Taj Mahal

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In March 2007 I started my three-week holiday to India and Nepal. I arrived in Delhi in the early hours of Saturday 17 March 2007. A taxi took me straight from the airport to Agra, some 200km south of Delhi.

Agra's Taj Mahal is one of the most famous buildings in the world but only one of three World Heritage Sites in Agra. The other two are the massive Agra Fort and nearby Fatehpur Sikri. Obviously all three of them were on my things-to-see list and I was keen to get started. So as soon as I had arrived in Agra I checked into basically the first hotel I came across (this happened to be the reasonable priced Athiti Hotel near the Taj Mahal) and took a taxi to Fatehpur Sikri (Rs600 return fare).

Exploring Fatehpur Sikri

Fatehpur Sikri became the political capital of India's Mughal Empire in 1571 but was already abandoned in 1585. However, nearly all buildings are very well preserved to this day and the impressive Jama Masjid mosque is actually still in use.

Most of buildings are made out of red sandstone, decorated with jalis (perforated stone screens with ornamental patterns) and white inlays. I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Fatehpur Sikri, admiring the red sandstone palaces with their columns, balconies, carvings and courtyards and fountains. In the early evening I entered the mosque. It was from inside the large courtyard of the mosque where I enjoyed my first sunset in India.

Sunrise at the Taj Mahal

The following morning I witnessed a most spectacular sunrise. I got up quite early and arrived at the Taj Mahal ticket counter at 6am (Rs500). It was only when I entered through the gate that I could actually see the Taj Mahal for the first time.

The sun had not yet fully risen and Taj Mahal was still surrounded by damp mist from the near Yamuna River. After admiring the Taj from a distance I walked towards it. I waited for the first ray of sun on the eastern side of the monument. Shortly after, the sun rose and the façade of the Taj was immersed in warm sunlight. The marble changed its colour from pale white to warm amber in a matter of minutes. At the same time the inlaid stones started to reflect the sunlight whilst the remaining mist vanished. The whole scene was just perfect.

The Taj Mahal was built by a Mughal Emperor named Shah Jahan and completed in 1652. It took 22 years and some 20,000 people to build it. Its purpose was to be the final resting place for his favourite Queen, Mumtaz. It was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. The white marble was brought from Rajasthan in India, the jade and crystal from China whilst the turquoise was brought from Tibet, Lapislazuli from Afghanistan and Sapphire from Sri Lanka. The Taj is arguably one of the most incredible man-made constructions in the world.

I spent a few hours around and inside the Taj, walking through the large gardens and taking a look at the outlying buildings including the Taj Mahal mosque. By late morning, the colour of the Taj had changed again, this time to immaculate white.

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