Five minutes after arriving into Agra, and the Taj Mahal had already made its mighty presence known- a siholette against a pinky-orange dawn, viewed from our rattling rickshaw.
It can be quite daunting in a way, visiting such an iconic building, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. You feel compelled to be wowed by it like the generations before you, otherwise question your own appreciation of beauty. Almost all the Agra hotels had Taj views from their rooftop cafes, but our one was one of the best- it almost looked like you could reach out and pick it up! Seeing it in this approachable way made me like it straight away, and excited about seeing it the next day at sunrise.
Deciding to take it easy the day we got there, we went on the net, where we got a sharp reminder that the Taj is closed on Friday- the day we'd chosen to arrive! We found out later that it used to be free on Fridays, but then all the tourists obviously went on this day, losing money for the government. So we took the short walk towards the Taj, cursing ourselves that we nearly missed out altogether!
They're certainly not shy about overcharging foreigners in India- I think Gregory David Roberts had it right in 'Shantaram' when he described Indians as the 'most honest crooks in the world'. 750 rupees for foreigners, compared to 10 rupees for Indians! Scandalous!
After denying a few potential guides, we finally got our glimpse of the Taj in all its symmetrical, sparkling white glory. Or should I say the two Taj's- one soaring majestically to the sky, the other at our feet, upside down in the water. If only Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, had been alive to see this amazing tribute paid to her by her husband. We walked closer through the immaculate green gardens, when the fountains suddenly came to life, and that second Taj Mahal in the water was lost.
Now up close and personal with the Taj, we wandered on in and saw the tombs of the former Mughal emperor and his wife. Very ornate and beautiful, with mother of pearl weaved into the marble, but it is still the outside of the Taj that is truly impressive. We sat for a while, chilling out, taking in the Taj and trying to avoid being pounced on for pictures by a gang of white-clothed Indian teenagers prowling around.
It was getting close to sunset, so we headed on down to find a good spot. Despite a 'gardener' showing us good photo opportunities then wanting monet for it, we managed to find a relaxing spot to watch the sun slide down between one of the turrets and the main dome building.
Finishing off our sunset view on a rooftop cafe, we spied a procession, complete with ornately painted elephants and papier-mached floats, passing through the streets below us. A bizarre, yet fun end to the day.
Despite what you're lead to believe, Agra isn't all about the Taj- Agra Fort is also a pretty impressive sight. The red sandstone palaces, as well as the distant view of the Taj over the river, were spectacular. However, we probably enjoyed the walk up to the Fort just as much. Recommended by Mr LP (Lonely Planet), as we've come to call him, we walked along the river through a small village of burning ghats. Along the road, we saw a group of men almost unnervingly quiet, and wondered what we were interrupting. We then saw the dead body draped in flower garlands on the side of the road waiting to be burned on the flaming stacks of sticks in the ghats. Very humbling experience.
It was then time for another bone-rattling local bus ride to Fatehpur Sikhri, complete with peeling paint and half ripped out chairs, as well as child beggars and staring men. More on our experiences in this ancient fortified city very soon...
It can be quite daunting in a way, visiting such an iconic building, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. You feel compelled to be wowed by it like the generations before you, otherwise question your own appreciation of beauty. Almost all the Agra hotels had Taj views from their rooftop cafes, but our one was one of the best- it almost looked like you could reach out and pick it up! Seeing it in this approachable way made me like it straight away, and excited about seeing it the next day at sunrise.
Deciding to take it easy the day we got there, we went on the net, where we got a sharp reminder that the Taj is closed on Friday- the day we'd chosen to arrive! We found out later that it used to be free on Fridays, but then all the tourists obviously went on this day, losing money for the government. So we took the short walk towards the Taj, cursing ourselves that we nearly missed out altogether!
They're certainly not shy about overcharging foreigners in India- I think Gregory David Roberts had it right in 'Shantaram' when he described Indians as the 'most honest crooks in the world'. 750 rupees for foreigners, compared to 10 rupees for Indians! Scandalous!
After denying a few potential guides, we finally got our glimpse of the Taj in all its symmetrical, sparkling white glory. Or should I say the two Taj's- one soaring majestically to the sky, the other at our feet, upside down in the water. If only Shah Jahan's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, had been alive to see this amazing tribute paid to her by her husband. We walked closer through the immaculate green gardens, when the fountains suddenly came to life, and that second Taj Mahal in the water was lost.
Now up close and personal with the Taj, we wandered on in and saw the tombs of the former Mughal emperor and his wife. Very ornate and beautiful, with mother of pearl weaved into the marble, but it is still the outside of the Taj that is truly impressive. We sat for a while, chilling out, taking in the Taj and trying to avoid being pounced on for pictures by a gang of white-clothed Indian teenagers prowling around.
It was getting close to sunset, so we headed on down to find a good spot. Despite a 'gardener' showing us good photo opportunities then wanting monet for it, we managed to find a relaxing spot to watch the sun slide down between one of the turrets and the main dome building.
Finishing off our sunset view on a rooftop cafe, we spied a procession, complete with ornately painted elephants and papier-mached floats, passing through the streets below us. A bizarre, yet fun end to the day.
Despite what you're lead to believe, Agra isn't all about the Taj- Agra Fort is also a pretty impressive sight. The red sandstone palaces, as well as the distant view of the Taj over the river, were spectacular. However, we probably enjoyed the walk up to the Fort just as much. Recommended by Mr LP (Lonely Planet), as we've come to call him, we walked along the river through a small village of burning ghats. Along the road, we saw a group of men almost unnervingly quiet, and wondered what we were interrupting. We then saw the dead body draped in flower garlands on the side of the road waiting to be burned on the flaming stacks of sticks in the ghats. Very humbling experience.
It was then time for another bone-rattling local bus ride to Fatehpur Sikhri, complete with peeling paint and half ripped out chairs, as well as child beggars and staring men. More on our experiences in this ancient fortified city very soon...
No comments:
Post a Comment