The Agra chronicles- III ( Amarvilas)

In between Part-I and Part- II of the Agra chronicles, was the immensely memorable interlude at the Oberoi Amarvilas..Consistently rated among the leading resorts of the world, the Amarvilas offers a truly unique experience of  a private view of the Taj Mahal from every single room, suite, lobby, lounge and the bar...

After entering through an understated and almost nondescript entrance ....it is a short drive down to the second point of entrance where a pair of these intricately carved elephants in marble, stand guard with marigold garlands around their tusks and upturned trunks in a gesture of salute and a sign of welcome... beyond this point it is  beautiful amalgamation of Moorish and Mughal architecture wherever you look....begining with a magnificent open-to-sky courtyard of fountains flanked by pavilions ( since I took photos of that only at night, they appear later in this post )...

...it is a constant feast for the eyes as you take in all the beauty and gorgeous details as you enter the lobby..that's my boy wasting no time as we were being welcomed by the most gracious staff of the hotel...truly it is the people who make this hotel what it is ...an epitome of luxury and hospitality ...

As you look up, the stunning chandelier and even more majestic dome takes your breath away...

Here's another one in the bar area with the floor plan of the Taj Mahal serving as art in the background ...take  note of the ceiling that looks like beaten gold...

This is a section of the lounge where we waited for a few moments sipping refreshing welcome drinks...while our rooms were being given a final once-over by housekeeping...

...turquoise and teal dominate the color story throughout the hotel...beautifully interspersed with gold detailing...

It is from here that we got our first good look at the Taj..and to think that this view would be our constant companion for the next two days...doesn't get better than this....

If someone ever tells you that words cannot describe what you feel at the first sight of the Taj...just believe that...simply because 'It is true'...

This is the room we stayed in ...it is a standard room but no luxury has been spared..our kids had an identical room adjacent to ours...

An intricately hand embroidered linen panel adorns the headboard and beautiful carpet in cream and turquoise covers the teak floors...

A bone-inlay work desk ....

I forgot to take any photos of the bath but here are a couple that I took of the rest room in the lobby...with its stunning glossy teal walls...

...here again, with a touch of gold....

I absolutely loved this dainty gold console..isn't it gorgeous!!

Back to the room...the view from our balcony/terrace...it simply cannot be beat!!

A view of the terraced gardens to the right of the pool...

The hotel facade as seen from the rolling greens across the pool....

We spent many an hour splashing about in the gorgeous pool...or sunning ourselves on the deck chairs....

A close-up of the magnificent pavilion along the pool.. a perfect place for your evening tea and biscuit ,or beer and fries or better still.. wine and cheese!!

As the sun begins to set... the dancers come onto the platform above the pavilion and to the tunes of  traditional songs and music put up a beautiful show that is enhanced multifold by a truly unique backdrop....

..with every passing minute..as the sky constantly changes its colors and lights are slowly turned on....it only gets more beautiful...

..to a point where it is surreal...almost dreamlike ....

Breaking away from this spell-binding sight, we spent some time at the courtyard at the entrance as well..for something that looked impressive but stark when we first arrived in the afternoon...it glowed beautifully at night ...bathed in a beautiful golden beige hue...

After this little detour we came back to our room to find this lovely little table laid out in our balcony, amidst flowers and tea lights, for us to celebrate our 14 beautiful years together...truly memorable!!

I hope you enjoyed these chronicles...for me it was a beautiful experience, every step of the way.

For more images of the hotel and other information please visit here.

To read The Agra chronicles-I ( Taj Mahal ), please visit here.

To read The Agra chronicles-II ( Fatehpur Sikri ), please visit here .

all images by maison marigold