Nearly 400 years old, standing on a 100 acre land is the elegant and beautiful looking Akbar’s Mahal. The magnitude of the tomb, the style of its build and the perfect symmetry of the building make the tomb a perfect architectural elegance. Akbar’stomb has certainly not received its due recognition as Taj Mahal in the vicinity hog all the limelight. You can find Deer’s and rabbits running around or roaming the garden add a natural touch to the still gorgeous looking Akbar’s tomb.
Housing Tomb of Akbar and his family members the Akbar’s tomb is an architectural creation of fine artistry that should not be missed despite the big and boisterous but rightful hype about the Taj mahal.
Akbar’stomb gardens is haven you can retreat to from the maddening streets of Agra. The beautiful and well kempt gardens, the vast and free roaming wildlife in the gardens, the variety of flowers and landscape will give you the well-deserved break from the crowded locale of Taj Mahal and Agra in general.
It will take you not more than an hour and a half to tour around or leisurely stroll and enjoy the beauty of the gardens, intricate artworks, splendid architectural design so on and so forth.
Situated in Sikandra, 10 kilometers from Agra fort, the tomb is well maintained by the archaeological survey of India. Evenings are recommended as the best time to visit the tomb and you will find buses frequently plying to Sikandra but the travel time is about an hour, which is definitely worthwhile.
At a distance of a kilometer you will find Mariam’s tomb- Mariam –Uz – Zabani. She was wife of Akbar and mother of Jahangir. Akbar was the third Mughal emperor –Akbar the great. Akbar himself started the construction during the 1600’s. Akbar commenced the construction of his own tomb in the Tartary tradition while he was alive.
The tomb is constructed with deep red sandstone and has enriching features of the marble. There are decorated inland panels and the main gatehouse and tomb are well embellished with a black slate. The panel designs are worth watching as floral, geometric, calligraphic styles have been implemented.
The inside work of Akbar’s tomb is eclectic to watch. It looks like a floral design ate first instance and if looked at continuously would appear like flowers interlocked together to form a floral mesh. The real tomb of Akbar lies at the basement of the tomb. The calligraphy on the entrance till the burial chamber is intricate and awe inspiring. The inlay panels on the south gate and the detail work on the inlays make the tomb an architectural splendor and not just a mausoleum.
