TAJ MAHAL
Bucket List Busting in Agra India
As one of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Taj draws 6.5 million folks a year … that’s a mind numbing 20-40,000 daily visitors! As a result, one could find that once in a lifetime trip disappointing & very frustrating. In order to navigate crowds, parking, transportation, an experienced guide is a necessity! Our guy, Kapil, was fabulous… he knew just how to create a wonderfully successful bucket list busting day at the iconic Taj Mahal. And… he also knew something else pretty cool… he started each day of our tour leading us in some Laughter Yoga. Ha! Ha! Ha!! Great way to start the day! Curious just what it is? Check out the YouTube video below…
For several days Kapil had been prepping our group for the upcoming strict security process at the Taj, providing specific instructions what to do/not to do/bring/not to bring to successfully pass thru the gate checkpoint. When the big day finally arrived, he wasn’t his usual light hearted self. Both he & our driver seemed off, anxious… and, for good reason. We’d learned the night before that a police search of the bus was a possibility. Sure enough, our bus was stopped a half block short of the Taj gate. After an intense discussion between the officials, Samir & our driver, the police entered our bus. Luckily we were allowed to exit the bus at that point, avoiding a full search. We continued on foot the rest of the way to the entrance. It was a bit tense, but in the end I was grateful knowing if we had been carefully watched, certainly others were as well who actually may intend harm.
Street approach to the Taj Mahal
Thanks to our guide’s insistence on a super early start, we were one of the first arrivals at the gate that morning & our only surprise at the security checkpoint were a couple of random donkeys milling around. One woman in our group was detained due to bringing a large bag (expressly warned not to) but again, Kapil’s experience was key to getting this woman’s situation resolved amicably (she was able to join us later). Following our security screening, we were “greeted” by a couple of armed guards & some playful monkeys running along the roof line. There were plenty of other monkeys “monkeying around” … later we saw a group who had the run of the garden section closest to the Mosque. (Check out the video attached at the end of the post.)
Front Gate
The expanse of the Taj complex blew me away… a whopping 42 acre spread is enclosed by a grand wall on 3 sides and the wide Yamuna River on the other. The entrance arch is near the small white dome at the far right center of the yellow rectangle in the photo below. The space then opens up to trimmed green grass & casual shade trees, a large courtyard lined by single story symmetrical columned buildings.
The city park-ish green space walkway steered us to a magnificent, majestic red castle like building to the right. All the structures the eye could see were red, dark red sandstone. How very unexpected, I thought… since the Taj is white! (I love when you go somewhere iconic & you think you know what it will be & it never is! If it surprises you, it delights you… and delivers goose bumps!)
Once at that red castle, the Main Gateway… that’s when it happens. The enchantment. You get why you came half-way around the world. I didn’t expect to see it yet, so I was taken back & surprised. The arch reveals a breathtaking first look, a misty dream like view of a white image framed within a dramatic dark door. WOW! At first I honestly wasn’t sure if what I was seeing was real or merely a mirage. No one could stop moving through the doorway. You are beckoned forward, mesmerized … you can’t believe your eyes.
Photos can’t quite do her justice. Once she comes into full view, it’s overwhelming & from this first vantage point 1 1/2 football fields away it is a lot to take in looking straight down the formal garden with its pencil thin trees lining the endless narrow center reflecting pool. The massive glistening onion dome mausoleum with its 4 dancing minaret towers in the distance still seem to be an illusion, like the largest painted mural known to man.
The path from the Main Gateway along the never ending reflecting pool that runs the entire length of the gardens (wowzer!) is divided equidistant by an accessible elevated white marble platform housing a rectangle fountain. This is where the famous Princess Diana photo bench is located (and a huge line of photo seeking folks!…never got one there, boo).
Continuing to the mausoleum from this point, the Taj grows larger with each step. The closer you get the more massive it becomes dwarfing both you & any concept you had of this place before actually touching the huge white marble blocks of its 23′ high base. Shoes must be removed & you are given soft socks before climbing the stairs to explore the sprawling square base platform, which seems to hover & float above the gardens & river. From here exploring the magnificent exterior details of the octagon mausoleum was possible… ogling the massive faux arched windows & semi-precious inlaid jewels. Throughout the iconic white structure are intricate floral designs inset within the marble with turquoise, coral, onyx, jade & blood stone. UNREAL! We had the opportunity to visit a local craftsman & brought home a small piece made with similar workmanship….it is a treasure! The 4 towering minarets stand at the corners of the white base, each lean slightly outward to avoid to damaging the tomb in the case of an earthquake.
Inside the mausoleum sit 2 crypts (the actual remains are one floor below, Muslim law requires a simple grave), one for the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan & one for his beloved wife. The Taj Mahal is a monument of love built by a grieving husband to honor his favorite wife who died giving birth to their 14th child. The elaborate obsessive construction that took 20,000 craftsman & 22 years to complete consumed the 17th century wealthy kingdom’s fortune, enough so that the son of the emperor seized the throne from his father for ruining the family treasury. Across the river from the Taj we visited the Red Fort where the sad family drama played out & Shah Jahan, as a prisoner, gazed upon the completed tribute to his queen until the end of his days.
Whenever visiting somewhere I’ve heard or read about, I’m always tickled how every time something surprises me… that there are unexpected moments … things that make me go hmmm??! At the Taj it was learning that the white marble crown jewel is flanked by two gorgeous & grand RED stone buildings! These outlying buildings, The Mosque & The Guest House also lay along the banks of the Yamuna River & provided great additional photo ops for the Jewel of India as well as back to the Main Gateway.
The Taj Mahal in no uncertain terms thrilled beyond my expectations. It without a doubt was an amazing experience…. an architectural wonder with a beautiful yet tragic story in India’s Golden Triangle. Somehow we were lucky to cross this off the bucket list on Valentines Day … doesn’t get much better than that!!
Agra has several other wonderful sites to visit. The Tomb of I’timād ud Daulah (known as the Mini Taj Mahal) is a smaller mausoleum commissioned by a Persian woman in exile that is largely believed to be the inspiration for Taj. The construction of the Taj began in 1631 & the Mini Taj was completed in 1622. Stands to reason the Shah liked what he saw & decided to build a bigger & better version!
The Red Fort (mentioned above where the Shah was imprisoned) is across the river from the Taj Mahal. Huge, walled & red on the outside, the inner palace sections are regal & stunning. They provided some of my favorite photo ops of the trip with amazing views of the Taj & the cover photo I used for India. No elephants or jeeps necessary to reach this fort, but the monkeys were actually pretty intimidating. There were dozens by the entrance milling & munching around the trash cans. Although cute, they were rather aggressive & we were grateful to get through without a mishap.
Attached is the short video mentioned above with several monkeys at the Taj Mahal who seemed to have the run of the garden section closest to the Mosque.
We ended our experience in Agra with a delightful dinner at a local restaurant where a gorgeous Bollywood style dancer entertained us for the evening. Once we returned home to Nebraska, we spent an evening showing the grandgirls some Bollywood dancing videos on You Tube. What a delightfully fun way to bring back the joy that was India to our lovies at home!
TRIPPIN WITH NATALIE 