Ticket to the Taj Mahal - and the Red Fort

It was dark out when the alarm rang, dark when we left the hotel, and dark (and rainy) by the time we arrived at the gate to the Taj Mahal at 5:15 am.  It was so early, in fact, that we were the very first people at the gate.  While we stood there in front of the armed guard contingent, the rain began to fall.  The guards motioned us out of the line over to some shelter near the gate, and while we huddled for some dry ground, our guide negotiated a number of umbrella rentals for 100 rupees (or about $2.50) for our visit to the Taj.  We had thought the gates would open at 6:15, but they were delayed until 6:45.  We headed back to the line around 6:20, and when the guards put us back where we had started, a number of people in the line (particularly two French people) began to exclaim that there was no justice in the world.  Even after we tried to explain that the guards had, in fact, ordered us out of the line, they continued to complain.  The gates opened, and we were off to visit the Taj – leaving our newfound friends behind.

A rainy start at the Taj Mahal Gate.

Waiting in line before the sunrise...a very early morning!

Once inside, the rain ebbed and flowed.  We did get a number of good photo opportunities, and took a relatively-leisurely tour around the Taj and its surrounding grounds.  The Taj was finished in 1654 after 22,000 workers helped assemble it.  It is a mausoleum (or crypt) for the wife of the Muslim Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan.  His wife, Mumtaz Mahal, had borne Shah Jahan fourteen children when she died in childbirth, prompting this amazing memorial.

Tabitha's long-awaited visit to the Taj Mahal as well.

Erin and James standing in front of the spectacular Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

The goofy shoe covers we had to wear inside the Taj Mahal.  We understand their purpose, but wonder how effective they are on rainy days.

A close-up look at the marble design on the outside of the Taj Mahal.

James pretending to pick up the Taj Mahal. 

As we saw while we toured the Taj, it is built of Indian marble, with inlaid semi-precious stones.  The marble itself is ground to such a fine finish that it is translucent in parts, as our guide demonstrated by holding up a flashlight to its surface.  The inside of the Taj is very dark, as there are no direct windows, few doors, and absolutely no artificial lights.  Everything associated with the Taj is symmetrical, and there are a number of interesting points to its architecture.  The most impressive to James was the building of the four minarets that surround the Taj.  As might be apparent from the pictures, the minarets are not built straight up – instead, they cater or lean to the sides, away from the Taj.  This was done in case an earthquake hit the area, so that the minarets would not tumble into the Taj and damage its façade.

If you look closely, you can see the minaret is tilted and not standing straight. (The Taj is to the right, and in the background is a mosque).

The rain started to pick up again, so we hurried away from the Taj and back to our hotel, for a now-traditional (for us) buffet breakfast of omelets, juice, Indian curries and vegetable pastries.  Once packed up and checked out, our tour took us on a quick detour to see how inlaid marble is made according to traditional methods that have not changed since the time of the Taj.  It was interesting to watch the artisans complete elaborate tabletops and sculptures, but the results were incredibly expensive – and more to the point, very, very heavy. We opted against any marble purchases.

Some of the Indian men working hard to create the intricate patterns in the marble.

A finished marble table-top for sale.  We admired it, but did not purchase it.

Once the marble tour was complete, our guide took us to Agra’s Red Fort. The Red Fort is an enormous fort made of red sandstone, also inlaid with white marble and intricate decorations.  The Red Fort was a contemporary of the Taj Mahal, and when Aurangzeb, son of Shah Jahan (the builder of the Taj) took over the country, Aurangzeb actually imprisoned his father Shah Jahan at the Red Fort for the last 7 years of Shah Jahan's life.  Shah Jahan's only consolation was that he could see the Taj Mahal from his prison (at least on a clear day) unti he went blind, eventually dying at the age of 77.

James and Erin standing outside Red Fort in Agra, India.

The Red Fort had two moats - one was a water moat with crocodiles and the other was a land moat filled with grass and tigers (well, not anymore).

A view of the prison that Emporer Shah Jahan spent 8 years in before his death.  He had beautiful views from the prison area, including a nice view of the Taj Mahal (well, maybe on a sunny day at least).

We wandered around the fort, exploring the mixture of Jain, Hindu and Muslim architecture apparent in its design.  We also examined the interiors of the palace within the fort, and walked through part of Shah Jahan’s royal prison.  There are views of the Taj Mahal in the distance, but they are clear only on a good day – and today was certainly not one; we still tried for some photos.

As today was a busy day, we left the Red Fort and headed to yet another craft-production stop – this one, an NGO-sponsored carpet manufacturer.  At this point, our group was beginning to tire, and some of the tour members opted to sleep on the bus while we attended the demonstration.  The carpets were beautiful, and very, very expensive.  While not as heavy as the marble, we still opted against any purchases – although James thought his parents would enjoy the store very much.

A view of the Indian men weaving different carpets and textiles.

The next – and last – official stop for the day on our way to Bharatpur was the Fatehpur Sikri Group of royal lodgings and palaces.  Here, the rain was coming down strong, and still more of our tour group opted to stay on the bus for some rest and dry relaxation.  Our group, now whittled down to 5 (from 11) braved the elements and explored the grounds, peering into the life of a court from hundreds of years ago where the king took three wives: one Hindu, one Muslim, and one Christian – in an attempt to rule his country in peace.

A view of one of the palaces at Fatehpur Sikri.  Like the Red Fort, these palaces were also made of red sandstone. 

As with the Taj, at Fatehpur we had moments of, if not sun, then an absence of rain – interspersed with quite a bit of rain.  We got some pictures, some fresh air and some exercise, and then caught a burst of rain on our way back to the bus – speeding down the highway on a motorcycle rickshaw.  Our trip to our new hotel was quick, and we quickly settled down for a well-deserved rest.