The Taj Mahal is one of those building that you are the most remarkable of all the building of the world, so much that it is now part of the Wonders of the World. When I started planning my first trip to India, I decided that the first place that I needed to see was this so I my travel arrangements to visit Agra first.
India, officially called Republic of India, it is the7th largest country largest country by area and the second largest by population. India is bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the southwest, and the Bay of Bengal on the southeast. It shares borders with Pakistan to the west; China, Nepal and Bhutan to the north; and Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east.
Agra is located in the banks of the Yumana river in the state of Uttar Pradesh. During the Mughal ruling, Agra became the centre for learning, arts, commerce, and religion and saw the construction of the Agra Fort, Sikandra and its most prized monument the Taj Mahal. Currently, Agra is part of the Golden Triangle tourist circuit alongside Delhi and Jaipur.
New Delhi is the capital of India, although commonly known as Delhi. Delhi and New Delhi are used interchangeably, in reality New Delhi is an urban district located in the city of Delhi. New Delhi was inaugurated as the capital of India on 13th February 1931 by Viceroy and Governor-General Irwin.
India requires a visa for every visitor, the visa application is carried out by prior appointment which can be done online, including online payment. After the visa application, the visa collection is either done by counter collection or by post. It is recommended to keep track of the process online. The processing time depends on the type of visa you are applying for, and it is recommended that you only plan your journey once you received your passport with the visa to avoid any delays.
As part of my research, I check out all the most seen places of the city as this trip was designed to visit as many places as possible. The currency for India is the Indian rupee (INR), and it is recommended to exchange at the airport just after landing, as who has the time to search for it. My adventure started on 25th December 2005, as part of a longer trip.
On Day 1, I took a direct late flight to New Delhi.
On Day 2, I arrived to New Delhi early morning and after crossing immigration I was ready to star my India adventure and very existed for my visit to the Taj Mahal. We took a taxi towards the hotel. After checking in at the hotel, we decided that it was time to start our culinary tour of Indian food so we picked a nice local restaurant around the hotel.
After lunch, we decided to take a taxi tour around the city as it was too late to enter anything and the sun would set soon, making this the best time to take night photographs of all the mayor tourist attractions.
After an amazing night of photo session and my first look at city of New Delhi, we were ready for dinner, so we searched for another local restaurant. After dinner, we made our way to the hotel in order to plan things for the next day as my adventure in India was starting.
On Day 3, after an early breakfast at the hotel, we decided to rent a taxi to take us all around the city and visit all the sites. We decided that this day would cover most of the attractions on New Delhi as this was our only full day in the city. Our first stopped was the Baha’l Temple as it is the farthest point from the centre.
Bahal’s Temple, also known as Lotus Temple, was dedicated in December 1986, and it is best known for its flowerlike shape. The temple was opened on 24th December 1986 and was designed by architect Fariborz Sahba on the Expressionist architectural style. The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad petal-type structures arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides. In addition to its unique architectural style, it is also a house of worship for people with all religions to gather, reflect and worship.
After a short stay at the temple, we made our way back to the city centre, where we made a very short stop at the India Gate.
The India Gate, also known as All India War Memorial, is a war memorial located at the eastern end of the Rajpath. The memorial stands for the soldiers of the British Indian Army who died between 1914 and 1921. The gate was unveiled on 12th February 1931 and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the style of the memorial arch like the Arch of Constantine in Rome.
After that, we made our way via the Rajpath to the other end where the Rashtrapadi Bhavan stands. The Rashtrapadi Bhavan is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of the Rajpath. The house was opened in 1931 and was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens in the style Indian architecture with its colours and details.
After a morning full of unique architecture and details, we made our way to a nice traditional local restaurant.
After lunch and around 1pm, we made our way towards Jantar Mantar. Jantar Mantar means instruments for measuring the harmony of the havens. Jantar Mantar was an observatory with its primary purpose to compile astronomical data which it is nowadays classified as astronomy. Currently, the complex has been restore and maintain as a historical observatory and open to the public.
