Walking past the religious education building, I stopped to admire the pool known as
Anup Talao. It is located in front of the Khawabgah, Akbar’s private quarters. Measuring approximately 30 meters (98 feet) on each side, the square red sandstone tank is quite beautiful. In the middle is a raised platform with a short elaborate wall. At one time the tank was connected to the water system. We then entered the
Khwabgah, an elegant structure. Along with his private chambers, the emperor held his secret meetings with his noble men here. One room contained exquisite relief carvings of a tropical landscape and others of ornate trees, framed by geometric designs. My guide explained that this was known as the Glass Palace, as the room once was covered with diamonds and reflective mirrors, placed in between the tracery. These were stripped by the British. We also saw Akbar’s personal sleeping chamber, a raised sandstone bed surrounded by a pillared veranda. The chamber features a unique ventilating shaft by the bed. The posts of the bed were carved with motifs of pomegranates and grapes, common Islamic symbols.
We then toured the
Maryam Makan house (for Akbar’s Christian wife). I found it interesting that here too were symbols of all three religions. Either Akbar’s wives were quite tolerant/open-minded, or they had no say in the matter of how their homes were decorated! Our final structure to visit in the Royal Complex was the
Jodha Bai’s Palace, a nearly self-contained harem complex. My guide explained that Akbar’s Hindu wife also lived here. The courtyard of the Jodha Bai was particularly large. On the right side of the complex were buildings used during the summer (getting a breeze from the river), while the left side buildings were used during the winter.
Having read about Agra’s textile arts known as zari (elaborate gold thread embroidery) and bead embroidery (known as zardozi), I asked to visit a place where this craft was being demonstrated. Literally meaning “sewing with gold,” zardozi was a prospering craft during Akbar’s time but gradually declined. Older saris of Chennai used this same technique with gold-covered thread, making such saris very valuable. During Akbar’s time, costumes, walls of tents, wall hangings, and coverings for horses and elephants all employed this technique. Intricate patterns were traced in gold and silver, studded with pearls and precious stones. These were sewn on silk, velvet, and brocade. Today zardozi threads consist of copper wire with a golden sheen or use gold-colored silk thread. In the shop (mainly for sale), a young man (this craft is done predominantly by Muslim men) was using colored silk thread to embroider silk thread flower designs for evening purses. Displayed on the wall were several masterpieces created by a man who is credited to reviving the craft in Agra. One was a floral design created with colored silk threads, outlined with the gold thread, and studded with precious and semi-precious stones and gems. Another comprised of several birds, while a third was of a hunting scene. Unlike most designs of today, these pieces get their dimensionality not by adding thick cotton threads or stuffing, but by painstakingly layering on silk threads, one over the other until the desired height and shape is achieved.
