Tomb of Akbar in Agra
Travel to India > Agra > Tomb of Akbar in AgraTomb of Akbar in Agra: An Introduction
The tomb of Akbar in Agra is an example of pure Islamic spirit. It is located centrally in the square plan, at the junction of four causeways dividing the garden into four quarters. The main tomb building has five storey built in the shape of a shortened pyramid. It stands on a high stone platform. The magnificent entrance, making use of exquisite patterns, outstanding jali work (intricately perforated decorative stone screens), fine Persian style calligraphy, the charbagh garden layout (four-quartered garden layout, with the main building at the center), etc. are representative of Islamic influence. Absence of a ground, use of chhatris (small domed canopies, supported by pillars), tiers of airy pavilions, etc., reflect a local influence, which are also found in the buildings built by Akbar in Agra Fort and the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri.
History Related to It:
Akbar was the third emperor of the Mughal dynasty that ruled India in the medieval period. Besides being an administrator, Akbar was very interested in art and architecture. It was in his time when the Mughal Empire got a novel look from art and architectural skill with the innovative plans, which is evident from the numerous buildings built by him within the area of the great Agra.
Tomb of Akbar in Agra-front view
Most of the buildings represent a unique unification of different architectural styles for example; the buildings at Fatehpur Sikri belong to a merged style of architecture with the predominating Islamic style cleverly blended with local Rajasthani and Gujarati styles.
In 1605, Akbar started building the magnificent structure at Sikandra, which was later completed by his son Jahangir. The tomb is surrounded by large walled garden on the Delhi-Agra road. The tomb can be entered through a well-designed southern gateway that leads into the huge enclosed garden. This glorious gateway is covered with floral and geometrical wonderful decoration in white and colored marble is crowned with four elegant minarets in white marble.
Description of The Tomb
Akbar was not only a good administrator but also a connoisseur of Fort. The four gardens lead to the pyramidal structure of the emperor's tomb. The tomb is constructed in a bright red tiered structure. It looks like a castle built of playing cards.
The tomb differs from other Mughal buildings in many ways. The building has five levels. The first storey consists of a large platform and corridors having stone arched roofs in each facade. The second storey of the building is built of red sand stone and comprises of thirty three bays with arched verandah. These bays are rounded off by white marble pyramidal roofs decorated with glazed tiles arranged in geometrical designs. The third and fourth storey pursues similar plans, though they condensed in size with the ascending storey. The fifth i.e the topmost storey is totally in white marble without roof.
The Golden Era of Agra:
Agra is a centre of culture and arts. The variety of art and culture is also the mirrors of the cultural and artistic talents of the Indian populace during the grandeur past. This city has many ancient temples, mosques, forts, several mausoleums, tombs and historical monuments. Agra Fort and Taj Mahal are the two magnificent structures of the city.
The reference of the city is found in the ancient texts of the Mahabharata and also in scripts written by Ptolemy. The present Agra city was established in the 16th century by Sikandar Lodi. The beautiful city of Agra with all this giant and magnificent structures reached to its zenith of architectural manifestation in the Mughal period between 1526 AD and 1658.
The well accomplished magnificent monuments in Agra, breathtaking traditional paintings, folk dances, folk music, embroideries, and unparallel cloth designing and stitching are the reminiscences of the past glory and some of the talents are still preserved in this historical town. The royal courts of the great Mughals were frequently visited by the sculptors, musicians, artisans, painters, jewelers, embroiders, metal workers, weavers and such. It is during Mughal period, many gardens, many architectural amazing palaces and artificial lakes were constructed.
Some notable constructions are as listed below:
- Taj Mahal
- Agra Fort
- Fatehpur Sikri
- Itmad-Ud-Daulah
- Swami Bagh Samadhi
- Mehtab Garden
- Mankameshwar Temple
- Guru ka Tal
- Ram Bagh
- Mariam's Tomb
- Mehtab Bagh
Khas Mahal, main pavilion, Agra Fort-an example of Mughal architecture
Best Season to Visit Agra:
- Agra has severe temperatures in summers and winters and moderate temperatures in other seasons.
- Summers (April to June) are hot and would not be the ideal time to visit the city.
- Monsoons (June to October), with very heavy rainfall in the month of July, Taj Mahal looks beautiful.
- Winters (November to March) are very cool and temperature can touch as low as 2 degree Celcius and accompanied by thick fogs prohibiting travels due to poor visibility. Flights can be delayed during this period
- The months between October and March are ideal for sight seeing in the city of Agra.