On to Agra: the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri and Chand Baori stepwell

By Sandra Hutchinson

This is my third blog post on the trip my husband and I took in January, 2017 to northern India.

The Taj Mahal — termed one of the “wonders of the world,” and probably India’s most famous structure, is actually a marble mausoleum that was constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan after the death of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Completed around 1653, it is perhaps the best example anywhere of Mughal architecture. After this “monument to love” was constructed, one of the emperor’s sons murdered his three elder brothers and overthrew his father to acquire the throne. Shah Jahan was imprisoned at Agra Fort, with a view of his beloved wife’s tomb, until he died. He is buried alongside his wife in the Taj Mahal.

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