🪯Agra & The Taj Mahal.

The Taj Mahal is a symbol of eternal love and a masterpiece of architectural brilliance. Today, I visited this world-famous monument.

My visit to the Taj Mahal.

We left the hotel on our coach before sunrise to see the 🔗Taj Mahal. It was a little cold as we left, and many of us were wearing layers to keep warm. Our coach drove us through the streets of Agra to the Taj Mahal car park, where it parked, and we were transferred to tuk-tuks to make the last part of the journey. When we arrived at the entrance, we found large queues of people already at the entrance. We joined the tourist queue. There were two separate queues, one for tourists, including Indian tourists and those from other nationalities, and another just for locals.

We queued for a while and went through security, where bags, including camera bags, were searched and frisked. Ladies were taken to a separate entrance, where a "modesty" tent was set up to allow them to be searched and frisked out of view of the men in the queue. Once inside, our guide provided us with more information about the Taj Mahal's history, and we all took photos of our first glimpse of the magnificent Monument.

After our guide had told us about the Taj Mahal, we moved up to the main building, where we joined a short queue to go inside. I didn't realise that you could actually go inside the Taj Mahal, I had always thought you could only look around the gardens, so I was happy to join the queue. The building itself is very ornate, and as I stood next to the vast, decorated outer marble walls, I looked at it in awe. The queue didn't take long for us to enter, and we proceeded in a single line. The Interior of the building was equally well decorated, and in the centre of the mausoleum are the cenotaphs for Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The actual sarcophagi are beneath the tombs, at the garden level. We were not allowed to take photographs inside, and the guards kept the line of people moving. We were soon on the other side of the Taj Mahal, looking out over the Yamuna River from the side of the building.

After we had explored the grounds a little further, our tour group assembled in the famous photo spot in front of the Taj Mahal for a group photo. Once we had had our photo taken, we left the grounds and made our way back to the coach.

Photos: Taj Mahal.

These photos were taken at the Taj Mahal during my visit to Agra. Click on any image to see a larger version of the image with a description.

• The Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.

  The Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India.

• Alan Morris posing for the obligatory photo at the Taj Mahal in Agra. Wearing my Arsenal shirt in photos around the world has become a travel routine for me.

  Alan Morris posing for the obligatory photo at the Taj Mahal in Agra.

• This very ornate building at the Taj Mahal complex is now used as the public toilet.

  Ornate building at the Taj Mahal used as the public toilet.

• Alan Morris stood in a queue at the base of the Taj Mahal. The queue didn't take long, and I was able to get inside.

  Alan Morris stood in a queue at the base of the Taj Mahal.

• The view from the Taj Mahal looking back towards the entrance gate across some gardens.

  View from the Taj Mahal looking back towards the entrance gate.

• Alan Morris in the grounds of the Taj Mahal in Agra.

  Alan Morris in the grounds of the Taj Mahal in Agra.

• The front door of the Taj Mahal.

  The front door of the Taj Mahal.

• Alan Morris stood outside the rear entrance of the Taj Mahal.

  Alan Morris stood outside the rear entrance of the Taj Mahal.

• Alan Morris stood outside the rear entrance of the Taj Mahal, close to the Taj Mahal Mosque.

  Alan Morris stood outside the rear entrance of the Taj Mahal.

• Fishermen getting into boats and people walking along the bank of the Yamuna River next to the Taj Mahal.

  Fishermen getting into boats and people walking along the bank of the Yamuna River.

• Alan Morris on the grounds of the Taj Mahal in Agra.

  Alan Morris on the grounds of the Taj Mahal in Agra.

• The Taj Mahal Mausoleum in Agra.

  The Taj Mahal Mausoleum in Agra.

• Alan Morris at the Taj Mahal in Agra.

  Alan Morris at the Taj Mahal in Agra.

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After leaving the Taj Mahal, we returned to our hotel for a brief break before heading out again to explore Agra.

My visit to Agra Fort.

When we had all rested, we got back on the coach and were driven to 🔗Agra Fort. I hadn't previously thought much about visiting here, but I was happy we went; it was an exciting and inspiring experience. It would have been a great place to live, and the views over the river towards the Taj Mahal were wonderful. Our guide told us that Shah Jahan, who had commissioned the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned there after he had built it, to stop him from spending his son's inheritance on the Mehtab Bagh. He spent his remaining years in prison, residing in the fort overlooking the monument he had built for his wife and the grounds where he had planned to construct the Mehtab Bagh.

Photos: Agra Fort.

These photos were all taken during my visit to Agra Fort. Click on any image to see a larger version and a description of the photo.

• Alan Morris in front of the main entrance to Agra Fort.

  Alan Morris in front of the main entrance to Agra Fort.

• Alan Morris in front of the main entrance to Agra Fort.

  Alan Morris in front of the main entrance to Agra Fort.

• People entering and exiting the main entrance to Agra Fort.

  People entering and exiting the main entrance to Agra Fort.

• People I was touring with, in a garden in Agra Fort, in front of the Jahangiri Mahal.

  People I was touring with in a garden in Agra Fort.

• Garden in Agra Fort in front of the Jahangiri Mahal.

  Garden in Agra Fort in front of the Jahangiri Mahal.

