Please Stay Tuned

Hello to all.  We were just able to post about our visit to Agra Fort in India.  Our internet connection has been unreliable at best. We have prepared posts about the Taj Mahal and our travels in the city of Jaipur.  Currently, we are living and volunteering at Vatsalya which is an orphanage with a full campus including a school.  Vatsalya focuses on helping India's street children.  

We hope to catch you up on Wednesday afternoon (east coast time, USA) as we expect to have a good wifi connection. 

Until then, Peace Out.

RTW Adventure Family

Agra Fort

On Friday January 17th, we visited Agra Fort which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  The fort was a walled city and the structure has existed in various forms since the 11th century.  The fort sustained much damage through its early centuries as a result of various battles through several overthrown leaders. 

The fort from the outside.

King Akbar "Akbar the Great" led the Mughals to victory and took control of the region in 1556.  Akbar made the walled city his capital in 1558.   The fort was virtually destroyed and Akbar began a rebuilding project that had over 4,000 men working everyday for 8 years until completion.

Akbar the Great's grandson, Shah Jahan, assumed the rule of India after Akbar's death.  Shan Jahan is best known as the man behind the building of the Taj Mahal.  However, today we learned that he is also known for having been deposed and imprisoned...by his own son.  Obviously, this began a long series of inquiries from Roman and Mabret that were fielded flawlessly by Mom and Dad.  Concluding with our explaining that the next time our Thanksgiving dinner seems dysfunctional that they should recall this story and know that all things are relative.  

The tower where Shah Jahan was imprisoned.  The Taj Majal was visible in the distance from his window.

Below, the structure inside where the King would sit to meet the public. 

The attention to detail on the marble was astounding.

Fun at Agra Fort.

OUCH!

Peace Out!