Step Back in Time : Your Guide to Agra’s Historical Places - Part 3

[Ssiddharth2000]

Dear LG Community,

I’m excited to start another series on a topic I’m passionate about : Heritage of India. This series is based on my recent heritage tour of Agra.

The 3rd part of this series is based on one of the most beautiful tombs in North India, the tomb of one of the most popular Mughal emperors, Akbar’s Tomb in Sikandra.

Brief History :
Built in 1605 - 1613 by his son Jahangir, it is constructed using Red Sandstone. The initial design of the tomb did not have any minarets, which were added later by Jahangir. Akbar wanted his grave to be open to the skies, but Jahangir covered it in marble.

Interesting Facts :

• The tomb has beautiful stone carvings, which later were the basis of inspiration for weaving and other traditional art forms of India
• The Caligraphy was done by the famous calighrapher Amanat Ali Khan Shirazi
• The entrance gate to the tomb is more beautiful than the actual building which houses the grave
• The actual grave of Akbar was burnt down (desecrated) by a faction of Jats, led by Rajaram Jat in 1688 as a rebellion against Aurangzeb

As I visited this monument during the evening, I was thrilled to witness a beautiful sunset just besides Akbar’s Tomb.

Kanch Mahal - Next to Akbar’s Tomb - Sikandra

The Kanch Mahal is a monument situated a few metres away from Akbar’s Tomb. It is called so due to the presence of glazed tiles in it’s construction, remnants of which can be seen even today. An English historian who visited Sikandra after Akbar’s death noted that some of Akbar’s widows were staying in this place. It was later used by Jahangir as a hunting lodge

We ended Day 1 of our Agra Heritage Tour with a beautiful group picture.

Accessibility :


Tickets can be purchased online or through the ticket counter in the entrance

How to reach Agra :

• By Road : Agra is well-connected by road, notably via the Yamuna Expressway from Delhi, which offers a smooth and quick journey. You can travel by private car, taxi, or numerous bus services from surrounding cities.
• By Air: Agra has its own airport, Kheria Airport (AGR), which is primarily a military base but offers limited commercial flights, mainly connecting to Delhi. Many travelers opt to fly to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL) and then travel to Agra by road.

Recommended Stay Option :

• Hotel Maple Ridge

Cover Image created using GeminiAI.

Link to my previous posts in this series :

1. Step Back in Time : Your Guide to Agra’s Historical Places - Part 1
2. Step Back in Time : Your Guide to Agra’s Historical Places - Part 2

I will be back with the next part in this heritage series of Agra.

[ShreyaMusings]

Woww it is indeed a magnificent beauty to be admired. Thank you for sharing @Ssiddharth2000

[Ssiddharth2000]

Thank you @ShreyaMusings I’m glad you liked this post

[Gouri.PS]

Good post @Ssiddharth2000 you’ve explained well thank you for sharing

[Ssiddharth2000]

Thank you for appreciating my post @Gouri.PS

[TusharSuradkar]

This series is getting better with every episode.

All monuments are a treat to the eyes @Ssiddharth2000

Fortunately, no one has destroyed or damaged them like the Ajanta and Ellora caves out here in Maharashtra. So we can see them intact.

So we can enjoy the original beauty

[Ssiddharth2000]

Thank you @TusharSuradkar for your appreciation for this post.

Yes, Ajanta and Ellora caves remain more or less intact. I was reading an article on Ajanta and Ellora, the Kailasa temple in Ellora is the single largest monolithic rock cut structure in India, carved from a single rock. It’s been visited by devotees since centuries. This place has such an incredible divinity to it that even though many religious structures in India and specifically Maharashtra were destroyed by tyrants who looted India from time to time, Ajanta and Ellora caves were not harmed. This divine energy was supposed to have been noted by Aurangzeb as well, he did not attack this place, rather decided to build his grave nearby.

[TusharSuradkar]

What you have said is far from reality @Ssiddharth2000
I said that the Ellora caves were damaged by invading Turks from time to time.
They used the carvings and idols in the caves as targets for cannon practice.
That the grave of Aurangazeb is nearby is a mere coincidence.

Comparatively, the graves in Agra are all intact and unharmed.

[Ssiddharth2000]

Oh my bad @TusharSuradkar It’s sad to see such destruction of historical places. Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have the maximum number of these instances throughout history

@TusharSuradkar

Comparatively, the graves in Agra are all intact and unharmed.

Yes you are absolutely right, Agra was relatively safe from Mongol or Turk onslaught. The biggest destruction came after the 1857 mutiny where Britishers destroyed almost 80% of the monuments built during the Mughal empire

[Kumaarsantosh]

Well narrated post @Ssiddharth2000. All the photos are nice to see and appreciate our historical heritage.

Thanks for your effort in summarizing and presenting here for the community.

[SarathUpendran]

Wow @Ssiddharth2000 …Well explained post with beautiful pictures … It’s amazing amazing series

[Ssiddharth2000]

Thank you coach @Kumaarsantosh I am glad you are finding this series interesting and knowledgeable.

[Ssiddharth2000]

Thank you @SarathUpendran for your kind appreciation.

[MoniDi]

Hello @Ssiddharth2000,

Please be advised that I removed some of the tags from your topic as they were not relevant to your story. Make sure to add tags that best describe what you are sharing. For more information, please read this topic: What are Connect tags and how to use them?

[Ssiddharth2000]

Thanks @MoniDi for the suggestion. This is duly noted