The visit to Jantar Mantar as a scientist was very interested, as it was interesting to try to figure out how using these constructions allowed ancient astronomers to accurately measured time, gave the coordinates of celestial objects, and even get latitude and longitude of celestial objects. I was even able to climb the stairs of the sundial and tried to figure this out for myself without any success, however, this visit was very constructive and educational.
After a great visit, we decided to continue with our taxi tour all the afternoon. Our next stop was Humayun’s Tomb. Humayun’s Tomb is the tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun and was constructed in 1570 by architect Mirak Mirza Ghiyath in a Mughal architectural style, which became the standard for this kind of architecture. The Humayun’s Tomb has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
Unfortunately when we reached this site, it was close, as most places are open while there is daylight as there is no lighting inside. However, there was still some light as it was a little before sunset which allowed me to take so exteriors photographs.
After this very short break, we continued our driving tour and our next stop was Laxminarayan Temple. The Laxminarayan temple, also known as the Birla Mandir, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lakshmi Narayan god of existence. The temple was designed by architect Sris Chandra Chattergy in a Nagara style architecture and was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1939.
However, although the temple was fully lighted in the outside, we decided not to enter the as it was too busy so we only stop shortly for some outside photography. After this, we decided to search for a nice restaurant to have dinner.
After dinner, me made our way back to hotel in order to review the day and plan our next day, as finally we were going to Agra and the Taj Mahal.
On Day 4, and after having a very early breakfast, we hired a car with a driver to take us to Agra as it is 3-hour drive via the Yamuna Expy. However, in India you are not allow to hire a car and drive it yourself, as it is deemed too dangerous for this so you have to hire a car and a driver always.
Our first stop was the Agra Fort. In order to enter this big attractions there are two kinds of tickets one for the locals and one for the foreigners. Although, the difference between both tickets is around 10 times, the price allows the local population to enter as many times as possible as they are able to afore it. The ticket also allows you to enter multiple places like the Taj Mahal, so it is a ticket for all the Agra sights.
After buying the ticket, we enter the Agra Fort around 11am. Agra Fort was completed during the reign of Akbar 1573 in a Mughal architectural style, was built with a red sandstone from Barauli and considered the walled city. The Agra Fort has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
After buying our combo ticket, we entered Agra Fort through a stone bridge via the Amar Singh Gate, also known as Lahora Gate, which was named by the Amar Singh Rathore. After the gate, we arrived to the first stone courtyard surrounded by amazing redbrick buildings. The first building on the right is the Jahangiri’s Palace, which is also a redbrick building but the decorations are in white, making this a very decorative building in the courtyard.
After the first courtyard, we continued our way through the second courtyard where there was now an off-white building with highly decorate pillars the Diwan-I-Am, which was the Hall of Public Audience. On the right side of the Diwan-I-Am, there is a door which leads to a large marble courtyard with amazing and highly ornate gardens.
At the end of the courtyard there is a building which is part of the Anguri Bagh complex. The building has a very detailed engrave walls and pillars, the Mughal style has a very symmetrical and intricate design, which makes this style unique and one of my favourites in India. The best part was that at the edge of the Yamuna River through the windows you are able to have a viewpoint of the Taj Mahal, my first view of the real thing. I was very impressed.
After walking all around the fort and taking some photographs of the Taj Mahal from various viewpoints, it was time for me to head to the one place I was wanting to visit since I started planning this trip the amazing and spectacular Taj Mahal.
After an impressive stay in a very beautiful fort, we made our short trip to enter the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is the marble mausoleum located at the banks of the River Yamuna. This mausoleum was commission by the Mughal emperor Shan Jahan for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal and then also for himself. The mausoleum is the centre piece of a walled complex comprising of a mosque, a guest house, and a set of formal gardens. The Taj Mahal has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983, as it is consider the jewel of Muslim art in India. Additionally, it is now part of the New 7 Wonders of the World.
We made our way to the ticket counter, however since we already have a combo ticket, we needed to made a shorter queue. The walled surrounded the complex is made of red sandstone and each of the structures is decorated in a Mughal style which is highly ornate and in my point of view very symmetrically.
