A sunrise visit to the Taj Mahal, an unexpectedly fascinating tour of Agra Fort, and an evening wander through the gardens of Mehtab Bagh, complete with monkeys, tuk‑tuks, and cold rooftop drinks.
My Visit to the Taj Mahal.
We left the hotel on our coach before sunrise to visit the Taj Mahal. It was a little cold as we set off, and many of us wore extra layers to keep warm. The coach took us through the streets of Agra to the Taj Mahal car park, where it stopped, and we transferred to tuk‑tuks for the final part of the journey.
When we arrived at the entrance, we found large queues already forming. We joined the tourist queue, one of two lines, the other being reserved for residents. After waiting for a while, we went through security, where bags, including camera bags, were searched, and everyone was frisked. The ladies were taken to a separate entrance with a “modesty” tent so they could be searched out of view of the men.
Once inside, our guide shared more about the Taj Mahal's history, and we all took photos of our first glimpse of the magnificent monument.
After the introduction, we walked up to the main building and joined a short queue to go inside. I hadn’t realised you could actually enter the Taj Mahal, I’d always assumed you could only walk around the gardens, so I was pleased to join the line. The building was incredibly ornate, and as I stood beside the vast, decorated marble walls, I looked up at them in awe.
The queue moved quickly, and we entered in a single line. The interior was just as beautifully decorated. In the centre of the mausoleum were the cenotaphs of Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal; the actual sarcophagi lie beneath them at garden level. Photography inside was not allowed, and the guards kept everyone moving. Soon, we emerged on the far side of the building, looking out over the Yamuna River.
After exploring the grounds a little more, our group gathered at the famous photo spot in front of the Taj Mahal for a group picture. Once it was taken, we left the grounds and made our way back to the coach.
We returned to the hotel for a short break before heading out again to explore Agra.
My Visit to Agra Fort.
Once we had rested, we boarded the coach and were driven to Agra Fort. I hadn’t given much thought to visiting it beforehand, but I was glad we went. It was an exciting and inspiring place. It looked like it would have been a wonderful place to live, and the views over the river towards the Taj Mahal were spectacular.
Our guide told us that Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal, was imprisoned in the fort by his son to stop him from spending the family inheritance on the Mehtab Bagh. He spent his remaining years there, overlooking the monument he had built for his wife and the grounds where he had planned to construct the Mehtab Bagh.
After leaving Agra Fort, we were driven back through the city to our hotel, where I rested until it was time to go out again in the evening.
My Visit to Mehtab Bagh.
Our coach dropped us at a small car park near Mehtab Bagh, and we all climbed into small tuk‑tuks for the short ride to the entrance. The driver of our electric tuk‑tuk insisted I sit in the front seat beside him, and all the way there he kept asking if I wanted to steer. I was pretty happy to let him continue driving.
Mehtab Bagh has no buildings remaining apart from foundations, just landscaped gardens. When we visited, many of the gardens needed tidying, and, given the season, none of the flowers were in bloom. I walked through the grounds towards the foundations where the building should once have stood. Birds hopped through the gardens, and monkeys ran through the trees.
When I reached the low wall overlooking the Yamuna River to get a better view of the Taj Mahal across the water, I saw numerous monkeys running along it. At one point, one of them grabbed for my phone, which I had placed on the wall. Luckily, I reacted quickly enough to scare him off, picked up the phone immediately, and didn’t put it down again.
When we left the gardens, the tuk‑tuk driver once again insisted that I should drive, but I politely refused. Back at the coach, he asked me for a tip, which I suspect had been his motive all along, but as our guide had already paid him, I declined.
Once everyone had returned to the coach, we headed back to the hotel. After something to eat, many of my companions went up to the rooftop bar. I joined them briefly, but it was very cold, so I returned to my room and went to bed.
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