The Priceless Taj, Literally!

Here’s a tip for anyone coming to India. Do not expect efficiency…anywhere. This tip is especially crucial when taking public transportation. Yesterday we were set to leave Katni station to go to Agra departing at 7:30pm, so like the good travelers we thought we were, we decided to get there 2 hours early. After 2 hours of locals coming up to us intrigued by everything about our lives and asking questions balancing on inappropriate (we are now pretending we are married for the rest of India), we realized our train was late and was now leaving at 9:30pm. At 10:30pm we got on the train, and we got to Agra at 4:30pm rather than 8:15am. When traveling long term there isn’t usually too much of a problem if you loose a day in transit, but the problem was that we had no food and the last time we had eaten was noon the day before, so we survived off chips and biscuits. We did not feel good.

Before we got to Agra we were told by many people that it was somewhere we obviously had to go, but that we would want to get out right away because the city is not a place to linger. Another tip is to go somewhere expecting the worst, that way you can only be pleasantly surprised. Knowing this, we planned to spend two nights and take the train early in the morning which has worked out perfectly for us.

We woke up early this morning to see the Taj Mahal during sunrise, and it was truly beautiful. Many people say it is the worlds most beautiful building, and me and Nick were trying to think if there was another building that could rival it’s beauty. I decided the Eiffel Tower is a close second for me, but the steel structure still doesn’t quite compare to the intricate design of the Taj.

The Taj was built by a man named Shah Jahan for his wife who died giving birth to one of their children, and now he and his wife lay there together. The building was created out of love and grief and built using engraved white marble and semi precious stones. Unfortunately soon after his masterpiece was finished, he was imprisoned and could only view the Taj from his window.

Getting there early enough to avoid the huge crowds and to catch the sun bouncing off the marble at a low angle is a great time to view this magnificent building so we departed early. We then spent about an hour walking around the grounds before going inside to check out the inside of the Taj. After seeing the view from the outside the inside is a little anti-climatic, with the two tombs in the center surrounded by a few empty rooms. The workmanship, however, is easy to admire and it should, having taken 22 years to complete. The building has been lovingly maintained throughout the years, and only non-motorized vehicles are now allowed in the immediate area to prevent blackened pollution from damaging the marble.

We took a rickshaw to the backside of the Taj to get a different view without the tourist hordes, for sunset. You can take a taxi to Mahtab Bagh, but instead of paying a fee to enter you can simply walk toward the river to get your view. It turned out that the week we were in Agra was UNESCO heritage week, so we also didn’t have to pay the outrageous fee (750rs each) to get into the Taj which made for a very budget friendly day!

Overall it is definitely worth a visit to Agra, if only just to see the Taj Mahal. The tourist hordes can stain the positive experience but an early morning or evening spent gazing at this monument to love will provide memories for a lifetime.