Trip to India & Nepal-Agra Part 3- The Baby Taj

After we left the Taj Mahal we drove to the other side of the river to see the back of the Taj, and the Baby Taj, and passed the Red Fort on the way.

Despite having been to Agra twice before I had never heard of the so called "Baby Taj".

The Itimad - ud - Daulah is the tomb of Mirza Ghiyas and predates the "real" Taj.

Located on the left bank of the Yamuna river, the mausoleum is set in a large cruciform garden criss-crossed by water courses and walkways. The mausoleum itself is set on a base about 50 meters square and about 1 meter high. The mausoleum is about 23 meters square. On each corner are hexagonal towers, about 13 meters tall.

The walls are white marble from Rajasthan encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations - cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz in images of cypress trees and wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing bouquets. Light to the interior passes through delicate jali screens of intricately carved white marble.

It was the first building in Mughal Agra to be faced in marble.

The paintings are spectacular but not as well preserved as the interior of the Taj.

Floor tiles.

Inside the dome.

These are replicas as the bodies are buried underneath the building.

Drying laundry by the river.

The Taj from the back.

The tuk tuk we hired and the driver.

A tea stand where we stopped.

Goats and a book seller.

A camel for hire.

It was a bit too misty for a good view.