Maki came into town this weekend, and after a day tour of Dehli and a trip to my school, we embarked on a tour of Agra. We were able to serenely sit in an air-con van while traveling the crazy route from Dehli to Agra. Here is a typical bus on the highway.
So yeah, there are a lot of people in India. Although the distance was about 100 miles, it took us over six hours to get there. Things that got in the way of traffic: cows (of course), people hanging out in the street, people selling things, cars going the wrong direction, goats, etc.
Our first destination was Sikandra. This gorgeous building, like the Taj Mahal and the Baby Taj, and tombs. The history and lineage of each particular Mughal ruler and there resting places are a little jumbled in my head, so I will get that straightened out and lay it down as a comment at some point. But the entrance to the tomb always faces south. The body is buried head to toe along a north-south axis, and the face is turned towards Mecca, or east in this case. The Mughals were Muslim (the Persian influence is evident, especially in the arches) but were fairly tolerant of the multiple religions practiced in India.
All the buildings are intricately detailed with marble and precious stones.
The amount of patterns and neat detail are amazing. Here's a photo that captures the many different designs.
Our first destination was Sikandra. This gorgeous building, like the Taj Mahal and the Baby Taj, and tombs. The history and lineage of each particular Mughal ruler and there resting places are a little jumbled in my head, so I will get that straightened out and lay it down as a comment at some point. But the entrance to the tomb always faces south. The body is buried head to toe along a north-south axis, and the face is turned towards Mecca, or east in this case. The Mughals were Muslim (the Persian influence is evident, especially in the arches) but were fairly tolerant of the multiple religions practiced in India.
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