India 2013 - Agra day... Taj Mahal!

After the excitement of arriving in India for our first day we had a very early start on day 2 - alarms going off in order to meet driver Ajay at 5:45am... eek! No one minded though, as we were off to see the Taj Mahal!

Ajay brought with him a colleague, Rajesh, who spoke fluent English and was to be our guide for the day. He helped us buy our tickets and waited for us while we queued in the non-Indian womens queue for entry to the Taj (tourists are also charged more to get in, although at only around eight pounds we had no complaints!) We'd decided to get to the Taj so early as I'd heard it was best to go first thing to avoid the bigger crowds, and the hottest weather. I was pleased we did! Obviously it was still very busy (this is a wonder of the world after all!) but we were able to stroll around without too many crowds, and take time with photos. The early morning mist added to the occasion too - that first glimpse of the Taj, through the mist, was very atmospheric and a great climax to the story Rajesh had told us about Shah Jahan, the man who built the Taj Mahal as a tribute to his wife, Mumtaz.

I don't need to tell you that the Taj Mahal was an awesome sight, and that seeing it was the highlight of my visit. That goes without saying! I don't need to show you my photos either, because my amateur attempts can easily be bettered with a quick google search! I am going to though, so here goes...

Team shot!

View of one of the mosques from inside the Taj

As this was our only full day in Agra we were determined to make the most of it, and after a quick pit stop we were back in the car and on our way to see a traditional workshop where the beautiful marble mosaics like the ones that adorn the Taj are still make. We watched as the workmen painstakingly crafted items, and were able to see (and buy!) the finished products in the gift shop.

From there, we headed to Agra Fort, Shah Jahan's palace and the place he was imprisoned for the final years of his life, overthrown by his son who stole his crown. He lived out his days under house arrest in his bedroom, sitting on his balcony and staring across the river for views of his beloved Taj Mahal. The Fort is less well preserved than the Taj, but still well worth a visit, and we enjoyed having Rajesh with us (as we had at the Taj) as he was able to share interesting facts and stories with us to enhance the trip, and having a guide with us also meant we weren't hassled by people wanting to sell us things, or guide us themselves. I'd certainly recommend investing in a guide to anyone heading to Agra.

Final stop of the day was the site over the river from the Taj Mahal where Shah Jahan had planned - and started - to build a second Taj, identical to the first but in black marble, not white. He'd never completed it as his son overthrew him and kept him under house arrest at the fort before he had chance, but the site is a great place to go to view the Taj at sunset, and take some photos. We could see how busy the Taj still was, people swarming around in huge groups, and this made us even more pleased we'd got up early to beat the rush! It was a lovely end to our day in Agra, and we headed back to the hotel happy and enjoyed a delicious final meal before bed, and another early start to get back to Delhi, and a flight on to the next stage of our adventure, in Goa...

Had to do it. Selfie at the site of the Black Taj!