The Taj Mahal has been called a teardrop on the face of the Earth, and it is fairly easy to understand why. Looking upon its massive and elegant structure leaves no room for doubt that it is anything but extraordinary.

The Run Down

Dylan and I arrived in Agra with a bit of a struggle.. taking a car from Jaipur had been comfy and safe, if not informative and conversational. When we arrived in Agra, the driver had issues finding where to drop us off, not understanding the difference between homestay and hotel. After reiterating the location about a dozen or more times, I finally just had him drop us in the parking lot in front of a hotel… leaving him very confused when he finally realized that was not where we were staying. I was able to call our homestay host (Gurudayal) to let him know of our situation and he immediately was so much help! He sent a tuk-tuk for us and they delivered us to the door.

The whole Agra trip was wonderful. Our homestay felt like home from the moment we arrived. They made homemade meals, gave us plenty of information and had a lovely and safe place very close to the Taj Mahal. You could even see the top of the Taj from the roof. And they were so friendly! They even gave Dylan and I presents when we left. Simply beyond kind.

The morning after we arrived was the start of our one and only full day in Agra. It was also Dylan’s birthday! We started with some chai tea, of course, and then off to the Taj Mahal for sunrise. There was already a pretty solid line by the time we arrived, and the sun was not even awake yet. It was the perfect time to go, the lighting was beautiful and the crowds were not quite unbearable. We marveled at the Taj for some time, gazing around and taking it all in. At one point I noticed that my KOPA band was no longer with me, and we put together that it had gone into the waters out front! On our way back out we stopped to see if there was any way to reach it, and sure enough, it was perfectly laying against the side wall, just enough to where he could grab it with his GoPro stick. Success!

Taj Mahal Factoids:

• Shah Jahan was inspired to build the Taj for his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their 14th child.
• Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal are buried in a plain crypt under the main inner chamber, as Islamic tradition forbids decorated graves.  
• It took an estimated 20,000 workers to build and 32 million Indian rupees. 
• They used over 1,000 elephants to transport heavy materials.

Unfortunate Taj Mahal Factoids:

• The Taj’s white marble is turning yellow because of air pollution. There have been rules set up to help protect it- only electric vehicles are allowed near the actual structure and an environmental radius of 4,000-square-mile was set up to help emission control. 
• The structure is cracking. It is thought that wooden foundations that were once submerged are thought to be rotting.

From the Taj we went back and joined Guru for breakfast, then met up with a car he booked for us to take us around for the day. We explored the Agra Fort, Mughal Mausoleum of l’timad-ud-Daulah, the Little Taj Mahal and more! It was an eventful day, touring these temples and forts, taking in the history and the old architecture.

We wound up at a rather fancy place for lunch, and then in a debate at the end of the adventure with some salesmen at a jewelry shop (they did not like it when I said I would sleep on my decision). Alas, we made it back to our homestay with Guru to enjoy a beautiful sunset and dinner. The next day we left for New Delhi, closing in on our final hours in India…

Places We Went

• Taj Mahal
• Agra Fort
• Mughal Mausoleum of l’timad-ud-Daulah
• Little Taj Mahal

Tips

• We stayed at Gurudayal’s Homestay near the Taj Mahal- booked through Airbnb.  983-707-9723
• Hit the Taj Mahal at sunrise (great lighting, fewer crowds). It is closed on Fridays!
• When going into lines, if you are not Indian then you go to the “High-Value Ticket Holders,” instead of “General Ticket Holders.” I did not pick up on this until a local informed me.
• Be aware of what you are able to bring into temples. Tripods are on the “No” list.
• Be aware of where shoes are allowed. You often are required to remove them or wear covers when entering temples and mausoleums.

Love & Light