Agra Fort
The Agra Fort is the most important fort in India and the great Mughals once lived here and they governed the country from here. It contained the state's largest treasury and mint and was visited by people of the highest dignitaries who participated in the creation of India's history.
The building is exquisitely carved with designs containing intricate details.We were all awed by how skills of the craftsmen in the past were even though they had a lack of technology.
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We procceded on to visit the Taj Mahal (meaning "Crown Palace") after leaving the Agra Fort. We had to queue in order to enter the palace and the queue was going really slowly because only there are only 2 guards (one female, one male) and the queues were horribly long, especially the girls queue. After we manage to get in, we walked a short distance before reaching the palace. The view was astonishing. We took a group photo together at the garden in front of the palace before breaking up into our own groups, to venture and discover the palace.
Footwear is not allowed on the palace grounds. We can either choose to wear a shoe cover or walk on it barefooted! We chose to walk on it barefooted so that we can feel the coolness of the white marble slab that the palace was entirely made of. We had to queue up from one side of the palace to the other side to get a chance to step foot into the palace to see the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal.
Mumtaz Mahal means "beloved ornament of the palace" and she was the wife of Prince Kurram (who was later known as Shah Jahan). They shared an intense and affectionate relationship before Mumtaz Mahal passed away while giving birth to their 14th child.The Taj Mahal was constructed over 22 years with the work of 20,000 men, costing 32 million Rupees.
Today, the Taj Mahal stands as the ultimate momentum to love, and a homage to her life and beauty.
The palace also faces the beautiful and peaceful Yamuna river, which is linked to the sacred river Ganges and meanders through Agra, passing many Mughal sites of special interest. The river provides a gorgeous backdrop which gives the illusion of a floating tomb which is an idea brought across by the water in the Taj Mahal garden.
All of us feel very honoured to be able to visit such a meaningful and historical momentum which is also one of the world's 7 wonders.
