8/29/2017 Agra a glimpse into its lesser known history and heritage Centre for Contemporary Urbanism

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Agra a glimpse into its lesser known history

and heritage

WRITTEN BY CENTRE FOR CONTEMPORARY URBANISM

By: Shahena Khan

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8/29/2017 Agra a glimpse into its lesser known history and heritage Centre for Contemporary Urbanism

We all have heard of Agra and know about the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world, a
World Heritage Site, an architectural marvel. Is that all that the city of Agra has or is famous for, or
should be known for? It is indeed not so. The city of Agra has much more to oer the visitor than just
the Taj. As a resident of Agra, and having worked here for many years, I have experienced much
more of the city than just the grand marble edice that is associated with it. Here, I provide a glimpse
of Agras myriad heritage and share with you facts and stories about some of the many fascinating
but li le known sites in and around Agra.

The city of Agra is synonymous with Mughal history and Mughal architecture, even though over the
centuries, It actually underwent a range of urban sequences in its historic core -the pre-Mughal, the
Mughal and the Colonial period. The city got its sheen as the Capital of the Mughal Empire in the
16th and the 17th Century Capital to an Empire that stretched all the way to Persia and covered
almost two-thirds of India.

Babur, the founder of the Mughal dynasty, initiated development of Agra in the early 16th century by
remodelling its urban landscape as per his Persian tastes and to create an architectural expression of
his own on foreign terrain to symbolise his power. The shifting of the capital from Bayana to Agra
across the river by Babur was a strategic move to ensure the safety of his nascent kingdom. During
his time, the city existed mainly on the East bank of Yamuna, consisting largely of gardens and

pleasure pavilions along the river. He laid the rst garden with channels
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pleasure pavilions along the river. He laid the rst garden with channels of owing water at Aram
Bagh (now known as Ram Bagh) a example of perfect coordination between architecture, garden
planning and water engineering.

His son, Humayun, was mostly struggling to establish himself during times of political instability
and had minimal contribution to architecture or city development. Agras development was scaled
up by Baburs grandson, Akbar, when the nucleus of the present city actually took shape in the
second half of the 16th century and he made Akabarabad his Capital. Akbar amalgamated Islamic and
Hindu Town Planning principles while laying the city with focus on orientation and movement of the
sun. The city was developed along the West bank of the river to avoid building shadows falling on
the riverbed, which hinders growth and prosperity as per Vastu principles.

Several architectural marvels were added to the city by Akbars successor Jahangir and the city
development reached its zenith with the construction of the Taj Mahal by Shah Jahan, Agras greatest
clain to fame. However, it was Shah Jahan only who was also guilty for her decline. Shifting the
capital to Shahjahanabad (Delhi) in 1638 certainly took some sheen o the city.

It is noteworthy to mention that Agra was also one of the rst Mughal Riverfront cities in the world
with river Yamuna serving as the artery for its development. A series of gardens- pleasure gardens,
garden residences, tomb gardens characterised the Mughal Riverfront. The natural topography was
more or less plain, though intersected by several nalas and ravines running up from the river. The
region had 3 rivulets: Burhansayid, Kano Khar, Dholi Khar which drained into the river on the west
bank. The three rivulets and the river formed a triangle, which more or less determined the extent
and form of the Mughal City of Agra. The historic city form is still identiable with the three rivulets
that have now become sewage carrying drains.

Today, Agra boasts of three World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO- Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and
Fatehpur Sikri. It has a plethora of cultural heritage: tangible and intangible, which are reminisces of
its rich past. The heritage of Agra includes monuments, and also privately-owned heritage both
protected and unprotected; public structures and spaces such as Darwazas, Mandis, Ganjs, Tolas, Padas
and Katras that embody the many intangible aspects of its rich and diverse culture. The city also has
rich living traditions-fairs, festivals, crafts and skills. Paradoxically, it is primarily known for the Taj
and considered merely a days tourist destination. Here below, I introduce a few interesting but
lesser-known structures:

