Tick, I have seen the Taj. Once I am in India, I might well stop by the Taj Mahal and the Agra Fort. I did it from Delhi in a 2 day / 1 night trip. Considering the heat of 47 degree and the fact that it wasn't peak tourist season, it was crowded, very crowded. How does it look in the main tourist season? Is there any chance to see the Taj between all the arms and legs? Good thing is that as a Westerner I am usually above their height, so I still have view. Besides the tourist crowds (mainly Indian tourists), there was a crowd of rickshaw-wallahs, touts, unofficial guides and souvenir vendors. All of them make the experience a little bit hectic as I was constantly on the move to not show too much interest in their products or services...
Anyway, the Taj is - as you expect - quite impressive. I spare you the full story but it was built by Sha Jahan after his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal died giving birth to their 14th child. He was heartbroken and decided to built her an adequate mausoleum. The big block of white marble is there since 1632, well completed only in 1653 with the help of 20.000 workers. Lucky labour is cheap in India.
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| First glimpse |
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Wrong way, you won't get the nice river shot in the dry season,
it is now guarded by police and military |
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Right way, early morning and nobody is there. No water
in the water feature either |
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| Part of the lesser known buildings around |
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| The building in the bend of the river is Agra Fort |
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| How many people are coming in the high season more? |
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Take off your shoes...and burn your
feet on the hot ground |
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| Waiting line |
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| Visitors |
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| Detailing |
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| More Visitors |
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| Even budget hotels have a view! |
The other main attraction of Agra is the Fort. You can see it in the back from the Taj and it is huge as well. 2.5km walls of 20m height built in the mid 15th century.
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| All hand made, carved marble screens... |
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| ...through which you can see the Taj. |
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