Agra: The Mughal Legacy

Akbar prayed for Jodhabai here. Four hundred and fifty years later, a Hindu man bowed his head in reverence to pray for his Muslim wife at the same place. This is the Dargah of Salim Chisti at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra.

The intricately carved, beautiful mausoleum made of white marble screens and cenotaph, bustled with people in the afternoon, as Hindus and Muslims in complete silence circled the tomb of Sufi saint Salim Chisti. They laid chadars and showered flowers on the tomb and paid obeisance to the saint who gave the Mughal dynasty a successor.

“This is a symbol of Indian secularism. Here Hindus and Muslims pray for each other’s well being. This is the place where Mughal history took a new turn,” said mausoleum caretaker, Malkhan. People know Akbar came here with Jodhabai to pray for a male progeny. But very few know who gave the Mughals a successor.

A secular emperor, when his three wives failed to give him a male child, Akbar did not marry again. He went to Salim Chisti and prayed for a successor. Akbar’s prayers were answered and Jodhabai delivered a boy: Salim, who became Emperor Jahangir. It was not a Muslim wife but a Hindu Rajput princess, who gave the great Mughals an heir to their legacy.

Situated 37 km from Agra, Sikri was an innocuous village known as the dwelling place of the Sufi, when Akbar made a halt while returning from his Gujarat conquest. Subsequently, after being blessed with a son, Akbar decided to build his capital there and named it Fatehpur Sikri. Founded in 1569, the magnificent, sprawling, red stone fort – now in the world heritage list – was completed in 1574. Akbar ruled from Fatehpur Sikri from 1575 to 1586. “Salim Chisti’s death and scarcity of water forced him to shift to Agra fort,” said a tourist guide, Mansukh Alam.

The Naubat Khana, Diwan-e-Aam, Diwan-e-Khas, Pancha Mahal, Hawa Mahal, Khas Mahal and Char Charman all show the architectural splendour in red stone. In hey days, these stones were ornamented with gold and beautiful paintings. The brilliant craftsmanship on stones reached its excellence under Akbar. The unique blend of various religious symbols carved on red stones show despite being a Mughal, the emperor was secular to the core and respected all religions of the land he ruled.

“It is here that he tried to establish Din-e-Elahi. The universal religion: one God for all. He abolished the religious tax jizyah on the Hindus. Akbar’s secularism is a lesson to our contemporary rulers,” said an old Muslim man. As Akbar left Fatehpur Sikri, Agra became the nerve-centre of the Mughals. They ruled India from here and left behind some of the best architectural heritages of the world.

Agra was initially ruled by the Rajputs. In 1022, Mahmud Gaznavi ruined Agra. In 1504, it became the capital of the Afghan king Sikandar Lodi. “Before Lodi made Agra his capital, it was not in the historical map of India. From 1504,Agra became the seat of the Mughals,” says historian Dr AL Srivastava. Babur lived in Agra for four years before his death. Humayun fled to Kabul and then died in Delhi. Akbar reachedAgra in 1558 and the rest is history.

A district of Uttar Pradesh, Agra is a busy town now. Congested and over-populated, it is trying hard to meet the people’s aspirations by erecting shopping malls, housing complexes, hotels and restaurants. But Agra primarily is India’s tourist destination. Taj Mahal, Sikandra and Agra Fort attract huge domestic and foreign footfalls annually.

Akbar began to construct Agra Fort in 1565 and it was completed by Jahangir and Shahjahan. Situated on the banks of Yamuna, the fort surrounded by two big ditches has 70 feet inner wall. An estimated Rs 35 lakh was spent to complete the fort. According to Abul Fazl, there were more than 500 stone buildings, but only a few survive now. Shahjahan ruled from his peacock throne in this fort and it is here he was kept under house-arrest by Aurangzeb.

The Amar Singh Gate, Jahangir’s Palace, Grape Garden, Khas Mahal, Diwan-i-Khas, Sheesh Mahal, Diwan-e-Aam, Nageena and Meena Masjid, Ladies Bazaar and Delhi Gate are testimony to the times of the great Mughals. The intricate craftsmanship is blended with strategic necessities in this fort. The walls are strong and the artistry is limited to the palaces and the court of the emperors.

