Agra: Part 2 - The Fort

After the disappointment of the Red Fort in Delhi, though no doubt even without that, the Agra Fort is an eye-popping delight. Construction was begun in 1565 and continued for three generations. It's a massive complex, a city within a city, built primarily out of red sandstone but also with a few white marble palaces. It's truly magnificent. Like the Taj Mahal, it's extraordinary at every level, from the daunting impressiveness of the surrounding walls, main gate and sheer scale of the place, to the minute details of the inlaid stone work and carving that greets you at every turn.




I spent an hour going around with Jya, my guide, who did a good job of describing the function of each building, pointing out notable details and revealing interesting tidbits. After an hour she'd concluded her tour and was ready to leave, but that didn't seem to me like close to enough time to appreciate the myriad of wonders on display. Here the advantages of a private guide came to the fore as she was happy to wait whilst I spent another forty minutes going round again, trying to absorb as many details as my tired eyes would allow. Even that was not close to enough time but my aching legs and rumbling belly were starting to get the better of me and, for the second time that day, it was with reluctance that I tore myself away from an Agra monument.