Agra and the Taj Mahal

From Jaipur to Agra was a 6 hour drive. The bus journey was made fun and interesting with discussions about religion, aliens and conspiracy theories. There were some interesting sights too, including 'poo houses' (my name). These are large piles of dried cow manure (used as cooking fuel) shaped into a variety of hut shapes and variously decorated. There were also many brick kilns, many of them actively in use.

The big thing in Agra is the Taj Mahal. It was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to commemorate his wife and trusted adviser, who died giving birth. It was built between 1631-1648 and is ever so slightly famous, being the most visited attraction in India, one of the new World Wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The entire complex is pretty, with gatehouses and gardens, and it backs onto a holy river, supposedly the second most holy in India after the Ganges. The mausoleum is built of bricks and covered in white marble. The 4 towers around it all slope out slightly so that should they fall they will fall away from the main building. The building and many of the outbuildings are symmetrical, something the Emperor was very keen on. The Emperor himself is now buried in the Mausoleum too, ironically making it unsymmetrical as his wife's tomb was in the middle so they had to put his off to one side!

Taj, from our hotel roof

Gatehouse, from the outside.

Black Kite, drinking from the recently watered grass

View through the gatehouse

The thronging crowds. Wasn't actually very crowded.
Numbers inside the grounds are strictly limited.

Our group.

View of the gatehouse from inside.

From inside the mausoleum 

Decorative script on the exterior

Taj from our hotel roof, at night.
(took it jokingly expecting it to be just black,
but it actually came out nicely!)