After crossing the ticket counter gate, we made our way to the first courtyard which are beautiful gardens surrounded by red sandstone building. We continued walking until we reached the Great Gate which is an incredible red sandstone building with intricate decorative panels and wall with white highlights and flowers.
Although, this was an impressive building as soon as I crossed the threshold, I was able to see the majestic view of the Taj Mahal for the first time and it was breathtaking. The impressive marble building at the end of magnificent reflecting pool surrounded by an extensive symmetrical gardens was a view that I had never expected, as all the photographs do not compare with the real thing.
At the end of the reflecting pool, the Taj Mahal stands in the middle of two buildings that mirror each other. On the eastern side stands the former guest home and event hall, and on the western side stands the mosque both building were constructed on red sandstone with white highlights like the rest of the buildings of the complex.
Before being able to enter the Taj Mahal there are two queues for that for the locals and the foreigner tickets. In order to access the tomb, the locals need to remove their shoes, while the foreigner are given some disposable medical booties, as this allows us to walk through the site without removing our shoes but these are only given to the foreigners. So there were some perks of paying the foreigner fee. These is because the Taj Mahal is made of marble and it gets damage with the shoes.
Once you have your booties, you are able to climb the stairs to reach the top of the Taj Mahal stands. You are able to walk all around the tomb as it stands in the centre of this structure. However, do not forget that it is tomb and you are unable to take photographs in the inside for respect. Behind the tomb, you are able to see the bank of the river and the city.
The Taj Mahal has beautiful and ornate decorations all over its great arches and the flower concept is repeated in all the walls of the complex. Even though, it has been many years since I visited this majestic building, I still can remember my first impression for the first time I visited this monument and everything that this evokes on me.
After this, we left the Taj Mahal structure and we were able to remove the booties and continues the visit of the complex. However, as time was running out of this trip and we still needed to buy souvenirs, I was unable to enter the twin structures on the side of the Taj Mahal. This is because on my way back to the gate, I redo all the photographs that I took as the light had changed and the colour of the Taj Mahal depicted those changes.
After taking an endless amount of photographs from every single angle possible and from every hue of light from the period that I was there. We decided to find a local souvenir shop and then a local restaurant, as we were in different estate of India.
After this late lunch, we made our way towards New Delhi as it was a 3-hour drive without traffic. However, we made around 4 hours and after being dropped at the hotel by the driver. We decided to search for a nice local dinner around the hotel as after more than 7 hours in the car we needed to stretch our legs.
After dinner, we returned to the hotel to rest and prepare for the next day which would be our last one in Delhi as we were continuing our India trip in another location.
On Day 5, after a very early breakfast, as we needed to cover the rest of the sights of the city. On our way to the Red Fort, we passed through the Swaminarayan Akshardham.
The Swaminarayan Akshardham is a Hindi temple which is dedicated to Swaminarayan, Sit-Rama, Radha-Krishna, Shiva-Parvati, and Lakshmi-Narayana. The temple was completed on 6th November 2005, designed by BAPS and constructed from Rajasthani pink sandstone and Italia Carrara marble, in a traditional Hindu architectural guidelines. This is the world’s largest comprehensive Hindu temple.
After this, we went to our final stop in New Delhi which was the Red Fort. The Red Fort was completed in 1648 and was designed by architect Ustad Ahmad Lahori in the Indo-Islamic, Mughal style. This architect also constructed the Taj Mahal and it represented the peak in Mughal architecture. The Red Fort complex has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2007.
After getting our tickets, we entered via the Lahore Gate and passed through a tunnel full of amazing souvenirs which I explored on our way back to the exit. We passed through the Archaeological Museum and then we started exploring as much as we can as this was the biggest site that we had explored. The most important surviving structures are the wall and ramparts, main gates, audience halls and imperial apartments.
The fort represent the best fusion between the structure of the Islamic palace with the local tradition which resulted in the confluence of Persian, Timurid and Hindu architecture. The influence of this style of architecture can be seen all across the Indian subcontinent. The fort has a combination of red sandstone and white marble building, making this a unique site.
