Taj Mahal, one of the seven wounders of the world
The heading is not a revolutionary statement or an understatement. The Taj Mahal is a fantastic building with a great romantic story. Agra was the second city I visited on my trip to India and Rajhastan. I will not deny that the Taj Mahal was one of the main reasons for visiting India. Therefore, I had great anticipation when a driver and a guide picked me up. The program for the day was the Taj Mahal at sunset, Agra Fort, and Fatehpur Sikri in the afternoon.
Arriving in Agra
Even when I was young, I saw pictures of the Taj Mahal and learned about the story of this monument. The emperor, who, in the sorrow of losing his favourite wife, had this building erected as a token of his love. I also lived in Great Britain during the 1990s. Here, I followed the last years of Princess Diana’s rise and fall in the Royal family. One of the most iconic pictures is of her sitting on a bench alone in front of the Taj Mahal.
On the train down from New Dehli, I was almost the only white person on the train. When I arrived, it virtually led to a near fight among the TukTuk drivers. They all wanted to drive me to the hotel. After checking in, I pinned some sights I wanted to see by walking to them. It was so crowded in the market that I did not get anywhere in some places. I tried some other streets, but it was not better, so in the end, I gave up.
The Taj Mahal
Finally, on Christmas Eve morning, a driver picked me up at 06:30. We arrived at the palace early. A professional photographer convinced me he should photograph me before this Wunder of the World. Usually, I do not have so many photos of myself. After all, I know what I look like. Besides, my memory is still good enough to understand that my images are of places I have been to. I got a total of forty-eight pictures of myself. I guess it was worth it for this one time. It was a shame that the pollution/fog was so heavy. This led to little contrast between the white palace and the white sky.
The Park and the surroundings
You can see the Taj Mahal through the arch outside the West gate. It looks small and not too far away. However, you see how far it is when you get through the gate. The greenery and the Park are vast, and the ponds have clear water. I was shown the bench where Princess Di had been sitting in her famous picture. But, since “everybody” wanted a photo taken at that spot, I dropped that. I got more than enough pictures of myself.
On the other side
I am jumping a bit now. The following day, I got a TukTuk driver to take me to the other side of the river. The sunset is supposed to be great from this side. But without any evident sun, there was no shining sunset. I still got some pictures from another angle. The perfect symmetry is also easy to spot from this side. Here, you see the Mosque to the right and the mirrored building on the other side of the mausoleum.
The details in the marble mausoleum are fantastic. I know that by going here, I am joining millions of tourists visiting this place annually. I feel privileged and happy that I made my trip here. India and many South Asian countries are full of marvels like this, but only one Taj Mahal exists. Under the large dome inside the mausoleum, there were fantastic acoustics. My guide challenged me to try it out, and he did not need to ask me twice.
Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah
This Mughal mausoleum is also situated in Agra. It is often described as a “jewel box” or the “Baby Taj. ” The tomb is often regarded as a draft of the Taj Mahal. It is very small in comparison. The walls are made from white marble from Rajasthan, encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations. A jewel box is a perfect name for this peaceful mausoleum.
Agras Red Fort
Like in New Dehli, there is also the Red Fort in Agra. It served as the primary residence of the rulers of the Mughal dynasty until 1638 when the capital was shifted from Agra to Dehli. The outer walls and gates are red sandstone, while several buildings inside the vast area are white marble. The pictures above are from the “secret court” where the emperor had his harem. I was told that one of the emperors had hundreds of women in here, all naked, walking around.
As one can see, Agra has much more to offer than the Taj Mahal. However, the grand mausoleum is undoubtedly the biggest draw here. I would love to say I will be back, but it is very unlikely.
