(8) A Magical Sunset and the Mesmerizing Taj Mahal
(Diary: Sojourn to India – March 30 – April 30,2006)
I arrived in Agra just before lunch. It’s so damn hot! I lived in the upper floors of Shanti Lodge, I can’t appreciate the “views of the Taj Mahal” coz of the heat and to stave off the heat (I think it was around 42 degrees Celsius, unbelievable!) I just take a shower every 3 hours!
Agra is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Oh my God! My fizzed hair will be forever immortalized. Whenever I will look back at the photos of my trip to India, a grinning face with a dried out mass of curls will look back at me. I am really now re-examining the reasons why I want to have curly hair!!!
Rather than stay in my room, after having lunch at the attached restaurant of the guesthouse I went to visit the Itimad-Ud-Daulah or the “Baby Taj”. It is the tomb built by the Empress Nur Jehan for her father who was a Chief Minister during Emperor Jehangir reign. It looks exactly like the more famous Taj Mahal that’s why they always say that it’s better to visit the Baby Taj before going to the grander Taj Mahal.
I arrived in Agra just before lunch. It’s so damn hot! I lived in the upper floors of Shanti Lodge, I can’t appreciate the “views of the Taj Mahal” coz of the heat and to stave off the heat (I think it was around 42 degrees Celsius, unbelievable!) I just take a shower every 3 hours!
Agra is the capital of the state of Uttar Pradesh.
Oh my God! My fizzed hair will be forever immortalized. Whenever I will look back at the photos of my trip to India, a grinning face with a dried out mass of curls will look back at me. I am really now re-examining the reasons why I want to have curly hair!!!
Rather than stay in my room, after having lunch at the attached restaurant of the guesthouse I went to visit the Itimad-Ud-Daulah or the “Baby Taj”. It is the tomb built by the Empress Nur Jehan for her father who was a Chief Minister during Emperor Jehangir reign. It looks exactly like the more famous Taj Mahal that’s why they always say that it’s better to visit the Baby Taj before going to the grander Taj Mahal. 
I just realized I look like a laughing human toothpick in this picture --- I am so thin and emaciated! 
Love at First Sight
From a distance, it shimmers and sparkles even with the numerous people surrounding the place it remains serene and tranquil. It seems so cold in its perfection but you can also feel the emotions emanating from each marble slab. The immortalization of Shah Jahan’s love to his wife Mumtaz Mahal is so visible and sublimely felt, isn’t it absolutely romantic!
I was supposed to go there the following day to watch the Taj Mahal during sunrise but I couldn’t resist taking a peek, and what better time than during the sunset! I went through the Mehtab Bagh, a park located at the back of the Taj Mahal. For a much better view, you can walk down towards the Yamuna River. To avoid paying the 100 rupees entrance fee, you can go straight to the river and walk past all the touts who wants to be your “tour guide”. The view was definitely amazing. I stayed for awhile and went to a nearby food stand, sat down and had a “chai” before going back again to my guesthouse.
The following day, I woke up early so I can be at the gate before the morning rush --- there are so many tourists coming in by buses from Delhi. I arrived at about 7am but the place was almost full already, I think we are of the same minds of trying to beat of the rush! Hehehe…. I am trying to count how much the place is earning what with the 250 rupees entrance fee (plus the 500 rupees levy) multiplied by the thousands of people who come here daily! 
But what an astounding and priceless sight! It is immeasurable. How to describe it? It is perfection, in its beauty and mystical allure. It conjures the pain of immortal love. It was said that the Emperor Shah Jahan built this mausoleum for his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their child. He was so heartbroken that he immediately started building this place right after her death.
When you think of India you immediately imagine the Taj Mahal, it is now by far the synonymous symbol of the country. It is the most popular tomb in the world, a true monument to Love!
The Other View
What irony! With a clear view of the great Taj Mahal, the maker Emperor Shah Jahan, was imprisoned here at the Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb. This red sandstone structure was built as a defensive fort and at the same a palace (or a prison, in the case of Shah Jahan). The fort was originally built by Emperor Akbar (the grandfather of Shah Jahan) from 1565 to 1571.
Within the palace complex, you will notice the usual rooms like the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audiences) where the Emperor listens to petitions from his subjects (and yeah, he sits in his throne room) and the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences) where important dignitaries are entertained --- this is the VVIP section.
I met some Taiwanese kids on a package tour. They came by bus from Delhi. My God! My outfits are really getting more atrocious every day!
On my way back to my guesthouse, I flagged a passing rickshaw and thought of maybe looking around for souvenirs but what the heck! The driver just did not listen even if I kept on asking him to just turn back and go to my guesthouse but he just went ahead and dropped me off to a really posh emporium. Belatedly, I learned that the drivers get commissions from these shops if they can “drop” off tourists in their shops!
The whole ride really scared me so when I finally got back to the guesthouse, I only ventured out to the next street to have dinner and immediately went back.
The Day after….
The blackout woke me up which was a good thing coz I barely made it to my train for Delhi. It’s just so hot! And to top it off, I am still on waitlist…
But what an astounding and priceless sight! It is immeasurable. How to describe it? It is perfection, in its beauty and mystical allure. It conjures the pain of immortal love. It was said that the Emperor Shah Jahan built this mausoleum for his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died while giving birth to their child. He was so heartbroken that he immediately started building this place right after her death.When you think of India you immediately imagine the Taj Mahal, it is now by far the synonymous symbol of the country. It is the most popular tomb in the world, a true monument to Love!
The Other View
What irony! With a clear view of the great Taj Mahal, the maker Emperor Shah Jahan, was imprisoned here at the Agra Fort by his son Aurangzeb. This red sandstone structure was built as a defensive fort and at the same a palace (or a prison, in the case of Shah Jahan). The fort was originally built by Emperor Akbar (the grandfather of Shah Jahan) from 1565 to 1571.
Within the palace complex, you will notice the usual rooms like the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audiences) where the Emperor listens to petitions from his subjects (and yeah, he sits in his throne room) and the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences) where important dignitaries are entertained --- this is the VVIP section.
I met some Taiwanese kids on a package tour. They came by bus from Delhi. My God! My outfits are really getting more atrocious every day!On my way back to my guesthouse, I flagged a passing rickshaw and thought of maybe looking around for souvenirs but what the heck! The driver just did not listen even if I kept on asking him to just turn back and go to my guesthouse but he just went ahead and dropped me off to a really posh emporium. Belatedly, I learned that the drivers get commissions from these shops if they can “drop” off tourists in their shops!
The whole ride really scared me so when I finally got back to the guesthouse, I only ventured out to the next street to have dinner and immediately went back.
The Day after….
The blackout woke me up which was a good thing coz I barely made it to my train for Delhi. It’s just so hot! And to top it off, I am still on waitlist…
Comments