|
|
We only had one visit to Agra , about 10 kms. on the outskirts of the city lies the tomb of Sikandra, mausoleum known as Akbar . It is a beautiful temple, like most of those in India, but some advice, if you do it before you visit Taj Mahal because it is so much beauty in it than all the rest is in the shade.
This is what happened with Sikandra. Very nice, yes, but that day I would have preferred to see nothing more and try to remember and settle what my eyes still retained in their retinas.
However, this is a visit that you must not get lost on your way to Agra. To me, particularly, what surprised me most is that large facilities it has, including its gardens, are literally infested with monkeys and deer have no problem approaching visitors and ask for or steal food.
The mausoleum was begun in 1605 by Emperor Akbar, but was his son, Jahangir who ended years later, in 1613. That is why the temple is a curious mixture of styles, combining the red sandstone typical of the period of Akbar, with white marble came into use with Jahangir and Shah Jahan.
The construction is divided into two buildings. In the South there is a large door that gives access to four minarets shaped towers, arched doors and false. For its part, the mausoleum which contains the tomb of Emperor Akbar and cenotaph which is accessed through a long passage, narrow, dark and very neglected. In the same state, ie, poorly preserved, is the central hall of the temple, without much ornamentation, which is supposed to Akbar. | |