You knew, Emperor of India, Shah Jahan,
That life, youth, wealth, renown
All float away down the stream of time.
Your only dream
Was to preserve forever your heart's pain.
The harsh thunder of imperial power
Would fade into sleep
Like a sunset's crimson splendour,
But it was your hope
That at least a single, eternally-heaved sigh would stay
To grieve the sky.
Though emeralds, rubies, pearls are all
But as the glitter of a rainbow tricking out empty air
And must pass away,
Yet still one solitary tear
Would hang on the cheek of time
In the form
Of this white and gleaming Taj Mahal.
Translation of the poem ‘Shah Jahan’ by Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore
The Taj Mahal has been on our wishlist for the longest time but it was an unexpected and pleasant surprise to have it realised this year. The Taj was built by Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor, as a loving memorial for his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal (which means ‘Chosen One of the Palace’ or ‘Beloved Ornament of the Palace’) who died giving birth to their 14th child in 1631. Taj Mahal means ‘Crown of the Palace’ and is situated on the banks of the Yamuna River in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Work began on the white marble mausoleum in 1632 and was completed in 1648 with red sandstone used for the other buildings in the complex as was usual at the time. The perfectly symmetrical mausoleum is intricately carved and decorated and embellished with semi-precious stones. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site and voted as one of the seven New Wonders of the World, the Taj did not disappoint.
We were at the entrance to the Taj at 06:00 on the button waiting for the doors to open at 06:30, half an hour before sunrise. We were third in the foreigner queue. It was a chilly wait in the misty 10C morning. After airport-style security screening, we all raced to the Taj at the end of the complex for that coveted people-free photo. The mist of the morning brought a special ethereal atmosphere to the complex and also helped to hide people in photos lol. We were amazed at the size of the Taj, it is HUGE and so intricately carved and patterned all around the outside and on the inside. It is truly beautiful. You can see the love of Shah Jahan shine from it. Both Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal are buried in the mausoleum. Visitors are allowed to enter with hospital-like shoe coverings. It’s even more decorated and beautiful inside than out. The Taj is also perfectly symmetrical, you can’t tell from photos which side you are looking at. For a building that size, it’s pretty incredible. By the time we left almost three hours later, the complex was pretty crowded and we were glad we were there super early.
The Taj Mahal at daybreak
Boibs at the Taj Mahal at sunrise
After a quick breakfast we headed to the Red Fort in Agra. More of a walled city than just a fort, the Mughal kings ruled here before Shah Jahan moved the capital to Delhi in 1638. It’s unclear when the fort was initially built, but Mughal emperor Humayan was crowned here in 1530. It was remodeled over the years and the present-day structure was built between 1565 and 1573 by Mughal emperor Akbar. The fort is completely made of red sandstone and is huge with many halls, audience rooms, mosques, and gardens. Definitely worth a visit.
We saw these little squirrels everywhere! In Delhi and the Golden Triangle too.
They are so sweet and very active.
The Red Fort in Agra
From the Red Fort, we stopped at the Baby Taj. This mausoleum was built by Nur Jahan for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg, the grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal (the favourite wife of Shah Jahan who built the Taj Mahal for her). He was given the title of I’tamad-ud-Daulah which means pillar of the state. The official name is the tomb of I’tamad-ud-Daulah, but everyone calls it the Baby Taj since it is regarded as the draft of the Taj Mahal without a dome. Built between 1622 and 1628, the tomb reflects the transition from the primarily red sandstone Mughal structures to the second phase characterised by white marble. Described as a jewel box, the tomb has numerous outbuildings and beautiful gardens. A short visit here but worth a stop.
Boibs at the Baby Taj
The last stop of the day was the viewpoint of the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh. Translated as the Moonlight Garden, Mehtab Bagh is a complex on the Yamuna River on the opposite side of the Taj offering uninterrupted views of the Taj Mahal. Popular at sunset but quiet at midday, we enjoyed a short stroll through the gardens to the viewpoint on the river and beautiful views of the Taj.
