A Day(+) in Agra

On Monday we got an early start and headed to Agra, a 3 hour trip on a brand new superhighway. We passed brick making sites and signs for wild cattle crossings, and as we got into Agra, many wedding bands and processions. We dropped our stuff at the hotel and met our guide for the afternoon, Neeraj. After a paneer-filled lunch at Priya restaurant, we headed off to the main attraction - the Taj Mahal! They keep most cars away from the building (white marble gets dirty!), so you can take an electric golf-cart type thing up to it, or a camel-drawn cart! (Watch out, they spit!)

The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan as a mausoleum and memorial for his wife Mumtaz Mahal. It was built between 1632 and 1653.
Pictures are going to be better than anything I have to say about it!

First glimpse!

The Taj!!

Gorgeous flowers everywhere!

We are sitting on what is known as the Princess Diana Bench - 

and you had to fight for your 3 seconds to take the photograph,

because everyone wants to get their poses in!

To keep the place clean, you can either take off your shoes

or wear shoe covers.

Reliefs carved into the marble decorate the outside, along with inlays or flowers.

There is tremendous inlays of semi-precious stones like
jade, jasper, onyx, and carnelian. The work on the outside
of the building is amazing, but on the inside where the actual
tomb is, the inlay work is even more intricate.

This is not my picture, as photos are not allowed inside the tomb area. But this gives you an idea of the
impossibly intricate inlay work, and well as all the marble carvings. The scenes of flowers show the cycle of life, from budding to blooming to wilting. 

View from the back patio of the the Taj.
You know, they should really put
a Weber grill out here!

On one side of the Taj Mahal is Mosque - and, for the sake of symmetry,
there is an identical building on the other side, which was used as a sort
of guesthouse for visiting dignitaries.

View looking back from the Taj. I didn't get a picture of this, but at the base of a tree on the far left side of this picture, we found a Geocache! We explained Geocaching to Neeraj, who got really excited about it and helped us search.

Cool. (Even if I can't hold a camera straight.)

After our visit, we went to a craft shop where they still create marble inlay by hand. After seeing how the marble is hollowed out and each tiny stone in the design is shaped, I had an even greater appreciation for the craftsmanship and the sheer scale of the Taj.

A small design like this has something like 50-70 pieces!

So you can imagine how long it took to create this table!! Of course, everything was for sale! Though 'sale' is not a word I would associate with those prices! If only...

After the craft shop, we went on to the Red Fort. This was built before the Taj Mahal, and was a fortress and the main residence of the Shah's harem. 

You go through three gates to enter the main living area,
and the approaches are zig-zagged so you can't charge right in.

 

Again, I'm not normally a flower person, but all the gardens here just blew me away!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of these ladies in their saris.
I hadn't realized that saris were still so commonly worn.
I just loved all the beautiful fabrics, and how colorful all the crowds were.

Looking out at the Taj Mahal

More ridiculous marble work!

Archways!

After we left the Red Fort, Neeraj was determined to help us find the other Geocache located in Agra. That brought us to a big park across the river from the back of the Taj Mahal - a place we probably wouldn't have come to if not for Geocaching!

Something in there!

Found it!

When we realized we didn't have a pen to sign the log book,
Neeraj took off and managed to borrow one from another tourist.

At sunset.

We checked out one more craft store, featuring embroidery and gemstones, but by this time we were pretty tired and not interested in another sales pitch, so after a cursory look - and being frightened by a giant embroidery of a tiger eating a peacock - we headed back to the hotel.

Blue steel!

We ate more delicious Indian food at the hotel restaurant, Peshawri. Never seen bibs at such a classy place before - but then, you were encouraged to eat with your hands, so they were practical.

A very, very good day.

We rose early to go see sunrise at the Taj Mahal. Though clouds meant that there were no spectacular pinks and reds in the sky, seeing it in the misty morning was beautiful - and quiet!

Taj Monkey!

One of the guards outside the Taj Mahal, looking out on the river.
Yep, her gun is propped up on the sandbags!

View across the river. I can see out Geocache tree!

The people show you how big it really is!

WAZOO TANK!

Reflections.

After spending a pensive hour or two walking around the grounds, we headed back to the hotel for a dynamite buffet breakfast. We then packed and headed back to New Delhi, There, after lunch, we were dropped at the airport where we said our goodbyes, my parents departing for Goa, India, and I for Singapore. Definitely a weekend we'll never forget!!

Ahhhh...