Ticket to Ride to India: Seeing Red

The area around Agra is rich in red sandstone, from which most of the Mughal buildings were built. It is a gorgeous colour – sort of a cross between brick red and rhubarb, and looks wonderful against the green of the gardens and the blue of the sky.

Some of these buildings included marble inset for decoration, and some have been carved expertly in all sorts of symbolic designs, either reflecting religious patterns, honouring where someone came from (such as a Turkish wife for example, yes, I am talking about you Akbar), or depicting the natural world, whether real or fantasy.

The red fort in Agra is one of these red sandstone confections that are still looking pretty solid. In fact, the army is still housed in the old military part of the fort, some 450 years later. One must imagine what it was like to see these lovely red pavilions, with huge curtains hung – cotton for summer, wool for winter (the hanging rings are still visible) outside - and rich carpets underfoot. Inside walls were painted in vibrant colours and gold, with carved niches and columns. A small canal of water ran around the courtyards, ending in a large pool or fountains.

This moat used to house crocodiles!

marble inlaid in the sandstone

mysterious stairs

elaborate niches used solely for decoration

Akbar’s tomb, which he himself had built while he was still alive, is all red sandstone except for the top layer built by his son. The traditional 4 courtyards around it, in perfect symmetry, would have been outlined with water. A few other noble people are buried there with him, but only a few spotted and blackbuck deer share this enormous space with the dead while the living honk their horns and dash about just outside the walls.

marble inlay looks like 60s flower power pop art

top storey added by son, who preferred marble to sandstone

painting still vibrant

The walled city within a city of Fatehpur Sikri, some 40km from Agra, is an amazingly well preserved palace. Its red sandstone screens and lintels are incredibly well executed. Around the roof line of buildings, and inset here and there by stairs are round sandstone shallow cylinders, into which would have been placed torches for use during the evening and night. It must have looked amazing by torchlight! The entire place was built in only 5 years and lived in for only 15, from which the entire kingdom was ruled. Unfortunately it was built due to sentiment not practicality and the scarcity of water meant the capital had to moved back to Agra. The stonecutters mostly went to Agra as well, although many stayed in the village and their ancestors continue to cut the sandstone for souvenirs.