“Taj Mahal continues to be the principal tourist attraction. People throng to see the mausoleum of eternal love. Taj in moonlit night is a special attraction,” said a tourist driver, Mohammad Faslu.

One of the Seven Wonders of the World, Taj Mahal situated on the banks of the Yamuna is a dream in marble. Built in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, Shahjahan collected the best of the artisans and materials in Agra. Result: the grandest white marble mausoleum built between 1631 and 1648.

Twenty thousand labourers worked for 22 years to complete the Taj Mahal. Shahjahan was buried beside his wife Mumtaz here. For Taj, Shahjahan got white marble from Markana, red stone from Dholpur and Fatehpur Sikri, yellow from Narbad and black stone from Charkoh. Taj cost around Rs 5 crore to build.

What began with Akbar also ends with Mohammad Jalaluddin Akbar. Sikandra, the grand Mughal architecture is the mausoleum of the emperor. Situated 7 km from Agra, Akbar selected this place for his burial and started construction in 1602. Akbar was buried here and the structure was completed by Jahangir in 1613. The original mausoleum is made out of a single block of marble with an inscription of Allah-o-Akbar (God is Great) inscribed on the northern side of cenotaph and Jatt-e-Jalal Hoo (Great is his Glory) on the south. And in the centre lies Akbar the Great. 

Devi-III

Devi-III

Appearance and postures can be so deceptive.

If you thought Devi only symbolized Shakti, the power, to eliminate the evil and make the good prevail; if you thought Devi was all about women empowerment; If you thought Devi was only a champion of the human rights; and if you judge Devi by Chandi Path then you are miles off the mark.

Just a shade below her enviably, glistening skin of polemics, postures, postulations and proverbial sayings, she is a woman. She is feminine. She is a Desire called Devi.

Back home, still bubbling with energy after spending hours with her devotees, Devi was very much on her toes. She was all lungpower and nimble footed, as she attended to household chores and exchanged pleasantries with her guests and aides.

In a delightful mood, looking fresh and magnificent after a shower in a traditional Bengali sari with little drops of water flowing down her hair, Devi chirped, “Have I put on weight? You know, I can knock down these extra pounds of fat. I just got to do a little bit of exercise.” I said, true. But wondered when? Though she had a multi-gym in place at home, I never got to see Devi working out.

Rather, it is her mouth that takes a heavy beating everyday. Devi is a big-time foodie. Loves to ravish gourmets of all variety. Other than principal meals, she is into snacks and tit-bits all the time. And possibly when her jaws pain because of mastication, her tongue begins flicking a chewing gum.

Rolling the gum with the tip of her tongue and pointing it towards me, Devi flippantly said: “Don’t be lazy. Let’s go to the market. Buy some fish and vegetables. The fridge is empty.” It was to be Devi’s day out!

She was all grace and confidence. I watched in awe as Devi picked up money from ATM and then reaching the market, lost herself in the cacophony of the fishmongers. I was right Devi loved to devour. She couldn’t choose, she went for all kinds of fish up for sale.

But there was a surprise, someone who symbolized power, adamant attitude, obstinacy and ruthless elimination of evil, couldn’t stand to see a chicken being beheaded, sprinkling of blood and sharp edges of a butcher’s knife.

“You love hilsa and mutton, so I will cook them today. But I need to buy vegetables. I cannot do without them. You should have them too!” Devi blurted out, as we were returning home. She caressed my hand and said, “Are you hungry? Let us go back and have dinner first.”

Cook? Who is going to cook? Devi is going to cook? But Devi is an empowered woman. She is the nemesis of a devil called Mahishashur. She fights like a man. Will she enter the kitchen to cook? Life has so many surprises. And people have such wrong notions!

The woman who people saw as feminist personified, was in reality feminine to the core. I just watched in absolute fascination as Devi in a sky blue sari, delightfully washed the fish, simmered the oil, marinated the fish with spices and cooked with all perfection and focus. “Don’t stand there and watch. Help me cook. Had I married you, I would have left you for this,” Devi quipped.

I went beside her. But pondered at the same time that you are with the laziest bum in the world. And you stick around with him like a leech and make love to him like a bitch.