• A tower on the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort.

  A tower on the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort.

• Wall and tower of the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort.

  Wall and tower of the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort.

• Alan Morris stood in front of the arched entrance to the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort.

  Alan Morris stood in front of the arched entrance to the Jahangiri Mahal.

• Indian ladies gathered in a courtyard of the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort.

  Indian ladies gathered in a courtyard of the Jahangiri Mahal.

• The tour group listening to our tour guide in the courtyard of the Jahangiri Mahal in the Agra Fort.

  Tour group listening to our tour guide in the courtyard of the Jahangiri Mahal.

• Alan Morris sat in the courtyard of the Jahangiri Mahal, Agra Fort.

  Alan Morris sat in the courtyard of the Jahangiri Mahal, Agra Fort.

• View of the Taj Mahal through a window at the Jahangiri Mahal, Agra Fort.

  View of the Taj Mahal through a window at the Jahangiri Mahal, Agra Fort.

• Alan Morris at the Jahangiri Mahal, Agra Fort.

  Alan Morris at the Jahangiri Mahal, Agra Fort.

• View of the Taj Mahal from the Agra Fort.

  View of the Taj Mahal from the Agra Fort.

• The Roshnara Ara Pavillion in Agra Fort.

  The Roshnara Ara Pavillion in Agra Fort.

• Alan Morris in the Anguri Bagh in Agra Fort. A beautifully laid-out garden area.

  Alan Morris in the Anguri Bagh in Agra Fort.

• A view from Agra Fort, with the Shah Jahani Mahal in the foreground and the Taj Mahal in the background.

  Shah Jahani Mahal in the foreground and the Taj Mahal in the background.

• Alan Morris by the Shah Jahani Mahal in Agra Fort. In the background is the Taj Mahal.

  Alan Morris by the Shah Jahani Mahal in Agra Fort.

• The Taj Mahal can be seen in the distance over the walls of Agra Fort.

  Taj Mahal in the distance over the walls of Agra Fort.

• Alan Morris inside the Diwan-i-Aam at Agra Fort.

  Alan Morris inside the Diwan-i-Aam at Agra Fort.

• Alan Morris inside Agra Fort.

  Photo by Christiana.
  Alan Morris inside Agra Fort.

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When we left the Agra Fort, we were driven back through Agra to our hotel, where I rested until we went out again this evening to visit the Mehtab Bagh.

My visit to Mehtab Bagh.

Our coach dropped us off at a small car park near the Mehtab Bagh, and we all climbed into small tuk-tuks for the short trip to the Mehtab Bagh entrance. The driver of our electronic tuk-tuk insisted I sit next to him on the front seat, and all the way to the entrance, he kept asking me if I wanted to steer and drive the tuk-tuk. I was quite happy to let him continue driving and let him take us to the entrance himself.

Apart from foundations, there are no buildings at Mehtab Bagh, just landscaped gardens. When we visited, many of the gardens were in need of tidying up, and due to the season, none of the flowers were yet in bloom. I walked through the gardens and towards the foundations where the building would have been built. I saw quite a few birds hopping through the gardens and many monkeys running through the trees. When I passed the foundations and approached a low wall overlooking the Yamuna River to get a better view of the Taj Mahal across the water, I saw numerous monkeys running along the wall. At one point, one of the monkeys grabbed for my phone, which I had placed on the wall, but luckily, I did enough to scare him off as he tried to pick it up. I quickly picked it back up, and I didn't put it down again.

Photos: Mehtab Bagh.

These photos were all taken during my brief visit to Mehtab Bagh.

Click on any image to see a larger version of the image with a description. Use the navigation below the thumbnail images to see the previous set of images, the next set of images, or the previous or following photo albums.

• View of the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh gardens. I would love to visit these gardens when the plants are all in bloom.

  View of the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh gardens.

• View of the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh Gardens. This was my artistic shot through the trees, and I love it.

  View of the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

• Alan Morris stood in the Mehtab Bagh Gardens, with the Taj Mahal behind him across the River Yamuna.

  Alan Morris stood in the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

• View of the Taj Mahal complex across the River Yamuna from the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

  View of the Taj Mahal complex across the River Yamuna from the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

• Alan Morris, with a view of the Taj Mahal complex across the River Yamuna from the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

  Alan Morris, with a view of the Taj Mahal complex across the River Yamuna from the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

• This naughty monkey tried to steal my phone while I was making a video, but I got there in time to stop it from being stolen. This shot was taken as it ran off along the wall in the Mehtab Bagh Gardens, next to the River Yamuna.

  Monkeys arse.

• The Taj Mahal from the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

  The Taj Mahal from the Mehtab Bagh Gardens.

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When we left the gardens, the tuk-tuk driver kept insisting that I should drive again, but I still politely refused. When we got back to our coach, he dropped us off and asked me if I wanted to give him a tip. This, I suspect, was his entire reason for offering me the chance to drive the tuk-tuk. I had declined the chance to drive the tuk-tuk, and as our tour guide had just paid him, I also declined his kind offer to tip him. When everybody had returned to the coach, we all returned to our hotel, and after having something to eat, many of my companions went to the bar on the roof. I went with them, but it was very cold, so I went back to my room and went to bed.