Around Agra

Friday 22/02/2013 - FATEHPUR SIKRI & DEEG.

How to get from Agra to Fathepur Sikri and Deeg and back to Agra?
- take an autorickshaw from the hotel to the bus station,
- take the bus for Fatehpur Sikri,
- visit Fatehpur Sikri (until here its quite obvious, isn't it?),
- take a shared autorickshaw to the main road Agra-Jaipur, that bypasses Fatehpur Sikri,
- stop and take one of the busses heading towards Jaipur,
- get off that bus where the main road bypasses Bharatpur,
- share an autorickshaw towards the bus station of Bharatpur,
- await and take the bus for Deeg,
- visit Deeg,
- find and take a shared jeep for Govardhan,
- walk through the village for about two kilometers,
- negociate and take a minibus for Mathura,
- convince the driver to drop you at the bus station,
- take the bus for Agra,
- bargain and take an autorickshaw for the hotel...

Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh.

40km West of Agra.

Magnificent fortified ancient city, short lived capital of the Mughal empire between 1571 and 1585, during the reign of Emperor Akbar.

Akbar visited the village of Sikri to consult the Sufi saint Shaikh Salim Chishti, who predicted the birth of an heir to the Mughal trone.  When the prophecy came true, Akbar built his new capital here, including a stunning mosque, still in use today, and three palaces for each of his favourite wives: one a Hindu, one a Muslim, and one a Christian.

Let's take the bus to Fatehpur Sikri!

The 54m high Burland Darwaza (Victory Gate), built co commemorate

one of Akbar's military victories, it is the main entrance to the complex,

Behind the gate the courtyard, with the mosque on the left hand side.

The beautiful white-marble tomb of Shaik Salim Shishti.

Just as Akbar came to the Saint four centuries ago, childless women still visit his tomb today.

Car parking building?  No, no, this was the summer palace of the Hindu queen.

Deeg, Rajasthan. 
Deeg is a small, rarely visited, dusty tumult of a town.  At its center stands an incongruously glorious palace edged by stately formal gardens

The Suraj Mahl's Palace is one of India's most beautyful and carefully proportioned palace complexes

Maharaja palace complex of Deeg.
 

One of the buildings of the palace complex of Deeg.

Ladies chatting in the park of Deeg.
 

Another inhabitant of Deeg.
 

A Sickle factory.
 

Picture made on request of the girl.
 

In the streets of Deeg.
 

In this jeep we were four on the first row, and many more on the next rows.

The passenger  near the driver had the gear switch between his legs.
Sometimes the guy switched the gear, sometimes the driver
(we were four on the front seat).  Incredible India!

In the streets of Mathura.

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