ASENATH VISITS AGRA! (and I do too)

It was cold up north! Just look at how we're all bundled up. Golly, that seems a long way from the heat of Kerala. Luckily for us, they wear all kinds of cool shawls and scarves up there (women and men), and we were able to caparison ourselves appropriately with ease. Last we told you we were in Delhi, and although that was many weeks ago now, we decided to go ahead and fill all y'all in on what we did up there before getting on to what we've been doing more recently. I do want to mention here, however, that we have been having a blast for the last few weeks here in Kerala with our friend Justin (who just left) and Charlotte (who just arrived). For all of those interested and concerned we are all doing great: happy, healthy and more than a little worn out from running around...!

Delhi was awesome, both Asenath and I loved it. Its a massive labyrinth of alleys and nooks and around every corner is something bizarre or interesting or unusual. It is an old, vibrant, beautiful tangle of a city with roots deep in the past and I think its safe to say we both fell in love with it. Knowing, however, that we didn't want to spend our whole trip north in one place, we left Delhi for Agra on the early morning tourist/commuter train. Here's Ase enjoying a pot of chai, some jam n' bread, and the local news daily.

Agra is famous, of course, for the Taj Mahal, but is actually home to many of the most impressive and unforgettable monuments in India. We were only there a few days, but it seemed impossible to exhaust the things to see. When we disembarked from the train bleary-eyed, we were befriended/roped-in by a friendly rickshaw driver who took us to a decent hotel near to the Taj. From the rooftop restaurant there we got our first ghostly view of the Taj in the distance. The impression was very much that the building didn't entirely belong to this world; as if it was also the product of another place and was a point at which the two realities met.

We decided, however, to wait until sunset to see the Taj up close and instead headed out to Fateh Pur Sikri, yet another Mughal capital in the area. Unlike Delhi and Agra, Fateh Pur Sikri was abandoned shortly after it was built due to acute water shortages. The Mughal engineers devised incredible schemes to supply the city with water, but the situation proved hopeless, and the magnificent creation of the Emperor Akbar (i think) was abandoned shortly after his death. The result has been an incredibly well preserved fortress, palace and city on the plains of the Yamuna River. The following pictures are from the city itself.

Here's Ase in the courtyard of the Emperor's Palace. The second story buildings flanked by turrets were the living quarters of the king and his queen(s). [Actually, very little is known about the buildings here, so most of what we were told is not well authenticated.]

This view is outside the Emperor's palace; there used to be a hidden passage for his courtesans to enter the palace unseen, but it is gone now.

Me inside the palace (left); and the now-empty royal bath (below) where the king and his courtesans would 'sport', as we were told.

The queens' residence (below).
A view (below right) of one of the many plazas in the city, with gardens to the right and the once overflowing royal treasury just visible to the left. Archaeologists and historians are unsure as to the purpose of the central building, although it is widely held that it was from this building that the Emperor either dispensed justice or held debates with leading philosophers and scholars. The pillar on the left sits in the middle of the structure and supports a dais from which four bridges extend. Like most everything, it is carved of red sandstone. In this case, a single piece. It is particularly amazing even among all of the other wonders of the city. Below the pictures of the city are a few more examples of the subtlety and mastery of Mughal sculpture and relief work form this period.

(This staircase was straight out of Dr. Seuss.)

Finally, next to the city itself is an enormouse mosque. I believe it is also called Jama Masjid. Its entrance gate is perhaps the most potent projection of power I have evern seen in a piece of architecture.
Unfortunately, the picture doesn't do it justice, but it does give a sense of the sublime intermingling of power and tastefulness that, to me, defines Mughal architecture. All of their forts and monuments exude an uncompromising strength and force. I can only imagine what effect structures like these must have upon women and men in their day (16th-17th centuries).

I'm gonna keep this entry concise wrap it up with a few more pictures from inside the mosque. The last one is a lattice carved from a single piece of marble and adorns the tomb of a Muslim saint interred within the mosque. These pictures only get us to about noon on our first day in Agra, so expect more Mughal mayhem in the next few days! Thanks to our wonderful families and family of friends for tuning in. Things are really going fast for us now but we'll do our best to get caught up here. Much love!

Mark