Loving Taj Mahal

Day 3
March 6, 2012
Agra

Before dawn, we walked a few blocks from our hotel to the ticket booth of Taj Mahal where we found a few tourists already waiting in line. By the time the gates opened at 6:30 AM, there were already 2 very long queues of tourists, 1 for male and another 1 for female. After passing thru a very strict security check, we finally saw Taj Mahal, the main reason I wanted to go to India. Known as the jewel of Muslim art in India, Taj Mahal is the finest example of Mughal architecture, combining elements from Persian, Turkish, and Indian architectures. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his thrid wife.

details of the white marble mausoleum

After taking in all the beauty of Taj Mahal for an hour or 2 (as well as brief tour inside to see the actual tomb - there was nothing else to see inside), we left for Agra Fort, built during the reign of Akbar the Great. It consisted of a wall built in red sandstone and several buildings inside.

As there was nothing else to see in Agra, we headed for Jaipur after lunch. Along the way, we stopped at Fatehpur Sikri, the capital of the Mughal Empire for 10 years. It is one of the best preserved collection of the Mughal architecture. This was where we were tricked by a local guide who insisted that we needed a guide to get to the complex. We ended up paying him 900 INR for the guided tour which we later found out was not necessary. Worse, he had this very thick Indian accent so I did not understand half of what he was saying.

Diwan-i-Khas - Hall of Private Audience

central pillar of Diwan-i-Khas

carvings in Diwan-i-Khas depicting different religions

Panch Mahal

fading frescoes in the complex

After 2 hours, we continued our long drive to  Jaipur. We stayed at H. R. Palace, a nice boutique hotel with very accommodating staff. The only downside was that the hotel only served vegetarian meals so we had to go out to the nearest fast food chain, Pizza Hut, to buy dinner. It was surprising to see that the Pizza Hut menu was customized for India which basically limited my choices (nothing spicy or curry for me).