, peaceful place for meditation and prayer.

It is hard to imagine two temples as diametrically different as the Swaminarayan Akshardham and the Lotus Temple.