As the train pulls into Agra Fort we breathe a sigh of relief we didn’t get pick pocketed as this train ride from Varanasi is notorious for things disappearing we hear. We also can tell right away this city is less chaotic and populated. Of course the usual routine of getting the tuktuk, finding the guesthouse and the nearest eatery applied. This is all pretty standard travel day stuff, until.... a body prepared for cremation was carried past the entrance of our restaurant followed by two huge albino Hindu cows and moments later a camel. That my friends is where the standard routine ends and is replaced with “I can’t believe that just happened” part of your day. And just like that you’re seeing the world with brand new eyes.
While the Taj Mahal is not a stand alone attraction in Agra it seems to continuously captivate me like a moth to a wondrous flame. Long story short: Emperor Shah Jahan built it as a memorial to his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. The Taj took 22 years to complete with the help of over 20,000 workers and specialists and a small fortune. Popular legend is that the Emperor wanted to create a mirror image in negative using all black marble as a personal tomb. This plan obviously fell threw when he was overthrown and incarcerated by his son for the daring to spend so much of his inheritance.
Touring hours were closing for the day at the Taj so we decided to take to the air on the roof and watch the sun set over the Eastern Gate, it was beautiful. Our guide book suggested sunrise as the most glorious time to view this marble masterpiece and not sweat our asses off being out in the heat of the day. Not much convincing to do there, so 5am the next day we arose bright eyed and bushy tailed determined to beat the crowd to the award winning camera shot of the Taj Mahal.
Nothing speculator at the side gate entrance, its as you step into the dark archway of the center gate the Taj begins to illuminate as the first morning’s sunlight unfolds onto the domes. It is MAGNIFICENT! Truly a wonder of the world. Or as the Indian poet Rabi Ndranath Tagore summed up its beauty – “a teardrop on the face of eternity.” We strolled for several hours admiring the exquisite details and craftsmanship, taking our own cheesy touristy photo shots, watching the other cheesy tourists and being enchanted by the Indian women’s saris in their vibrant colors as they float in front of the white Mable wonder. Despite the hype, its every bit as good as you’ve heard. That first picturesque moment when it comes into full view is really just jaw dropping. Postcard perfect, only the Taj and the bright blue sky, nothing is allowed to be built in the background so as to take away from the beauty. Wow!
Todd and I did par take in a few other activities while in Agra such as feeding chipmunks at Agra Fort. Agra has one of the finest Mughal forts in India. We also saw the Baby Taj or Itimad-ud-daulah, which lacks the magic of the Taj but holds several similar design elements. I’d like to add that it is here where Todd rescued a baby chipmunk. The streets were much more conducive for walking so we searched out a few hot spots with several great dishes of local fare that were delicious. Our tops were fresh noodles, marsala tea, spinach paneer and lots of fresh hot roti and naan. Agra was a peaceful and beautiful place with scrumptious food, friendly people and the Taj Mahal as icing on the cake. We did not forget to grab a few small gifts of marble, as Agra is famous for it's marble obviously.
Probably important as a reminder for travelers though, Agra is only famous for the Taj Mahal, so there's not exactly that much else to do there. Just a bit more. But great people. It's best for a 2 day stop, but after that be ready to move on.
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