CHANGING CHARACTER

In Agra, the Yamuna takes on many avatars—historical, cultural, religious and political

- BY SHUBHANGI SHAH

SUNSETS COLOUR THE Taj Mahal with various hues of red. The same colour is rendered to the Yamuna, which flows to its east, making for a stunning spectacle. Revered at several places, the river assumes a historical and cultural character in Agra, the city Mughal emperor Akbar built and where his grandson Shah Jahan built the symbol of love like none in the world. To its poetic and aesthetic character, what adds a dash of religion is the Dussehra Ghat, located beside the Taj and visible from its premises. As I sit on the ghat with the river on one side, the monument on the other, and religious hymns being sung by worshippers at the back, a sense of calm sets in. I wonder how the river changes its character throughout its 1,376km course from Yamunotri to Prayagraj.