Devi is no less a pain. She is very pernickety. Never happy with whatever assistance I gave to her in the kitchen. She just wants it her way and the problem is that she then doubts whether it is the right way. “Why are you so confused?” I asked her. “I take my own decision,” she retorted. I loudly thought `indecision you mean’.

Never tired of mischief, she banged into me thrice as she laid the table for the dinner. A wonderful cook, Devi watched as I quietly began to eat. But there was a problem, the mutton was slightly hard, I felt it needed to be boiled more. Realising my discomfort and unwilling to accept her fault, Devi shot: “You mortals have your mutton tender. But learn to relish the mutton firm and supple.”

The message was loud and clear to me. This is how she worked on the man she loved. She was not going to take any complain and he got to eat his share of the flesh. And secondly, if he nagged too much, he would be denied, in the long night ahead, the delight of the firm and supple flesh of his immortal.

Devi-II

Devi II


The soothing whiff of Stella brought me out of my reverie.

Stella – the perfume line from Stella McCartney, the daughter of the famous English musician and former member of The Beatles Paul McCartney – had numbed by olfactory nerve and made me sit up.

Right in front of me stood a dusky beauty. She dazzled. She mesmerized. Her electric smile put the sunshine to shame. Devi was at her elemental best. Sitting down beside me, she asked: “Tea? How many spoons of sugar? What will you have for nashta?”

Ensconced in her palace, Devi Durga unpacked and changed into a skirt and top. A brisk and confident walker, Devi moved around to put in place her things and looked around for her necessities. And as she strolled around, she left behind the trail of Stella and her graceful beauty, which created a hypnotic effect.

Watching Devi in a nonchalant mood, her aides reminded her that she should get ready as people were already thronging towards pandals to have a glimpse of her. An observer to the whole episode, I watched quietly as Devi pulled out a sari in a jiffy, without wasting time on what to wear and what would suit her for the evening. She told her aides that she preferred not much face-do.

But then what were the cosmetic lines of Revlon, Avon, Nivea and the series of perfumes and deodorants doing in her parlor? I soon discovered that she stuck to a few selective facial makeup brands but loved possessing the best in the world of cosmetics to be displayed in front of her.

All the while, as attendants took care of her needs, Devi enquired about small details of their lives, the happenings and how people were making their ends meet. Somehow I felt Devi was loose on her purse, not really bothered whether her expenses were value for money. It seemed she was more careful about her penny and careless about the pound in her life.

A few minutes later, there stood Devi dressed for the evening in an orange, with an intricate zari work, Baluchuri sari. There was very little facial make-up, apart from black eyeliner, a light shade foundation and lipstick. The black bindi on her forehead made her face look more beautiful.

And then I felt the intoxication taking effect. The sensuous fragrance of Chanel 5 was in the air. It was emanating from the delicate frame of Devi. She mischievously smiled and walked up to me.

And just before leaving her palace to take her position in the pandal, Devi, oozing with beauty and oomph, did a surprise act.

Holding my arm, she took me towards her royal mirror. Keeping her head on my shoulder and looking up at me, she asked with her eyes sparkling, “How am I looking?” I said, beautiful. The teaser went further, “Now tell me, who is more beautiful?” she asked with her eyebrows raised. I said, you.

Smiling at me, she said, come let us finish the evening round. I fathomed that even in middle age Devi needed to be reassured. When I told this to Devi lightly, she rebutted: “I care for all and sundry, just as humans do. But I love only one.”

My Devi I

Devi I


It was a shock, disappointment and also coming to terms with reality.

Having not hopped pandals and seen Devi from close quarters for nearly two decades, my portrait of Durga was very different from what I saw when I finally decided to take a close look.

There was lot of excitement and expectations. My first date with Devi, as she came down from the abode of Kailash for her yearly visit. I was there when the Unknown Flying Object (UFO) landed carrying the damsel-in-demand on her four days sojourn in this planet.

Standing on the tarmac, I waited eagerly for the UFO doors to open. It was a chartered flight carrying Durga and her entourage to the earth to kick-off the days of fervour, gaiety, celebrations and joy. And then stepped out Devi. Oh, not my Goddess!

To me Devi was still traditional. I expected Devi to turn up in a gorgeous Banarasi sari or maybe in something more suppressed in colour, but an elegant drape. But here was Devi in black Armani working suit, Gucci shoes, Versace scarf, Dunhill belt, Ray Ban sunglass, Louis Vuitton handbag and Apple iphone.