Gyarah Sidhi A rudimentary Jantar Mantar

Humayun was an Astrologer- King, highly superstitious and an ardent believer in astrology, who
lived his life strictly by the position and movement of the stars and. The most signicant contribution
by him to the city is the Gyarah Sidhi or Eleven Steps located on the East bank of Yamuna, providing a
breath-taking panoramic view of the Taj and Red Fort across the river. The eleven steps are carved
out of a monolithic block of red sandstone, which was extensively used by the Mughals as
construction material being readily available in the region. Seeing the remains at the site, one can
conclude that Gyarah Sidhi must have been part of a larger Astronomical Observatory probably
similar to the Jantar Mantar of Jaipur and Delhi.

Just adjoining the Gyarah Sidhi is a baoli or a stepped well: wells with rooms accessed by a ight of
steps which served as retreats during the summers and the steps used by people to fetch water when
the water level decreased. Baoli, a common water feature of northwest India, in regions where there is
li le running water and summers are scorching, is a rare and thus an interesting sight in Agra.
Children from the nearby se lements are seen si ing on the Gyarah Sidhi and playing around the
baoli in the evenings, with cultural and religious events celebrated by the local community on special
days.

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The Gyarah Sidhi

Hammam way to beat the scorching heat

Hammams or Ghusal- Khana (bath-room), a unique Mughal building typology, was a response to the
hot climatic conditions of the city, apart from being part of the Islamic ritual of purication.
Hammams in Mughal Architecture were closed air-cooled apartments with a complex of miniature
tanks sunk in the walls and a series of pipes, tanks and fountains where the temperature could be
controlled as desired without articial means. The Shahi Hammams comprised of an outer bathing or
shower room, followed by three rooms, a stem room, second with taps of warm water and the third
had cold water.

It is said that there were eight thousand hammams in the city catering to dierent classes of people;
adjoining mosques and serais for travellers and locals, inside the Fort for the Royalty and in Garden
residences for the nobles and members of the Royal families. Hammams were also places of work of

condential nature- state businesses, business dealings, conspiring,

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condential nature- state businesses, business dealings, conspiring, gossiping, love aairs and
marriage proposals. This typology that was so common in Mughal Agra is become really uncommon
now; existing only in the protected monuments, with restrictions on access.

The Shahi Hammam

Elephant Well or 32 Bull Well

The Mughals developed a decentralised water supply system in Agra,

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The Mughals developed a decentralised water supply system in Agra, with the Yamuna at its core.
The riverine core along the riverfront mostly catered to the rich and the elite in their garden
residences and supported the city drainage and ground water recharging. The water needs of
thousands of city residents was met by Hauz or Tanks, wells, baolis and ponds built by the Emperors;
this ensured that the river never got over-burdened and continued to ow. There were several wells
do ing the entire city, of varying size and material, based on their purpose and usage. The Gaze eer
of India (1884) records the presence of as many as 70,622 wells in the district.

One of the largest wells to survive is the Kamal Khan Kuan, located on the city periphery, which was
said to have been part of Imperial Mughal Garden- Dehra Bagh or Bagh Nur Manzil. As the name
suggests, it was a camping garden, frequently used by Jahangir during his excursions in or out from
the Capital. Jahangir in his autobiography- Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri has mentioned Dehra Bagh at several
places. The humongous size of the well can be gauged from the fact that 32 pairs of bullocks were
needed to draw water from it and its water could quench the thirst of 20,000 soldiers besides a large
number of elephants and horses of the Mughal paraphernalia.

The great well in about two hundred and twenty feet (220) in circumference exteriorly. Its exterior is sixteen
sided, each measuring 13 feet 7 inches. It is surrounded by a screen pierced with arched door-ways. The wall of
the well itself is 9 feet and 7 inches in thickness- A. C. L. Carlleyle Archaeological Report 1871-72.

