The Taj and 'Agra-vation' (Mar 26-29)

You know how it can be with exotic things you've always heard about and that when you finally get to see them you think to yourself, "well what was the big deal with that?". We definitely agree that that cannot be said about the Taj Mahal. Your first view of it through the immense front (south) gate (see below).......just takes your breath away, both because of its immense size and amazing beauty. (The view through the gate)... John's word was "stunning" and Lori's was "exquisite".

It really is something...even worth all the Agra-vation of the city of Agra. Because this is such a tourist magnet, it is also a magnet for everyone trying to sell you everything and who just won't leave you alone no matter how many times you feel like you've said no. This is the worst we've experienced in India and we guess there isn't much you can do except just put up with it, although by the end of the day it takes real emotional toll on you. You begin even to dislike yourself for who you are becoming because of your attitude to everyone who appears to be friendly around you but you know just want not only to get something from you but also to rip you off for the maximum amount possible.

But let's leave all that aside and wonder anew at the grandeur of the Taj Mahal. The top of it's dome 20 stories high, all polished white marble, inlaid with coloured stones making floral designs. Each flower can be 30 to 60 separate pieces of inlaid stones and there are countless such flowers. The Taj is a tomb built by the Sultan in 1650 for his beloved wife who died in childbirth with their 15th child. 22 years of work by 20,000 labourers.

We were there at first light and before the crowds built up too much. By the time we left at 11 it was getting pretty full, and with probably 85% of the crowd being Indian. Here's a thought for the day....if there were 10,000 Indians per day coming to see the Taj, how long would it take for 1 billion Indians to each have a chance to see it? 250 years!!!!. And since most people only live for 70, I think you could safely say that the Taj could be packed with Indian visitors every day forever and it will not be possible for every Indian person to see the Taj....

After the Taj we retreated to our hotel for a short rest and then got a peddle rickshaw a couple of kms to see the Agra Fort. All the other forts we've been talking about on the blog have been Indian Hindu rajput forts. This one is Mughal, Muslim. In fact, Agra for many years has been the capital of the Mughal empire that controlled the majority of India for hundreds of years and was the attacker of those other forts we've visited so far. The Agra fort is huge, 20m high walls, 2.5 km in circumference, with several palaces built inside by successive rulers...one of whom was the builder of the Taj so his palace is likewise built of pure white marble + inlay.

Our rickshaw ride to see the fort is an example of the hassle referred to earlier. We agree with the young guy to first take us to the train station to book our next ticket, then to the fort. On the way to the station he stops and says he can take us to a travel agent who can book us a ticket with less hassle and only 20 Rs fee. So we let him do this, thinking he might be right and besides might be nice to support someone who is not in the heart of tourist-ville. We get there and are told that the train is full, we will be on a waiting list but that by paying a 500 Rs extra fee we can have a seat guaranteed with a final price of 1900 Rs per person (which includes his commission of 200 Rs - not 20 -). So we bid him adieu and head back for the original train station destination. There, it is true we have to go on the waiting list....(and there seems to be no possibility for a 500 rs surcharge to somehow guarantee a seat anyways), and so the final ticket price is 720 Rs (vs 1900) per person. At the train station we try to shake free from our rickshaw driver saying we'll find another way home after we've gotten our tickets, but he refuses to leave and waits for us. Rather than being rude we then get back in with him to go home even though we don't want to because it's partially uphill and he can't make it up the hill without getting off the thing and pushing it, while we're bombarded all around with traffic. Finally when we're about half-way home he says he knows this good restaurant he could take us to. And it takes 2-3 minutes of us saying no several times before he decides he better resume the journey and take us to where we want to go. So, in the end when we get back to the hotel, we pay him twice the amount of money originally agreed (because at first we just wanted a 1-way journey rather than round trip) and when he looks at the money he says "What? what about a tip for good service!". This story then continues into the next day as we exited the lobby of the hotel we are once again overwhelmed by guys wanting us to get into their rickshaw and this guy from yesterday starts getting upset and pushing another guy claiming that we are his (I guess because of using him the day before)....It will be good to leave Agra-vation behind.

The next day we took a bus 35km to a nearby town of Fatepuhr-Sikri. The picture below is tossed in to give you a sense of what a bus station is like around here.

One of the Mughal emperors Akbar in 1570ish decided he would make a new capital city here and set about to build a fort with palaces etc. He ended up only being there for 20 years before deciding that Agra was in fact a better place so moved back to the fort talked about above in Agra. Fatepuhr-Sikri has basically been abandoned since. The front gate to this fort is absolutely immense, they say the biggest in Asia and it is something to experience (note how small the people look like in the photo).

Well the rest of the fort is more of the same same....huge walls, a random assortment of palaces etc inside, a mosque, etc. We are coming to the point now where we feel like we've seen all the forts and palaces that we need to.

We are booked tonight on an overnight train to Varanasi although we are 4th on the waiting list to get on. We are told our chances are pretty good but if we don't get on at 9:15 we will have to go back and find another hotel here in Agra for another night or more.