The Perfect Ending

No trip to India is ever complete without a visit to Agra...well, maybe not the city of Agra itself. You could probably skip Agra and be okay. In fact, all the industrial factories in Agra make the city an ideal place to miss.

Except for one, tiny detail.

Agra is home to the Taj Mahal, the architectural wonder of India, the place even every Indian must travel to see. Granted, when entry only costs 25 rupees for an Indian (versus the 750 rupees for a foreigner, which is about $15 USD), not going would be like, well, not using all your diabetic Frosty coupons. Crazy!



This was our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal. At 10 o'clock at night. No, the Taj Mahal isn't located in Antarctica; this photo was taken using a 15 second exposure time, allowing the camera's sensor to absorb enough light to produce this shot. Also, since 15 seconds is a long time to hold a camera without shaking it (1/20th of a second is hard enough), the camera was set on the balcony ledge, which accounts for the slight tilt you see.



We woke early to see the Taj Mahal in the morning light, and to miss some of the crowds that can arrive later in the day (people who take a day trip down from Delhi to see the greatest monument to love). Once you pay your entrance fee and pass through security, you enter an outer courtyard. No need to rush the experience. This amazing structure is simply the gateway to see the Taj Mahal.



And there it was. The Taj Mahal. This most amazing structure...with scaffolding on the front of it. This sight we had saved till the end of our trip had scaffolding on the front of it. And if that wasn't enough, if you look along the right side, there is a bench suspended by ropes. Something similar to what a window washer might use on a skyscraper.



But no scaffolding was going to keep us down. We still got our picture taken in front of the Taj Mahal. It seems that a large number of people might actually make a living doing this. Or they might just do it to supplement their income, seeing as one man, shortly after offering to take our picture, went back to trimming the hedges.



Agra is more then a one trick pony. It's just that one trick is so good, the other tricks are often overlooked in the process. Agra Fort is a rather remarkable fort, having housed multiple emperors who each added their own little touches. This is also where the emperor who built the Taj Mahal was imprisoned for the last 6 years of his life, after he was overthrown by his son. From here, he was only able to gaze out the window and see his creation in the distance.



Without the crowds, the photographers and the restrictions, the Baby Taj is a more enjoyable sight to visit then the Taj Mahal. This structure was an inspiration for the Taj Mahal.



Like the Taj Mahal, the Baby Taj is a tomb. Unlike the Taj Mahal, we were permitted to take photos inside the Baby Taj.



Where the Baby Taj most outdoes the Taj is in the stonework. There are an incredible number of stone patterns all throughout the Baby Taj. Just in this one corner of the building, you can find at least 6 different patterns. A geometry teacher's dream...



Yet the Taj Mahal is still a remarkable building, with a grandeur that is second to none. We went around to the riverbank on the backside of the Taj Mahal where, at no charge, and with no scaffolding, we were able to watch the light of the setting sun reflect off the white marble.



It was a perfect ending to our India experience.