Day 129: Rest day in Agra
/The Taj Mahal does not disappoint
It’s a pretty amazing building - the most beautifully executed we’ve seen in India I believe. Every detail hits the mark, and when you aim for symmetricality, you need to hit it spot on.
For the whole building to be constructed of white marble is so unusual in India, it really stands out, with intricate carving, and precision building meaning there’s the illusion of a solid marble dome. Very impressive for the time. Even the great domes of Europe tend to look like a bit of a Lego set up close.
We were up bright and early as the top tips are that the light is better and the crowd smaller first thing in the morning and that seemed to hold true. We breezed through the individual male and female queues (really?) after a false start where we forgot to buy tickets first. It was early.
Coming through the archway at the end of the long lake in front of the Taj Mahal guides the visitor to the perfect reveal - the white building contrasted strongly against the red stone arch from which you emerge.
The reveal through a stone archway
Of course there’s a bit of a bun fight for the “perfect shot” up the lake. Everyone wants that selfie!
Inside, the mausoleum is less impressive. It’s dark and necessarily a little “no frills” - kind of what you’d expect. Although, why Emperor Shah Jahan didn’t think through the fact the he was going to die one day, and maybe leave a space for his resting place alongside his wife’s. He’s squeezed in to one side. Not that their remans are actually in this container anyhow - they are tucked away below the “just for show” sarcophagi in a chamber downstairs.
Intricate marble carving
It even has a river view
We went to the Fort too, but it’s difficult for it to compete with its neighbour.
Both buildings insist on men and women queuing separately, which is odd. However, it does give you the chance to see that twice as many women as men want to see the Taj Mahal, whereas the queue for the fort had way more men. You might guess that, but it was interesting to see it confirmed.