I got up this morning and walked to the Taj Mahal, Taking some time to get thoroughly lost in Taj Ganj again. Agra is quite intense with people hassling you all the time for rickshaws or to visit there shop ect. I’ve having a bit of a laugh with them but some are so persistent you have to be a bit short with them to make them go away. Once you get out of the bit with all the tourists tho the people are really nice and just want to say hi and point you in the right direction. It is a really depressingly poor area tho.
I got to the taj gate only to find the ticket office was 1.2 km away so I hiked there and back. The Taj itself is amazing but not just the the building we all recognize the whole compound. It’s a shame due to corruption very little of the entrance money goes to the upkeep. The whole compound is symmetrical with the exception of the coffin of the guy who built it (Shah Jahan) who was laid to rest there next to his favorite wife he built it for.
From there I got lost in Taj Ganj again and found a ferry man who punted across the river so I did a return trip and got some good photos of the Taj from the water and of the colorful locals on the boat.
Eventually I got a rickshaw to Agra fort. Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son and imprisoned here for the last 8 years of his life in a beautiful palace with in the fort, overlooking the river and the Taj 7km down stream.
Now I’m on another rooftop in Taj Ganj and have watched the light fade on the Taj with a nice curry.
Got to get a sleeper train to Varanassi tonight so will let you know how that goes.
-Dan
The Taj:
From the Water:
The Taj:
From the Water:
Beautiful pics Dan :)x
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