Yamuna River: At one time Yamuna was so clean that Mughal emperors and their concubines used to bathe in this river, not only this, you will be surprised to know the history of this river.

Mughal History: Everyone is aware of the Yamuna river. Now the Yamuna river is completely filled with garbage. There was a time when the Mughal emperors used to bathe in the Yamuna river. For your information, let us tell you that during the era of the Mughal emperors and even during the British rule, the Yamuna was quite clean, even fish could be seen swimming clean in this river. The special thing is that Akbar and Jahangir mostly lived in Agra, but they had a special connection with Yamuna.

Interestingly, Akbar got boats moored in the Yamuna so that he could relax during the unbearable summer nights. Jahangir did something similar. When Shah Jahan shifted his capital to Delhi, he not only enjoyed boating in the river, but at night his harem's prisoners, concubines, princesses and maids used to go boating and bathing from the river gate of the Red Fort. They were accompanied by eunuchs who acted as bodyguards.

History is also related to Jahangir

Historian Dr. Daanpal Singh says that when Prince Salim, aka Jahangir, reached adolescence, he was made to swim in the river from Agra Fort to Sayyid Ka Bagh during the annual swimming fair held in the monsoon months. The prince braved the raging river currents and crossed to the other side. Where he offered lamps in the garden and received the title of 'Ustad-e-Tairaq' (expert in swimming) from Mir Machli, the best swimmer of the Mughal court.

The princes and princesses used to swim at night

Master Qamaruddin, grandfather of Urdu writer Ismat Chughtai, was no less and would swim in the Yamuna from Delhi to Agra whenever he felt like it. Though swimming fairs were not so popular in Delhi, princes and princesses would swim in the river at night during rainy days to avoid public eyes. Prince Jahandar Bakht, the eldest son of the most infamous Mughal emperor Shah Alam, jumped into the river from the fort's Shah Burj in 1787 to escape the Marathas. He later reached Lucknow to seek help from the Nawab of Awadh and the British.

 PC:IndiaNews