Around the world in 15 mails - No.2 (Agra)

Khan Builds Ornamentally

Agra, February 8 2005

..................in the words of Rolf Harris "can you see what it is yet"?

Isa Khan was the chief architect of the Taj Mahal, after completion of the task, he and others involved were rewarded by being blinded and having theirhands cut off, so they would not be able to better it. Something I think Prince Charles wanted to do to Sir Norman Foster a few years ago.

So, here I am in Agra and the Taj Mahal really is one of the 1000 places you should see before you die (thanks Karin for the inspiration!). I turned up with an open mind, half expecting it to be a bit a of cliche and disappointing in real life - I was very wrong. Admittedly it was crowded and almost impossible to get 'the photo' but I persevered and two hours later had fired off two films. When I look at them in 5 months time, most will probably look the same!

I had been set the challenge of recreating the pictures my Grandfather had taken when he served here during WW2. I think i got most of them! Not wanting to sound overly romantic, it was a bit 'spine-tingly' knowing I was re-tracing his steps, 60 years on. I reckon it must have been very different then, for a start I doubt the locals were allowed to hassle British Army Officers and for a split second yesterday, after the 100th person had offered me a postcard/photo/tour guide/rickshaw (delete as applicable), I wished I had here 60 years ago myself and had made 'an example' of one of them!

Agra is a welcome break from Delhi and at my hotel last night I met yet more travellers, this time 2 girls from Canada and Austria respectively and the strangest German man ever, with that combination of nationalities, it could have been Dieppe all over again.

This morning I visited Agra Fort, built by the Mugal Emperors, captured by the Afghans, re-captured by the Mughals and then, the good ole' peace loving English took it in 1803 and tried their level best to ruin it. Shan Jahan, who had the Taj Mahal built, (as you probably know, as a mausoleum for his favourite wife - Mahal (he had 5000 wives) - when she died in child birth
delivering their 14th son!)), was imprisoned in the fort by his son Auranzbeg, and for the last 6 years of his life gazed across the river Yamuna at the Taj, where,after his son had him killed, he was buried alongside her, with little ceremony. Watch out Dad!

Tonight I leave Agra on the night train to Varanasi. Varanasi, once called Benares was described by Mark Twain as follows "Benares is older than time, older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together". Heaven knows what I'm in for then!

Thank you for your various responses to my first mail. Given my time constraints, I hope you'll forgive me for not responding to you individually.

Lastly, I have a new mobile number for India, as follows, 9818 251 246. I don't know the international code, I'll leave that up to you to suss out!

Adieu, to yer and yer and yer and yer.

Johnny