Beneath a Marble Sky II

After leaving the Taj, Shanoo offered to take us to see marble inlay being crafted the same way it was done for the Taj hundreds of years ago.  In fact, these artisans claim to be descendants of the artists who worked on the Taj.  From the Marble Inlay of Uttar Pradesh website:

"The marble tomb of Shaikh Salim Chisti in Fatehpur Sikri was built in 1572 by Emperor Akbar. It is the precursor to an age known as the 'Reign of Marble' for, with the accession of Emperor Jahangir, sand stone gave way to marble, the crafting of which peaked during the reign of Emperor Shah Jahan with the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra ... They used marble to make intricate jaalis (perforate relief) that filtered light and they used it most exquisitely for inlay work or pietra dura.

Here precious and semi-precious stones, jasper, cornelian, topaz, mother of pearl, turquoise, lapis lazuli, coral, jade, agate, and porphyry were shaped and set in shallow chases carved in the marble..."

The artisans' pride in their work was obvious as they described for us the careful steps that must be taken to create this beautiful marble inlay by hand.  We enjoyed listening.  We were then escorted upstairs to their salesroom to peruse their many marble crafts for sale.  Tim was interested in a chess set, and we found a beautiful one with lapis lazuli inlay that will be shipped to our home in the states.  The salesman said these tabletops take over two months to create, and it is not hard to believe.  Once a customer has purchased an item, they have you sign the back of it to prove you are receiving the item you chose.  They also have you take a picture of it for your records.  This will be a perfect keepsake of our day in Agra.

 With no time to waste, we continued on to the Agra Fort, also known as the Red Fort.  This massive red sandstone fort was commissioned by the great Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1565 A.D.  Additions were made by his grandson, Shah Jahan, the father of the Taj Mahal.  It is just over a mile from the Taj, and was the seat of power before the capital was moved by Shah Jahan to Shahjahanabad (now Old Delhi) in 1639.  Shah Jahan was confined under house arrest in Agra Fort when his son, Aurangzeb, succeeded him to the throne.

The fort is a massive silhouette on the Agra landscape, covering 94 acres with walls seventy feet high.  The fort was protected by moat and drawbridge, with two inner gates arranged at such angles and rising elevations that attacking armies would be unable to break through. Inside the gates, a long alley with high walls leads into the main courtyard.  These high walls were designed to carry the sounds of any intruders to those inside, and guides can be seen clapping their hands to demonstrate the echo chamber effect.

Many of the original buildings inside the fort were destroyed by the British when they used it for military barracks, and the Indian military continues to occupy a good portion of the fort today.  The remaining buildings are a mix of Hindu and Islamic architecture.  The Islamic Mughals married Hindu women and incorporated their religious symbols into the designs.  It even includes subtle images of animals, which is forbidden in Islamic religion.

real falcon perched on top

The most impressive structure was the Hall of Public Audience, where Shah Jahan received those who wished an audience with him.  It is an ornate, white marble structure with beautiful arches and columns designed so he could hear and see everything that went on in his presence.  One could just imagine the scenes that must have taken place in this space.

We also saw the buildings that housed Shah Jahan's wives and children.  We learned that the women were actually paid according to their standing, with his favorite wives earning a higher wage.  His beloved Mumtaz Mahal had status far above the other wives.  The residences looked out onto the Yamuna river, and after its construction, the Taj Mahal.

the moat

En route to the Agra Fort, Shanoo asked if we were interested in what I thought he said was "the light show."  I'd read about this light and music show that takes place outside the Agra Fort in the evenings, and I was definitely interested.  So he sent the driver to buy our (expensive) tickets while we toured the fort, and had them ready for us when we finished.  We had a little time before the show, so we decided to get something cold to drink.  Shanoo took us to a cool little garden place called Kesar with which he was clearly familiar, but it felt like the proprietor was a bit uncomfortable serving foreigners.  Only one other table was occupied with locals who seemed as if they could be "talking treason."  No matter. Tim ordered a Seven-Up and I ordered a mango lassi, a common Indian yogurt-based drink I'd read about and wanted to try.  The place was not the cleanest, and I questioned the wisdom of ordering something not in a bottle, but it seemed okay.  It was just barely chilled and had a hint of sourness, but I gamely drank it down.

Back in the car, we realized that we were headed to a "live" show, not a "light" show.  This was an overpriced production clearly designed for the tourists, a "reenactment" of the Taj Mahal story.  "Mohabbat-the-Taj" was presented at the Kalikriti Cultural Center.  We were shown to our seats in the ornate but worn theater and given headsets that were dialed to the English language translation of the show. Tour bus patrons quickly filled the theater.  The show was simplistic and overacted, and the dancing was second-rate.  It felt like the performers knew they didn't have to try very hard.  It was also distracting and unpleasant to have the mawkish translation in our ears.  I will say it was quite colorful with very beautiful costumes and scenery.  The climax of the show was a Taj Mahal replica rising up through the floor of the stage.  Apparently this is an exact replica that took years to create.  Having seen the real one, this was more of an anti-climax for me.  Guests could pay to have their picture taken with the "stars" after the show.  Um, no.

Our day was finished, with our driver waiting for us outside the theater for the short five-minute drive back to our hotel, stopping once again at the hotel entrance for a quick explosives check(!).  This happened at every hotel we stayed at in India.  The car is stopped at a gate, trunk and hood are opened and checked, and a mirror on wheels is rolled under the car for inspection.  Toto, we aren't in Thailand anymore...

Note:  Beneath a Marble Sky is the title of a book I read a few years back by John Shors.  It's a novelization of the Taj Mahal story that I enjoyed immensely, and was really what inspired me to want to visit this Wonder of the Modern World.