INDIA 2010: The Road to Agra

Dec 4 & 5 – Our visit to the ancient, walled, royal city of Fatehpur Sikri (above & below), 40 kms west of Agra, was pushed up a day in consideration of a pending visit from the President of France and his wife. Built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the late 16th century, the red sandstone buildings blend elements of Hindu and Islamic architecture and is said to best the finest example of Mughal construction. We were duly impressed.

The next day we were back on the road to Agra, passing by the multitude of policemen lining the road to protect President Sarkozy and Carla Bruni. It was odd to see the road empty considering how many people live here, but we were pleased that the police had done such a good job of clearing the way for us (and the President).

Whether it was good timing or not we spotted a few Black Ibis (above) away from the road. We descended the bus and walked through the back of a village and along narrow berms between cultivated plots to get close to the birds that were busy feeding. We were followed by a horde of kids who became increasingly more vocal and brazen as their numbers grew. The onslaught of unruly children made it tough to concentrate on the birds, and even showing them the birds through the scope became an ordeal, rather than a show of gratitude.

A half kilometer and a few agricultural plots later we found where our bus was parked under police direction. The locals were lined up or seated about 30 meters away from the road, and police were busy keeping the road clear for the impending motorcade. We were hustled to stow our equipment and move away from the roadside, under stern looks and loud directives from the police who were determined not to let us take photos or view anything through binoculars. We realized something must be happening very soon, and indeed, moments later a fleet of cars drove passed, consisting of several white Ambassadors, SUV’s and luxury sedans. Which one were they in? We all took guesses. It all happened so fast and other than those in the Ambassadors we couldn’t see anyone through tinted windows. Actually it was very orderly, with respect for the police and occasion. This was barely a hiccup in the daily lives of busy Indians.

Almost immediately after their passing, people got on whatever mode of transport they were using and were back on the road. Gridlock ensued mainly at checkpoints (above) but somehow we got through to Agra without too many problems.

We met Vinod and Rachid, our city guide, at the Agra Fort (above) and could not have asked for a more perfect way to spend the last hour of the day. While this walled palatial city dates back to the 11th century, it has been in use as a military fort since the rule of Akbar in the 16th century. Originally a brick structure, Akbar had it rebuilt with red sandstone and marble.

The clear view up the Yamuna River (above), from the private palace of the Emperor Shah Jahan within the fort, of the Taj Mahal was simply stupendous and gave us a good idea of what was to come the following morning.