Agra was amongst the first few places that I visited. And the main reasons were Taj Mahal and Leena, my daughter. Leena has always been fascinated by the beauty of the Taj and it was her innate desire to explore this beautiful piece of architecture.

Soon after exploring the Taj Mahal, we headed towards another architectural treasure- Agra Fort. Located on the banks of the Yamuna near the railway station, Agra Fort offers another dimension to the city that attracts tourists in hordes.

From Taj Mahal, it took us around 20 minutes to reach this exotic monument as it is just 2km northwest of Taj Mahal . As soon we took out our first step from the hired cab, we were surrounded by number of guides who wanted to help us in our exploration. The guides over there were quiet clever as they asked phenomenal price for showing the enchanting cenotaph. " Rs 500" said one, "I'll show in Rs 300" said another. Finally the deal was made with Ram, our guide, who agreed in Rs 100.

The history of Agra fort was not unique. The main thing about the monument was, that it was not finished in one go, it took two emperors to finish the entire structure. Ram, our guide told us that the heydays of Agra came with the reign of Humayun's son, Akbar. During his reign, the main part of the Agra fort was built. Construction of the fort started in 1156 and was finished in 1605. Shah Jahan, who built the Taj Mahal, erected most of the buildings inside the fortress.

The first place that I explored within Agra fort, was Jahangiri Mahal. He told us that this was better known as Zennana Palace, and was used by the Rajput wives of Akbar. A splendid gateway leads to an interior courtyard surrounded by grand halls covered with profuse carvings on stone, heavily fashioned brackets, piers, and crossbeams.

Then we headed towards Khas Mahal. The Khas Mahal is an airy edifice, overlooking the specially laid Angoori Bagh (grape garden; a simple formal Mughal garden). Windows closed with jali present fabulous view of the riverfront. The two copper-roofed pavilions built in the Bengali traditions were meant for prominent ladies of the harem.

The other significant places that we observed within the complex were - Diwan-I-Khas and Diwan-I-Am and Moti Masjid.

I was especially impressed by the Diwan-I-Khas- the hall of private audience, built by Shahjahan. "Here the emperor received important people." informed Ram. The famous Peacock throne was kept here. Now in the place of the throne only a marble niche is left.

Leena took many snaps of this breathtaking red sand stone monument and now they form a part of our album.