Kamal Khan was an elephant keeper in the service of Jahangir, who along with the elephant
mysteriously fell into the well and disappeared. This incident was a miracle or whether it just
indicates the grandness of the well is quite unknown. The well is commonly known as the Kamal
Khan Kuan and is considered sacred by the locals who oer coins as well as silver statue es of
elephant at the well. The dargah of Kamal Khan is adjoining the well. The well has dried up and has
recently been partially restored. The dargah is still ocked by local people every Thursday, and a
grand Urs is organised on the rst Thursday of Kuar every year.

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Kamal Khan Kuan

Riverine Serai or Nurjahan Sarai

The Mughals were nomads by nature: they spent more time traveling from one place to another. To
serve their nomadic life, Sarais were a public utility building typology developed by the Mughals as
camping grounds and inns with all the necessary amenities for travellers and their animals. There
were more than sixty serais in the city in the 17th century and many more along the imperial
highway. These facilities were usually provided at 4 kos (Mughal measurement system equivalent to 1.9
miles) intervals, as that was the distance normally travelled in a day at that time.

They were large square or rectangular structures with rooms on the sides enclosing spacious courtyards. They
had their own wells for water supply, and enough space and shade for carts, bullocks, horses and retinue-
Agra and its Monuments- R. Nath

One of the interesting serais still surviving from these times is the Riverine Serai or the Nur Jahan
Serai. Located on the East bank of Yamuna, just north of Aram Bagh, it was the jagir (personal estate)
of Jahangirs wife Nur Jahan,. This was the entry point to the Mughal Empire through waterways.
The serai had space for 500 horses and more than three thousand people. It had a ghat entrance at the
river-edge for loading/unloading of goods and travellers.

As the river Yamuna was extensively used for transportation of goods to and from the East, the wise
Empress understood the economic viability of the site and built this serai. She collected duties on the
goods shipped across and river at this place and the serai provided facilities for the traders. The
merchants transported goods including co on from Bengal, raw silk from Patna, Horses and precious
stones from Persia and common commodities like bu er, grains, ginger, fennel etc.

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Nur Jahan Serai

Domeless Tomb- Diwan Ji Begum Tomb

Diwan Ji Begum Tomb is the nal resting place of Mumtazs mother, (Shahjahans mother-in-law)
located in the neighbourhood of the Taj, the Taj Ganj. The tomb follows hasht bihisht or Eight
Paradise form as per the Persian vocabulary.

The hasht bihisht design consists typically of a square or rectangle, with corners sometimes chamfered so as to
form an irregular octagon. The hasht bihisht is divided by four intersection construction lines into nine parts,
comprising a dome chamber in the centre, rectangular open forehalls in the middle of the four sides, and two-
storeyed, often vaulted, rooms at the corner.- The Complete Taj Mahal- Ebba Koch

The square plan is chamfered at the corners to make it into an octagon with eight large arches. The
tomb also had a large dome supported on arches, which is lost now, making it a Domeless Tomb. The
burial chamber is in the large basement, which has interesting system of light ducts for light and
ventilation. The tomb was originally situated in a spacious garden, which has disappeared now. It
stands isolated in the middle of a populated se lement, with its arches framing a spectacular view of
Taj.

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The Domeless Tomb

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The Archaeological Survey of India has recently undertaken an initiative to restore and conserve
some of the lesser-known built heritage of the city. This would surely enhance the quality and
duration of visiting and exploring Agra.

Hope you all will definitely remember to visit these places

when you are in Agra next

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OCTOBER 2, 2016OCTOBER 3, 2016 POSTED IN UNCATEGORIZED

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8/29/2017 Agra a glimpse into its lesser known history and heritage Centre for Contemporary Urbanism

2 thoughts on Agra a glimpse into its lesser known

history and heritage

Asaithambi says:
OCTOBER 4, 2016 AT 2:08 PM

1. Interesting to know about Agra..nice.

REPLY
Manish kumar says:
OCTOBER 6, 2016 AT 4:18 PM

2. True so true. There is so much in Agra beyond Taj. Very well wri en. Lot has been wri en and
lot to be still known and told. Waiting for part-II.

REPLY

WORDPRESS.COM.

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