August 21 – Rajastan and the Road to Agra

We left our palace in Jaipur on a sunny, hot morning. We had several stops on our agenda so we headed out early.

 

Our first stop was at a beautiful Hindu Temple dedicated to Shiva. Just as we were getting out of our car we saw a couple from France that we had met the day before at the Amber Fort in Jaipur. We were happy to have the chance to see Philippe and Amandine again and exchanged email addresses and promises to keep in touch.  They, too, were headed to Agra and we laughed that we’d probably be making all of the same stops along the way.

I think our next stop might have been one of the best monuments of the whole trip. The Chand Baori (Stepwell) in Abhaneri was built over a thousand years ago.

Chand Baori is a famous stepwell situated in the village Abhaneri near Jaipur in Indian state of Rajasthan. This step well is located opposite to Harshat Mata Temple which shows that there must have been a religious connection with the step-well. The well is 35 m on each side with steps leading down from each side and water can be drawn from any level. This is one of the deepest and largest step wells in India. It was built in 9th century and has 3500 narrow steps and 13 stories and is 100 feet deep. The arid climate forced the locals to dig deep for a dependable water source, one that would last throughout an entire year. It is a fine example of the architectural excellence prevalent in the past.

This is an important archological site and the stone carvings  came from the Harshat Mata Temple nearby. This temple was destroyed by invading forces but the carved stone still remains.

Our next stop was Fatehpur Sikri.

Built during the second half of the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar, (grandfather of Shah Jahan, who had the Taj Mahal built) Fatehpur Sikri (the City of Victory) was the capital of the Mughal Empire for only some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, includes one of the largest mosques in India, the Jama Masjid.

By the time we reached our hotel that evening we were well and truly worn out but looking forward to sunrise at the Taj Mahal on Monday.