Day Three: Agra, India

Today we woke up around 4am in the morning just to catch the sunrise in Taj Mahal. Our driver come and pick us up at 5:00 am and we drove for 15 minutes to the ticket booth to buy the entry ticket. Taj Mahal has the most expensive ticket of all the monuments in India. But somehow we were lucky as we get free entrances to the Taj Mahal because on that day was National Historical Day in India, so when all the tourist visit any historical places are basically free entrances. As we walked to the gate, there was a little line full of foreigners waiting to see the Taj Mahal.

That us right after we enter the western gate. From the clever way the monument was built (towers leaning outward), it creates an illusion that makes the Taj Mahal looks bigger as you started walking through the inner gate.

Iconic, beautiful, and jaw dropping, words can never be enough to describe the beauty of this landmark of eternal love.Taj Mahal is one of the most-admired seven wonders in the world is a classic tale of declaration of love by a Mughal Emperor Shahjahan for his wife, Mumtaz. The artistic masterpiece was built by Shahjahan after the demise of his wife during childbirth, as an apparent token of love in her memory.

Ever since I can remember, Taj Mahal has always been something I’ve wanted to see. It’s been on my bucket list for a long time, so I was thrilled when Sirin and I decided to visit India, because we knew we would finally get to see it.

The crowds fill fast that literally just about 15 minutes after entrance.

The sunrise over the Taj Mahal.

Up close look of the Taj Mahal.

After we visited the Taj Mahal, we went back to the hotel to have our breakfast. Take a shower again and check out as we going back to Delhi. But before back to Delhi we stop at Agra Fort.

Agra Fort is a historical fort in the city of Agra in India and was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. In 1983, the Agra fort was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled city.

Jahangir palace. There are many halls and palaces inside the palace among which some of the famous ones are Macchi Bhavan, Khas Mahal, and Shah Jahani Mahal. Inside the fort there are also other highlights like the places of worship and a private market which was once a gathering place for the ladies.

Diwan-i-Khas, the place where the rulers met with private audience. This hall was built by Akbar and was remodeled by Shah Jahan. Thus, you can find many marble carvings, floral motifs and decorative works of Persian style. This hall used to hold the famous peacock throne, which was later looted away from India in 18th century.

Inside the Jahangir Palace. This is one of the most notable structures and oldest palace in the fort. This fort was used by the royal females and has many delicate carvings and architectural elements.

A tiny view of the magnificent Taj Mahal from Agra Fort.

This mirror palace is made entirely with reflective surfaces. This palace has intricate mirror works, attractive carvings and a serene beauty.

We spend roughly two hours in this fort. Now is time to drive back to Delhi, take about 4 hours and before we heading to the airport, we get to stop by the India Gate.

India Gate is an important monument of the city because it serve as a memorial that built in commemoration of more than 80,000 Indian soldiers who were killed during World War I. The monument is an imposing 42 meters high arch and was designed by the famous architect Edwin Lutyens. India gate was earlier named All India War Memorial.

And now is the time to say goodbye to India trip, time to fly back to Dubai.

Love,

Elene