People had told us there isn’t much to see in Agra besides the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort and they were right, we were done sightseeing by midday. The rest of the day was spent chilling, souvenir shopping, and coffee shop hopping. There are many day tours from Delhi to Agra. Initially this sounds like a long day, but since the construction of the new Delhi to Agra highway and only really two main sights to see in Agra (Taj and the fort), it’s entirely possible to do it as a day trip from Delhi. If you were pressed for time and couldn’t stay over, you don’t have to miss out on the Taj, a day trip is entirely possible. If you have the time, the Taj at sunrise is lovely as is the Red Fort in Fatehpur Sikri (one hour from Agra). But all the same, a day trip will suffice if you don’t have more time.
And undercover beer lol.
There is no alcohol on any menus in any of the places we had been. But one waiter in Agra secretly asked Justin if he wanted a beer, then produced this serviette covered beer. We had a good chuckle.
Have you really been to India if you don't bring home chai tea?
Sunset view of the Taj Mahal from our hotel.
Friday arrived and the last day with our driver Pintu. We drove from Agra to Delhi on the new highway with a chai tea stop along the way. Pintu dropped us at our accommodation in Delhi. We chose a much nicer area this time, a lovely old estate house near Lodhi Gardens. It was still early afternoon so we headed out to explore. First stop was Lodhi Gardens with its tiny cheeky squirrels and then Humayan’s Tomb, where Bron had been on the bus tour on the first day in Delhi, definitely worth a second visit. The rest of the afternoon was spent chilling at a new found favourite: Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters and then a very special home cooked vegetarian meal at the accommodation.
Humayan's Tomb and surrounding grounds
Boibs at Humayan's Tomb
The Saturday was our last day in Delhi and India for this time. We started at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Red Fort in Old Delhi. Commissioned in 1639 by Emperor Shah Jahan when he decided to move the capital from Agra to Delhi, the fort is made of red sandstone and is large with several gates, meetings halls, bath houses and other buildings all enclosed by 2.4 km of defensive walls. A lot of people said to go to the Red Fort in Delhi before going to the one in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri as it would be disappointing otherwise. However, we didn’t think this was true. We enjoyed the Red Fort in Delhi and think it’s worthwhile going. It was the the most chilled attraction we had been to and were the least harassed here of anywhere. A refreshing change.
Delhi Metro selfie
Getting our tourist on!
Red Fort in Delhi
Boibs at the Red Fort
Time for tea
Chai is served in these very beeg cupsš
From the Red Fort, we walked down to the end of Chandni Chowk Road to find the Lassi shop, and then down the Rajpath Area to India Gate. Formerly known as the All India War Memorial, India Gate is a war memorial commemorating the Indian soldiers who died in World War I and the Third Anglo-Afghan War, and has the names of 13 300 servicemen inscribed on its walls. The memorial was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the style of ancient Roman triumphal arches and is often compared to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Since 1971, the arch has also served as India’s tomb of the unknown soldier with four eternal flames.
India Gate Memorial
From India gate we took a tuk tuk to Ugrasen ki Boali, the stepwell near Connaught Place. Bron had picked up a cold and wasn’t feeling well at this stage of the trip so the rest of the afternoon was spent finding lunch and chilling in a cafe at Connaught Place. All too soon it was time to head back to the accommodation to pick up our bags and head to the airport. Check in was smooth and easy but security at Delhi airport :o :o :o Quite the experience and took ages, at least an hour. Definitely don’t skimp on being at the airport three hours ahead in Delhi! A final treat at Haldiram’s and we were on our way back to HCMC.
Ugrasen ki Boali Stepwell
A great but intense first trip to India! Thank you Delhi and the Golden Triangle. Next on our India wish list is Goa, Kerala, Kashmir in the north, and Darjeeling in the west. So many travel dreams!
Until next time!
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