After Varanasi, we were way too tired and hot to take another regular class train so we opted for the a/c train. They have many classes so we took the modest 3rd a/c sleeper train. It was amazing! It is such a step up from the regular sleeper cars. You get a pillow, sheets, and a blanket! Looking out the window from inside the a/c car felt like looking out at another world. Needless to say, when we arrived in Agra I was in much better spirits.
We had heard less than positive remarks about Agra from various people yet I found it quite pleasant. It certainly helped that recent rains had eliminated the intense heat we had just felt in Varanasi. Many people that complain about Agra only take a day trip to Agra, see the Taj Mahal, and move on. It is hard to like any city when you are running around all day. Still, we only spent a night.
We arrived in the morning, found a place, and immediately went to the roof to sit around a rest. We had a beautiful view of the Taj from up there. What a spectacular building to have a city centred around. We wondered through the small market in town and got these delicious mangoes. That night, we hired a rickshaw to take us to the other side of the river to see the Taj with the sunset behind it. To lessen the cost, we agreed to have him take us to a few shops so he could get commission. It is a reasonable deal if you have nothing better to do.
The ticket to get in to the Taj Mahal for foreigners is 750 rupees and only 20 rupees for Indians. Many backpackers are turned off from the price and do not enter and are resigned to look from outside. I think this is a terrible mistake. The Taj is too beautiful to pass up. It is the most stunning building I have ever seen.
The next morning, we woke up bright and early to get to the gates for its opening at sunrise. The guards that search you when you enter do not allow you to take in books or food. They do not want people to sit around all day inside. That was precisely what I wanted to do. They let me bring in my book with a small amount of objection. We spent a good 5 hours in the grounds and I could have spent much longer. It is easy to sit around when you in the midst of such a work of art.
The story behind the Taj Mahal is of love. Shah Jahan, who built the Taj, had many wives but his favourite was Mumtaz Mahal. When she died during complication with the birth of her 14th child he was devastated and wanted to build a mausoleum so she would not be forgotten. Even before its completion, his son had him imprisoned and he saw its completion from his jail cell. She certainly will never be forgotten with such a building.
We left that evening for Rishikesh.
Avidan