In addition to a unique stone carving detailing and the elegant arch, the fort has an ancient but impressive water distribution system which runs all around the site and this is visible specially in the garden sections, which currently is dried but still impressive.
After two hours on the Red Fort site and ending with a massive souvenir shopping spree, we went our way to the Qutb Minar complex around midmorning. The Qutb Minar is a minaret (a tower adjacent to mosques) and victory tower which lies in Lal Kot which is the oldest fortified city in Delhi. The tower was completed in 1220 with a height of 72.5m, making this the tallest brick minaret in the world. The uniquely style of this minaret is that has been influenced by the local architecture such as the Indic temples which affects the type of materials, techniques and decorations used making of this one of the earliest examples of the synthesis of Hindu-Muslin traditions. The Qutb Minar has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
After buying our tickets, we entered the complex and after the second gate we were able to see Qutb Minar as is was able to break the horizon. We decided that we will start exploring the site from the Qutb Minar in order for me to be able to take every single aspect of the minaret. The closest I got to the tower, the better I could see all the amazing details and the colours that formed each level of the tower.
The first building that we encountered was Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque, which is the first mosque built in Delhi and the oldest surviving example of Ghurids architecture. Even without the roof, the columns are very decorative as their stone carving is very intricate. However, the most impressive item in the mosque is the Iron Pillar, which is a rust-resistant 5th century column.
After visiting the mosque, our next stop was Alai Darwaza which is a dome gateway extension of the Quwwat-ul-Islam made of red sandstone with stone carving and inlaid white marble decoration in an Indo-Islamic architecture.
After an hour on the Qutb Minar site, we decided that it was time to make our way to the hotel to collect our luggage as it was time to go to the airport.
After this mini trip in New Delhi as the purpose was to visit the Agra, we continued our trip to another location in India which I would cover in another entry.
This was the first trip that I did to India and since I was only interested on visiting the Taj Mahal, I was very impressed with everything that I saw specially this Indo-Islamic architecture as I believed the symmetry of the designed makes it perfect. Every building that we saw was full of intricate decorations and carvings that I have never seen in any other country except for India, which made of this trip the best introduction to what expect of Indian architecture and designed.
Although this trip was just focus on Agra and the Taj Mahal everything that I saw and did were memorable. When you grown up in a country like Mexico which is highly influence by many European countries, you are very familiar with this architecture and when travelling around Europe you are able to link the similarities from each country. However, India being in Asia and just knowing the close-up of the Taj Mahal does not allow you to understand the richness of the culture and the details of their style.
Living in the United Kingdom allows you to explore many Indian restaurants but after you taste the real thing you understand that their flavours are not only unique but as many countries changed in every region, they are not easy to duplicate. I found the taste of British style of Indian food a bit sweet as the real one uses a variety of fruits and species not used in any where else. Even though, I had never been able to eat food very hot (with lots of chilies), Indian food is full of delicious species which I am able to eat. However, it is also very recommendable to ask the chef to make an exception to your food and mind the chili level.
All my life, for me India meant the Taj Mahal, however I was very grateful that I was able to visit a country with such rich culture that you are not able to see in any other country in the world. This is because their architectural style is unique to their culture, this is why in most countries in Asia you can easily recognised any Indian building and understand that you are in Little India.
I believe that India is one of those countries that should be in everyone’s bucket list, however, you need to be very cautious as there are many cities to visit and there is always not a lot of budget to cover them all, as the distance between them are very long.
Therefore, my recommendation is to travel to the one place that you always dream to visit in India and then depending on the length of your trip to make arrangement to visit place which are within driving distance of your main place.
Travelling by car as it needs a driver is very expensive but comfortable. You can always travel by train, it has different fares but it is a bit crowded. Therefore, transportation is a very key item to be considered on your travel budget.
The only thing that I do not think is a problem is accommodation as there are always places suitable to any budget.
Therefore, travel to India but travel smart and enjoy everything and absorb as much a you are capable because being in such a rich culture you would not be able to explore it all in one trip.
Agra Fort
Baha’l Fort
Humayun’s Tomb
India Gate
Jantar Mantar
Qutb Minar
Red Fort
Taj Mahal
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