Visiting Agra: Not just for the Taj Mahal

Traveller Lesson #42
Always set up multiple back-up Alarms! On the morning of the 24 July we were scheduled to wake up at 4:45am, for a Rickshaw to pick us up at 5:15 and take us to the station in Jaipur.
Instead of setting a new alarm, I "recycled" one of the ones already on my phone, and set it for 4:45am. What I didn't notice at the time was that the alarm was set to go off on *WEEKDAYS*. As you can imagine, we didn't wake up in time, and our hotel receptionist only saw it fit to come and wake us up to let us know that our Rickshaw driver had grown tired of waiting and left!
So, here we are, standing in the pouring monsoon rain at 5:20am with not an autorickshaw or taxi in sight, and the hotel staff telling us it will take at least 45 minutes to arrange a taxi pickup. Our train departs at 6:20am!
With nothing to lose we set off into the rain, running blindly in the direction of the train station. A taxi parked at the side of the road, but its driver nowhere to be seen. A couple of Indians squatting under an awning, telling us to get out of the rain and sit down. More running in the rain (and with the water about ankle deep). A rickshaw flashes past... it slows down, and we're allowed to squeeze in with some locals! Phew!
We're soaking wet, but we're at the station before our train even rolls into the station. Minor catastrophe averted, and hey, we're riding first class to Agra!

Agra: The Fort
The Mughal fort in Agra was started by Emperor Akbar in 1565, but it was Akbar's grandson Shah Jahan (the one who built the Taj) who made the most additions and turned the fort into the opulent palace that we see today. Good thing he dressed it up as he did too, as Aurangzeb, his son and heir, imprisoned him inside the fort for the last eight years of his life! Aurangzeb was considerate enough to give his father a room with a view of the Taj, so he could gaze upon the monument to his wife.
The fort's perimeter walls and much of the internal structure are made of finely carved red sandstone, but Shah Jahan's additions are in white marble, similar to the material used for the Taj. The fort is very impressive, its location on the banks of the Yamuna, with excellent views of the Taj Mahal, coupled with the overcast (read slightly cooler) weather made for an enjoyable visit. A special mention goes to the creative use of the English language that is used in the informative signs - the English isn't always crystal clear, but it is great fun trying to decipher the messages! The fort provides for plenty of photo opportunities and a bit of an adrenaline rush - many areas have sheer drops that kind of creep up on you as you try to get just the right angle for a photo, and not a single safety cordon to be seen.
Our Rickshaw Wallah was right when he suggested we wouldn't need a guide: armed with a good guidebook and the signage in the fort you can get a pretty decent idea of what it is you're looking at (and good luck trying to find a guide who can make themselves understood in English!).

Agra: City of Tombs
Onwards and upwards, Khan, our Rickshaw Wallah, took us to visit some other attractions in Agra, amongst them the Itimad-Ud-Daulah, also known as the Baby Taj. This mausoleum houses Mizra Ghiyas Beg, grandfather of Mumtaz Mahal (she who is buried in the Taj) and the emperor Jehangir's Wazir (cheif minister). Also sitting on the Yamuna river, it provides a taster for what the Taj has to offer - white marble, finely carved screens and inlaid pietra dura.
Moving on from the Baby Taj Khan took us to visit some other mausoleums, all nicely perched on the banks of the river and tucked away in shady areas. These made for a nice break from the hectic and smoggy chaos that reigned on the streets of Agra City.
Our last stop for the evening was the Mehtab Bagh, or just outside it actually. This park, built just across the water from the Taj Mahal, is the perfect spot to view the sun setting on the Taj Mahal, however everyone knows that you can save yourself Rs100 and walk down to the riverbank, where you'll have an identical view as the one afforded by the garden! A pity we visited India during the monsoon, as the overcast weather we had been so happy with earlier in the day made for a muddy sunset and no amazing colour changes. Ah well, one more reason to visit India again!

The Taj Mahal: Too great for words
The Taj Mahal. You'll have seen hundreds of pictures of it. The forecourt is always thronging with people. A mass of sari-wrapped women and men in kurtas and turbans, lots of camera clicking tourists and the inevitable touts and "guides".
Wake up early, and you'll see none of that! Aaron and I were at the West Gate at about 5:45am, so we were the first inside the complex. WOW! As you can see from the photos - not a soul in sight, except for a tag-along Indian who took us to all the "postcard photo" spots in exchange for a handful of rupees.
I'm finding it hard to put into words the feeling of walking through the outer gate, through the Mughal gardens with their symmetrical fountains and flower beds, with the white marble domes and minarets rising above you, looking a hell of a lot bigger than any picture might have suggested.
With lens barrels smoking from all the photos we'd taken we slowly approached the central building - Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan's mausoleum. Sitting on a raised platform with its four minarets standing guard, the Taj seems to float above you, reaching to the sky.
Shoes off, and onto the cool white marble. Up close and personal, one really appreciated the skill that goes into the pietra dura work. The craftsmen first carve a slot into the marble (say in the shape of a petal), into which they snugly slot a piece of coloured semi-precious stone. This is then polished till it becomes one with the marble - running your fingers over the patterns you cannot detect any joins or grooves. 20,000 Indians and craftsmen from Central Asia, 22 years, all for a monument in the name of love. Worth every drop of sweat that was shed.

Having had our fill of the Taj (we spent a good hour sitting in the gardens, observing from different angles) we decided to brave the streets of Taj Ganj once more. Our first stop was the burning Ghat situated close to the Taj. Ghats are platforms on the river banks, and burning Ghats are the pontoons that are used for Hindu burials and cremations. I don't think many people visit the burning Ghat in Agra, as Aaron and I attracted a lot of sideways glances (and many friendly nods too). The Ghat was not very busy when we visited, it looked as if a cremation had just been completed as a pile of ash was being gathered and thrown into the river.
Not wanting to impose our presence on mourners, we beat a hasty retreat back to the city, where we spent a couple of hours wandering the squalid lanes with their open sewers, meandering cows, occasional monkeys and mad motorists, before heading back to our guest house for a quick nap before taking our night train to Varanasi.