A quick train ride from Delhi deposited us in Agra, home of the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
Train ride to Agra!
The Fort was built in 1573 by Mugal Emperor Akbar, and added onto later by his grandson Shah Jahan, who was obsessed with white marble. Jahan later built the Taj Mahal within view of the Fort as a mausoleum to his favorite wife. The doorways of the impressive Fort are built large enough for war elephants to pass through, and there are two moats: one that used to be full of crocodiles, and one dry moat that was full of lions, tigers, and other man-eaters. It is truly an imposing building.
The gates of Agra Fort
One of the many buildings inside the fort complex
Swallows swarming in one of the courtyards of the fort at dusk
One of the beautiful ornate rooms at the back of the fort. Easy to imagine kings lounging here being fed grapes.
A Prelude: the view of the Taj Mahal from the walls of Agra Fort
We aren’t really architecture buffs, so we didn’t expect much from these Mughal-era buildings except maybe an ooh, ahh, and a few nice photos snapped. The Taj is one of the wonders of the world; of course we were wrong. These buildings were designed explicitly to awe the viewer, and the Mughals really knew what they were doing. Do you remember first watching Aladdin, and being amazed at the beauty and enormity of the palace in Agrabah? No? Ok then clearly you weren’t a little kid when you first saw it, just play along. Agrabah was a drawing; imagine seeing the real thing.
We woke up early in time to be in line for the dawn opening of the Taj, and since we were some of the first in the gates, we beat the huge crush of people that would follow us and got a semi-private first view of the surreal Taj and the beautiful gardens surrounding it.
Bam. The pictures truly don’t do it justice.
The marble turns a pinkish-orange color as the sun rises
The sun rising behind the minarets
The misty river behind the Taj. The call to prayer across the river made it seem all the more beautiful and eerie.
Standing on the Taj, looking down at the flood of people pouring through the gates behind us. It was definitely worth it to wake up so early!
Two temples were built on either side of the Taj for the sole purpose of showcasing how magnificent the Taj looked in comparison. This is looking through the doorway of one of the temples.
Prince Ali, Fabulous He, Ali Ababwa
We were all so busy gawking at the Taj, we forgot we had a train to catch. So we made a mad rush to the train station, where a train pulled up on the platform shortly after, at exactly the time ours was supposed to arrive. Our guide informed us that this was not our train. No idea how he knew that, since there are no identifying markings on the train telling you where it’s going. No, our train was delayed by at least two hours, so we would be waiting a while. One of the many times we were glad to have a guide with us! Otherwise by now we might be lost somewhere in Mumbai.
A pushy cow coming through while we’re waiting around… he was not friendly. He tried to headbutt Ben (the guy in the black shirt). Cows are king here and they know it!