Third stop: Agra
Our third stop is the city of Agra.
(Click on each image to see the high-resolution version)
We stopped at a Lord Shiva statue on the way from Delhi to Agra.
At our lunch stop, we saw this musician playing a traditional instrument. He was looking for a tip, of course, but his appearance looked authentic enough.
You don't go to Agra to visit the city. You go there to visit the Taj Mahal. We arrived at the main gateway to the complex.
At last, we could see the magnificent Taj Mahal through the gateway.
Inside, everything is meticulously maintained. We were lucky that this was a sunny day and the light was perfect. Seeing the Taj Mahal is definitely one of the things on my "bucket list", and this moment when the Taj Mahal is glowing in all its splendor is something I will always remember.
A funny thing I noticed is that the workers used cow-powered mowers to cut the grass. This is why you travel half way across the globe to go to places: nobody will tell you (at least I did not know) that they cut grass this way at the Taj Mahal! You find out yourself, and you smell the scent of newly-cut grass.
Taj Mahal from another angle.
Marble plate on the surface of the Taj Mahal, which is full of beautiful and intricate patterns.
The guesthouse. Would I not want to spend a night there!
A couple of details of the architecture of the Taj Mahal -- the minaret and the Decorative Guldastas.
In the back of the Taj Mahal, which is on the bank of the Yamuna River.
A few scenes on the Yamuna River -- a man propelling a boat using a quant pole; a man squatting on the river bank; and watermelon fields by the Yamuna River.
Here's another thing that I noticed at the Taj Mahal -- the "chirping" Squirrel. I believe this is an Indian Palm Squirrel, a very active critter whose barking sounds like a bird chirping.
Our last look at the Taj Mahal.
Our next stop in the afternoon was Agra Fort. Contrasting with the white marbles of the Taj Mahal, the red sandstone of the fort shows its own brilliance in the warm afternoon sun.
In the center of the fort is the Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience).
Not surprisingly, the ubiquitous Rose-ringed Parakeets also roost at the fort.
The most interesting aspect of the Agra Fort is that it offers a distant view of the Taj Mahal. As the sun set, the Taj Mahal took on a pinkish tinge and looked almost like a mirage in the distance. However, in the shadow of the magnificent palace, locals still had to go about their daily life, including burning their trash.
A group of macaque monkeys paid a visit to the fort at sundown. They looked quite at home here, and familiar with human garbage.
The nest morning we visited Jama Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. Our experience was partially tarnished by the pesky "guides" hawking for customers.
Here I got even closer looks at the Rose-ringed Parakeets, some were even mating.
The entrance gateway to the mosque is very grand, reminiscent of the Taj Mahal, but the real spectacle is the many hornet nests hanging from the ceiling.
A side gate outside Jama Masjid, with two goats looking on.
Thus ended our trip to Agra and we were on our way to Jaipur. On one of the stops I took a picture of a homestead with their camels, one of our glimpses into the rural Indian life.
Lord Shiva
Musician
Gateway to the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal through the gateway
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
Marble
Mysore Palace
Mysore Palace
Minaret
Decorative Guldastas
Back of the Taj Mahal and the Yamuna River
Boatman with a quant pole
Man on the bank of the Yamuna River
Yamuna River
Squirrel
Taj Mahal
Agra Fort
Agra Fort
Agra Fort
Agra Fort
Agra Fort
Diwan-i-Am
Diwan-i-Am
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Agra Fort
Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal
Monkey
Monkey
Monkeys
Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid
Jama Masjid
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeet
Rose-ringed Parakeets
Jama Masjid
Gate
Roadside