What an eyesore! I thought, all present there must be thinking having abandoned her traditional attire, is it left to imagination that even Devi’s lingerie could be part of Victoria’s Secret? Devi has been corporatised. Devi has become a victim of multi-national brands and cultural imperialism.

Perhaps, Devi thought that fashion having advanced on earth she could make any kind of sartorial statement. Not really. Devi cannot take everything for granted. Her beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Devi failed to understand no matter how much one leaped forward in haute couture; one always carried the tradition with oneself.

But was Devi looking attractive? Well, I was so confused and jilted that I couldn’t make out what made me look at her, was it her looks or was it her “so different” appearance? I really don’t know. Truth is that Devi epitomizes the rich, cultural Bengali tradition and out of it, Devi looks out of place.

But then this is just the beginning. Will check out how Devi turns out as days pass by.

Mamata in Hijab

It is ridiculous to ask why is Mamata Banerjee wearing a hijab and praying on Eid?

Mamata is into wearing hijab to offer prayers, Muslim-style, and iftaar parties for nearly two decades now or maybe more. To say that Mamata has got into this gear to woo the Muslim voters for the forthcoming Assembly elections would be very wrong. Whether in power as a union minister or without power as Opposition leader, Mamata is known for her strong secular credentials and for standing by the Muslims in the times of crisis in her political career.

Every time, there has been communal tension in the country in the last two decades, Mamata has barged out of her residence to pacify the sentiments of the Hindus and the Muslims. She has gone out of her way to talk with the representatives of the Muslim society and their religious leaders and the Hindus to make them see reason and restore communal harmony.

I have seen her rushing to Mumbai after the Mumbai Riots in the early Nineties, driving through the tense areas of Kolkata as army patrolled the city after a communal tension, flying to Mumbai and Delhi after the Zaveri Bazar blasts and the Parliament attack. In fact, the real scenario is that over the years Mamata has won over the support of the Muslims because of her balanced stand and sympathy for the minority community.

And as for her wearing the hijab. It is a known fact that whenever Mamata is invited to attend a Muslim religious function, at the time of prayer, Muslim leaders offer her the hijab and ask her to participate. She promptly agrees with many other Hindus present there.

So if Mamata has no problems and Muslims have no qualms in having her with them in hijab, what's the problem with others in a secular country?

The Maoist Reality

Is it true that Maoists have links with the Trinamool Congress? Is it true that Maoists have covert support of the CPI(M)? Is it true that the expelled cadres of the CPI(M) form a large chunk of the Maoist foot soldiers in West Bengal? These questions have time and again cropped up and confused the administration as well the observers of this low-intensity, protracted war underway in the jungles of the eastern State of India.


The Communist Party of India (Maoist) was founded in 2004 which aims to overthrow the Government of India and other States of the country. If this is the goal of the Maoists how can they become a friend of any political party, be it the Trinamool or the CPI(M). In West Bengal, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh, the Maoists are waging a war against the respective State governments. And no where the Maoists are either the friends of the ruling party or the Opposition. The Maoists everywhere are working among the tribals and fighting the para-military forces tooth and nail.


So to think that in Bengal they are either with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee or Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee is ridiculous. In reality, the Maoists are waging an armed struggle where they have made development an issue to rally the tribals behind them to achieve their armed revolution. As in other States, the Maoists in Bengal are convincing the tribals, and rightly so, the government has done nothing for their development in the last six decades and it is time to overthrow them now. Therefore, there is no reason to believe that the Maoists are hands-in-gloves either with Buddha or Mamata.


As for the purged members of the CPI(M) joining the Maoists, this is a matter of huge speculation. But there is no doubt that with time, some not very Mao Zedong ideology-driven people have joined the rank and file of the Maoists. What's worse, the Maoist leadership has no control over their activities as well and these elements are bringing bad name to the revolutionary outfit by committing sins of omission and commission.


    


  










     

The Maoist Question

With politicians of all political hues calling the Maoists to the negotiating table, will the ultra-Left outfit finally give up arms for development? Or will they continue the low-intensity conflict and the War against the State?