Agra Fort is located on the banks of River Yamuna and is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in Agra. It is a red sandstone citadel and so it is known as Red Fort. The Indian Prime Minister addresses the nation every year on Independence Day (August 15) from this fort. An impressive walled city includes several beautiful buildings. Akbari Mahal, Jehangiri Mahal, Mayura Mandapa, Musamman Burj, Moti Masjid, Khas Mahal and Machchhi Bhawan are some of the notable buildings located inside the Agra Fort.

 

• Akbari Mahal:

Akbari Mahal was once a large palace and used for residential purposes. You can still see some suites on the eastern side, which survives the ravages of time.

 

• Jehangiri Mahal:

Jehangiri Mahal stands as a marvelous example of Mughal architecture. It has an awesome façade, which features an arched portal with two stunning jharokhas. The main portal leads to an entrance hall that has beautiful Tibara dalans. The assembly hall in this building appears like a hanging balcony. The side rooms have wonderful arabesque designs and stuccowork.

 

• Khas Mahal:

Shah Jahan built Khas Mahal in Agra Fort for his beloved daughters Jahanara and Roshanara. It has beautiful white marble pavilions and open courts. The ceilings of this palace are flat, but are richly decorated with gorgeous patterns. The interiors of the palace are embellished with floral and geometrical patterns. Brilliant colors like gold and blue were used to decorate the walls of this palace. You can still see the traces on the walls.

 

• Moti Masjid:

Shah Jahan built Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque for his royal members of the court. The interiors of this mosque are made with pearly white marble and thus it derives its name. The entrance to the mosque is so beautiful with the arches and Chhatris adorn the arches in the northern and southern side gates. The prayer chamber in the mosque has seven arches. There are twenty-one inlets and only three of them have arched soffits. The western wall of the mosque is carved exquisitely. There are separate chambers for women and they had a marble screen that separated them from the main hall.

 

• Musamman Burj:

Shah Jahan built Musamman Burj for his beloved wife Mumtaz. His son Aurangzeb imprisoned him in this palace. You can enjoy the exotic views of Taj Mahal from here.

 

• Mayura Mandapa:

Mayura Mandapa or the Peacock hall in Jahangir Mahal, Agra Fort is a red sandstone structure, which has an open courtyard. It features beautiful peacock shaped brackets that support its chajjas. The marvelous geometrical patterns inlaid with white marble on red sandstone would surely impress you a lot. The perforated screens offer a beautiful appearance to this building.

 

• Machchi Bhawan:

Machchi Bhawan is the fish chamber, where gold fishes were reared for the emperor. It is located in front of the Diwan-I-khas. It features a spacious courtyard and arched galleries. You can see a small pavilion made of marble on the upper storey, where the emperor’s Golden throne was placed.

 

 © 2009 Abiyoyo SL