From Jaipur we took a private chartered bus to the rural town of Abhaneri, which was about a two hour journey. When we arrived at our hotel for the night, we were pleased to discover its peaceful location and our huge guest rooms with large modern bathrooms. At this point I had been battling stomach issues for over a week and was not feeling all that well so decided to spend the afternoon relaxing in our comfortable hotel suite instead of going out to explore with our group. Rob went with the group to visit a large ancient stepwell shown in the photo below and the Harshat Mata Temple in Abhaneri.
In the morning we left Abhaneri by private van and traveled to the city of Agra to visit India’s most iconic landmark, the Taj Mahal. On arrival in Agra we headed straight to the restaurant Sheroes Hangout, which was founded to support female victims of acid attacks. In India, women have been viciously attacked by having acid thrown on their faces and bodies with the intent of causing them serious injury and disfigurement. The cafe employs survivors of such attacks and gives them a safe place to thrive after going through such a traumatic event. The food offered in the cafe is on a pay what you like basis. Funds go to support their cafe and campaigns to help acid attack survivors. The cafe showed us a short film about the personal stories of acid attack survivors. It was shocking to learn that many attacks were carried out by men after their marriage proposal to the victim was rejected. The stories were heartbreaking but it was also uplifting to hear how these brave women are now surviving and thriving. They have the cafe as a safe space to gather, work, and support each other and also now have a career path and livelihood to support themselves.
Next we checked into our hotel in Agra and went to the Taj Mahal area around 3:00 pm in a chartered van. We timed our visit to be there during sunset. Entrance tickets to the Taj Mahal for three hours cost about $17 USD for foreigners or less than $1 USD for Indians. Our entrance ticket included shoe covers and a small bottle of water. We entered through the West gate and the line to buy tickets was divided by males and females as was the security line, where they scanned any bags and removed prohibited items before entering the grounds. There are official guides available for hire at the entrance but we decided to just explore on our own.
Once inside we walked toward the Great Gate where the first glimpse of the Taj Mahal can be seen through the archway. After passing through the Great Gate we entered the large Taj Mahal garden area, which includes a long straight walkway all the way up to the Taj Mahal building. The garden area contains four reflecting pools dividing it at the center. The pools were in the process of being repainted blue so had no water in them when we visited. The view of the Taj Mahal from the gardens is just amazing. Although there were many people there, it did not feel too crowded since the grounds are so expansive.
The Taj Mahal was built in Agra by the Muslim Emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his favorite wife and queen Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. Taj Mahal, which means ”Crown Palace,” is a mausoleum that houses only the graves of queen Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. Taj Mahal was constructed over a period of 22 years by a massive team of artists and workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees, which translates to more than $827 million USD today.
The exterior is primary white translucent marble with amazingly detailed inlay work done with precious and semi-precious stones. The building design is perfectly symmetrical with two identical red sandstone buildings on either side. The Taj is often cited as the best example of Mughal architecture and is the most iconic symbol of India’s rich history. It was even more beautiful in person than I could have ever imagined.
We spent several hours walking around the outside and the inside of the Taj Mahal soaking up its beauty and taking photos. The back of the Taj is bordered by the Yamuna River and a large green space park area just beyond the river which helps with keeping the air clear around the Taj.
We sat on some steps and watched how the colors of the structure changed as the sun went down and the lighting changed. While at the Taj many Indians asked to have their photo taken with us and at one point I think we were in a group photo with about 50 people that we did not know. There was no litter to be seen anywhere within the complex. Our visit to the Taj Mahal was a lovely experience and it was wonderful to see how well this national treasure is managed and respected.
The next day in Agra was actually Rob’s birthday and we took a sightseeing tour arranged by our tour guide for the day. We went on a guided tour of the Agra Fort, which was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Before capture by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied Agra Fort were the Marathas. The fort also offers nice views of the Taj Mahal from a distance for a different perspective. We saw quite a few monkeys hanging around the fort area.
We also visited the Tomb of Etmauddaula, which is a Mughal mausoleum built between 1622 and 1628 that is sometimes called the “Baby Taj.” While much smaller, it has an architectural style similar to the Taj Mahal, which was built after this mausoleum.
We then visited the Mehtab Bagh garden, which is located along the Yamuna River on the opposite side from the Taj Mahal. The garden is rather simple but offers nice views of the Taj from across the river and is a popular spot to take photos.
After our sightseeing we went to a rooftop restaurant with our tour group to enjoy a few afternoon drinks in honor of Rob’s birthday. We then enjoyed dinner at another rooftop restaurant in Agra before going back to our hotel to pack up our belongings. We had a night train to Varanasi to catch that evening. At the hotel, our tour leader surprised Rob with a birthday cake and a vegan-friendly dessert made from white pumpkin and rose pudding. We all sang and enjoyed a sweet treat before heading to the train station to depart Agra.
Your description is the next best thing to being there. Such a gift!🕌