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SIGHTSEEING DESCRIPTIONS
DELHI CITY TOUR
Visit Old Delhi - Former centre of Moghul Power, Old Delhi offers ancient monuments,
narrow streets and bustling bazaars. Visit the vast Red Fort, built in 1648, the Jama
Masjid the greatest mosque in India and completed in 1658 by Shah Jahan who also built the
Taj Mahal, and the Raj Ghat, the simple memorial to Mahatma Gandhi.
Drive past the stately government buildings of the British Era designed by Lutyens, including the India Gate the
Presidential Palace. Continue onto the beautiful Humayuns tomb of the Mughal era &
predecessor of the world famous Taj Mahal and Qutab Minar – gracefully hand-carved for its
entire height of 234 ft.
AGRA CITY TOUR
Visit Agra Fort - Built by Emperor Akbar on the west bank of the river Yamuna and
beautified with palaces and gardens by Jehangir, Agra Fort today dominates the centre
of the city.
The crescent-shaped fort with its 20-metre high, 2.4-km outer walls contains a maze of
buildings that form a small city within a city. One can enter the fort only through the
Amar Singh Gate. The public access is limited to the southern part of the fort which
includes nearly all the buildings of tourist interest.
The Diwan-i-Aam (hall of public audience) and Diwan-i-Khas (hall of private audience)
were built by Shahjahan for receiving audiences. Jehangir's palace built by Akbar was
the largest private residence in the fort. Close to Diwan-i-Khas, stands an octagonal
tower known as Musamman Burj.
It was here that Shahjahan breathed his last after seven years of imprisonment.
Other places to see within the fort include the Khas Mahal, Sheesh Mahal (the mirror palace)
and the Anguri Bagh (the Grape Garden).
Also visit the world famous Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal (Closed on Fridays) -
One of the most photographed tourist attractions in the world, Taj Mahal is the
attraction that pulls the tourists from all over the world. The Taj Mahal is entirely
made of white marble and its walls are decorated with exquisite pietra dura (stone inlay)
work.
It is said that different types of precious and semi-precious stones were used in
the intricate inlay work done on the interiors. This magnificent monument is set around
a Char bagh or 'four garden' plan, which is split by watercourses-a reflection of the
Persian style.
FATEHPUR SIKRI
Fatehpur Sikri Thirty-nine kilometres from Agra stands Fatehpur Sikri,
the red sandstone city of yesteryears. The city was built by the Mughal Emperor
Akbar in AD 1564 in honour of the Muslim saint Sheikh Salim Chisthi. Fatehpur Sikri was
intended to be the capital city but the shortage of water and unrest in the north-west
made Akbar abandon it.
One of the major attractions of this city is the marble tomb of
Sheikh Salim Chisthi. Other places of interest include Diwan-i-Aam, Diwan-i-Khas, Buland
Darwaza, Panch Mahal, Jodha Bai’s Palace and Birbal Bhavan.
AMBER FORT TOUR
Amber Fort -
At a short distance of 11 kms. from Jaipur, the Amer Fort complex stands amidst wooded
hills overlooking the Delhi-Jaipur highway. One of the finest examples of Rajput
architecture, it was the ancient capital of the Kachhawah rulers.
The original palace
was built by Raja Man Singh and additions were made later by Sawai Jai Singh. Within
the palace are the Diwan-e-Aam or the "Hall of Public Audience", the Diwan-e-Khas or the
"Hall of Private Audience" and the Sukh Niws where a cool breeze blows across channels of
water for the purpose of air-conditioning.
Here are the private chambers of the queens with windows having latticed screens so that
the ladies could watch the proceedings of the royal court inprivacy. There is also the
Jai Mandir or the "Temple of Vicotry", with its famed Sheesh Mahal, the scintillating
"Hall of Mirrors.
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