I have just arrived in Rishikesh. I am 6 hours north west of New Delhi. Here I will spend 7 days at an Aryuvedic treatment center.
My accommodations are quite modest..which means I had to hunt all over town for the one wifi connection. But frankly, I am okay with that. I probably don’t need Google for the type of searching I may be doing here.
Limited internet also means I will have to work fast! So vite, vite, vite…I still haven’t shared the glories that was yesterday….my visit to the Taj Mahal!
Taj Mahal
A jewel of Indo-Islamic art and architecture.
To arrive to Agra, we took the “new highway.” Instead of a 5 hour drive from Delhi, it took us 3.5 hours. The tolls were steep (500 rupis each way), but well worth the extra time…and the road is wide open!
This little guy was crossing the road when we came upon him. Ali was so startled to see a turtle in the road he screeched to a halt on the highway, and backed-up to just watch him. After watching several cars scream by the poor turtle and him surviving, I insisted Ali get him out of the road….
…and that he did!
Here is our fellow road warrior right before we pushed him off the edge into the canal below us. He made quite the splash when he landed…it had to have hurt, but a better fate than the possible alternative had he stayed on the road. Phew!
As we got closer to Agra, the quiet open freeway turned, well, back into India. Here is a typical “public carrier” and a tuk tuk!
I had seen horses, donkeys, cows, water buffalo and people pulling carts…but this was my first camel!
Pottery maker along the side of the street…with two little gentleman.
He ran after the car so I would take his picture….
In Agra.
Monkeys in Agra! And they are more plentiful than the wandering dogs! When I asked my guide what type of monkeys these were he said, “Normal monkeys.” So, voila! Behold a normal monkey!
READER WARNING: The following photos will include a lot of me. My guide basically usurped my camera during our tour of the Taj Mahal. I felt like it was my wedding day the way he was ordering me to stand here or put my hand on my hip there. Try not to get sick of me :).
The Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza)—gateway to the Taj Mahal
My first glimpse of the white marble mausoleum.
It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She died when she was 39 after giving birth to 14 children!
On her deathbed she asked her husband for 2 things: 1) not to marry again and 2) build her a grand mausoleum.
I was a little disappointed to hear she had requested the Taj Mahal be built for her…my entire life I thought he had just done it because of his deep love. Hmmm…is it as romantic if you have to ask your husband first to create you one of the world’s most magnificent architectural feats? Something to ponder.
I know! I look like I photoshopped this picture..but I swear I was there yesterday!
The Taj Mahal took 22 years of around the clock work to complete. Construction begin in 1631 when the empress died and was completed in 1653.
Hillary Clinton and Princess Di sat here too for a photo.
He made me do it! Really!
Empress Mumtaz Mahal lays to rest right under the middle dome.
Her husband, since he was never able to complete his own mausoleum which would have been similar to the Taj Mahal but in black marble, lays to the left of her as one enters.
I kept my semi-celebrity status at the Taj Mahal. Every few steps I would get asked for a picture with men, women…and babies. In this instance the baby was unwilling thrust into my arms for the photo. Clearly both he and I are unsure about the whole thing.
Another one of the fun pics with a new Indian friend. For this picture she wanted to hold my hand. So cute.
View of side of the Taj next to the Yamuna river.
Pictures weren’t allowed in the tomb itself…and barefeet or booties were required. This is right outside where the tombs are placed…it shows the incredible inlaid stone work and marble art.
More of the art and me…are you tired of either yet?
Next stop was Agra Fort…but they are kicking me out of the internet cafe!!
Will update this later…but this is a start 🙂
Oofta, India!
***Updated next day with below photos***
The Agra Fort was once a Hindu fort, but was captured by the Mughals in 1526. Its current state which is more a walled city than fort is attributed to Emperor Shah Jahan. He and his family dwelled here.
Me sitting next to the pool the women of the harem used to bath in. Behind me is the vast room where they were kept. Inside the room it was ornately decorated and came complete with a hand powered swinging ceiling fan. The emperor would “pick up” pretty girls across India to include in his harem.
The Musamman Burj, where Shah Jahan spent the last seven years of his life under house arrest by his son, Aurangzeb. His son wanted to be emperor so he killed his other 3 brothers and put his dad in prison. In the end his plan worked…he did succeed his father.
The detail inside the Musamman Burj.
The view from Musamman Burj…uh, minus me.
The emperor stared out onto his dead wife’s grave everyday for the last 7 years of his life.
The Grape Garden!
It is named so because grape vines for the wine were grown in this now geometrically arranged garden.You can also for the best landscaping near me to get your beautiful landscape done.
This photo is ill placed, but it shows some of the crowds waiting to buy tickets to see the Taj Mahal.
Do you see the Taj Mahal in my glasses?
I had to include this! It is one of the photos my clever guide had me pose for :)…I love India!
Magnifique!
To turtles and the Taj Mahal! Namaste!
