One of the locals

A Little Agra-phobic

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September 10th 2005
Hopped a train on my birthday from Delhi—disgusting, dirty, marvelous Delhi—to see the great pearl of India in Agra, none other than the Taj Mahal. But with the glut of tourists that the Taj brings, so come the touts and the beggars and the salesmen. Basically everyone wants to be your friend; “No buy, only look”, and they are relentless. I’ve only been here for a short time, but I’m b ... read more

Asia » India » Uttar Pradesh » Agra

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The Indus Valley civilization, one of the oldest in the world, dates back at least 5,000 years. Aryan tribes from the northwest invaded about 1500 B.C.; their merger with the earlier Dravidian inhabitants created the classical Indian culture. Arab in... ... read more