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With our time at the Tal Mahal limited , tourists are only permitted for three hours , an attempt to save the structure , which is succumbing to the modern world , we moved on and headed to Fatehpur Sikri .
Once a great city , indeed the capital of the Mughal Empire , Fatehpur Sikri was only used for 14 years before Emperor Akbar decided he could no longer support the site whilst entertaining the idea of a campaign in Punjab , and just 25 years later in 1610 the entire city was simply walked away from . Despite the abandonment numerous foreign visitors understood the significance of the city and during the 1800 ’ s many temples and palaces were ordered restored . Over one hundred years later the area was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list .
During his time , Akbar commissioned the Panch Mahal , the ‘ Five Level Palace ’. The monsoon rains added to the mystique as we rounded the many columns that once had screens between them to shelter the queens and princesses from the summer sun and provide cool breeze . The exquisitely crafted sandstone combines a rich tapestry of Buddhism , Hinduism , as well as the traditions of Mughals .
With the rain continuing we continued on to Jaipur , the ultimate point in the Golden Triangle . The roads an exciting mix of traditional and modern , families riding on trucks , motorcycles , and donkeys . We laughed at the absurdity of it all and then crashed to earth with the realisation that we were witness to the horrific remains of a truck accident . The burnt wreck left impaled on a roadside barrier .
In the greater scheme of things , Jaipur is a relatively ‘ new ’ city , founded in 1727 . However , it could be considered one that has the greatest collection of historic buildings and monuments . Our hotel alone was once the summer
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