It was before the winter break. We were being taken to Agra by the school on an educational trip. Agra is well connected by excellent railway, road and air services from Delhi.
The dome of the marvellous Taj Mahal is made of white marble, but the tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is this background that works its magic of colour that, through their reflection, changes the view of Taj.
Like a jewel, the Taj sparkles in moonlight when the semi-precious stones inlaid into the white marble on the main mausoleum catch the glow of the moon. The Taj is pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines.
Then we visited the famous Agra fort. Built by Emperor Akbar in 1565 AD, this huge fort is made of red sandstone and houses pearl mosque and many other magnificent architecture.
Subsequently, we visited Chini-ka-Roza, Ram Bagh, Mariyam’s Tomb, Jama Masjid, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Finally, we went to Fatehpur Sikri, situated 37 km from Agra. It was one time capital of the Mughal emperor but deserted later due to the paucity of drinking water. Its sprawling structure is made of red sandstone and combines both Hindu and Mughal architecture.
At the end of our journey we also visited to Mathura and Vrindavan. It is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The groves and ghats of the nearby city and with its thousands of temples still echoes the stories and songs that recount the exploits of the god.
With cherished memory we returned to Delhi.
Vocabulary
Paucity—small quantity
Recount—narrate
