Visiting the Taj Mahal

Coming to India, visiting the Taj Mahal was number 1 on my bucket list. I booked a tour from my hotel the previous day for about $70. The next morning I was told to wait at the corner for the bus at 7:00 AM. I arrived at 6:40 and by 7:00 there was no bus. 30 minutes later, there was still no bus. I began to panic thinking I misunderstood the directions, but the bus showed up 5 minutes later. Interestingly enough, the bus didn’t stop for me. It just slowed down and I had to hop on as it moved.

When I boarded the bus, I was shocked to see it filled with locals and not other tourists. As I took my seat, one man turned to me and asked, “Hello, my friend, where you come from?’ I replied “The U.S.” He smiled and replied back “Ah, very nice.” We chatted almost the entire ride, exchanging questions on politics, religion, and society. Our bus made a few stops along the way to Agra, one for lunch, and two other stops to see some historical places. We didn’t reach the Taj Mahal until almost 4 hours after our initial departure.

When we finally did arrive, the sun became even more intense and the crowd grew larger. For some reason, my guide gave me a speed pass and I was able to bypass the long wait. Within minutes, I was at the Taj Mahal.

Cameramen bombarded me as I entered. Ironically, I had the same camera as them. I gave them my camera and asked them to take all my photos for $10, which they agreed to. Seeing how I was at the great Taj Mahal, a Wonder of the World,  it made sense to have a professional capture the moment for me.

When I finally made my way to the Taj, I was speechless. The intense sun shining on the white marble covering the complex made it sparkle in such a way that it appeared unreal. It was also a lot bigger than I imagined. I spent about 5 minutes just admiring it from afar.

After about 30 minutes, I finally made my way inside, which was a bit disappointing to be honest. For a structure so massive, the inside was a bit small, and offered very little to see. The outside however, was remarkable, especially when I got up and close and was able to see the detail on the building. It was the finest piece of architecture I had ever seen and to think it was built in the 1600’s was even more astonishing.

More Than Just the Taj…

Unknown to me, there are actually a number of structures around the Taj Mahal, one of which is The Great gate (Darwaza-i rauza). This place formally separates the tomb garden and the outer world.

The mosque is another structure located to the west, towards Mecca. This red sandstone structure is arguably one of the finest pieces of architecture in India.

As I sat gazing at the Taj, I truly felt humbled and inspired to be there. Indeed a Wonder of the World.