Thursday, January 1, 2009

A Mughal Experience

Agra and Fatehpur Sikri, Uttar Pradesh, India
September 12th, 2008


Having left for Agra from New Delhi just past midnight, I decided to enjoy a good nap in the surprisingly empty state transport bus.

I reached Agra at six in the morning and made my way to the nearest tea stall battling through an enthusiastic crowd of guides. After a sip of hot tea, I was more than ready for the day! I found a decent place to stash my belongings freshened up as soon as I could for even the cheapest motel in Agra charged extravagantly.


I was outside the Taj Mahal Complex by quarter to nine. It was nothing I had not previously studied about back in school but it was everything I had hoped it would be. Breathtaking! The pure white skin of marble shone brightly, bathing in the rays of the rising Sun... It is true there is a prevailing influence of time and space on architecture. The Taj seemed to be hovering unyieldingly over the large podium as I continued walking towards it along the avenue. The plethora of optical illusions leading to an ingenious effect coupled with the staggering scale of the form and space seemed to humble evrything within site. It was of great surprise to me then, the way the Taj was nestled among the bustling organic overgrowth of the city and sandwiched on the other side by the great River Yamuna.




How could there be such great isolation in space? If the context is a governing factor then how can the immediate surroundings be so drastically over- ruled? What does the environment in Agra demand of this painfully gargantuan structure?

It was almost noon when I left the Taj and headed for The Agra Fort. Though there was nothing very extraordinary about the sense of scale within the fort itself, there were some very special features in and aound the fort which impressed me. A large open kiosk directly looking at the Taj which was some distance away along the banks of the river; the leisurely residence of Shah Jahan. A well kept garden by the plebeian court and the great hypostyle hall.

I had my fill of Agra and moving through the bustling Agra marketplace i headed to catch the first bus up to Fatehpur Sikri. It was now pretty hot and well past noon and at Fatehpur Sikri I endured a brief climb to the base of the Buland Darwaza. The scale of the structure left me flummoxed! It was then that I realized that the real pain was to climb all the steps leading into the Jama Masjid. The large public court surrounded by the peripheral hypostyle halls seemed to alleviate the importance of the white Darga of Salim Chisti.




One cannot help but wonder. Entire public gardens seem to fit into the footprint of each of these structures. How much are we willing to compact our urban scenarios to maximize buildable spaces?With these thoughts rambling through my mind I desecended the many stairs that I had climed earlier. A winding path led me to the gates of the Royal Complex of Fatehpur Sikri. Again it was everything I had hoped to see of a Mughal Emperor's seat of power. Majestic! Not only the independent structures, but also the many spaces that grew in and out of one another, waxing and waning through built environments designed to accommodate people from a varied cross section of the royal society. The Panch Mahal, Rani Jodhabai's Palace, Birbal's House, Diwan- e- am, Diwan- e- khas and the splendid outdoor chess court all reflected the great pomp and luxury that was the life of the emperor. And yet a certain sense of hollowness crept through the complex ringing with an ever increasing intensity through the abandoned structure now occupied only by a few animals...



Well, I had seen and done all there was to do and I had to continue on to Bharatpur the very evening. However I did return to New Delhi the day after to catalogue my experiences.

What did i understand from this trip?Built spaces enveloping large open spaces, Open spaces alienating buildings, A sharp contrast in the pompous expenditure in space within complex and an ever growing shortage of habitable spaces just outside. A mixture of contrasts and an oximoronic experience in all...