Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal

From Ladakh, we returned to mainstream India and traveled back to Delhi, the national capital. There aren’t very many tourist attractions in Delhi, it’s more of a city for diplomats and businesspeople. But Delhi is one of the main gateways into and out of the country and it has good proximity to Agra, which is the home of the Taj Mahal and hence India’s prime tourist destination.

From Delhi, we arranged transportation to Agra. There, we saw the ruins of Fatehpur Sikri, once the capital of India’s Mughal Empire, as well as the impressive Agra Fort. But the main attraction is the Taj Mahal, which really is as impressive as you imagine it to be. The odd part is that Agra is an unattractive city and, like Varanasi, is populated by all sorts of unusual characters. So it’s a bit of a chore to actually get to the Taj Mahal, but once you're inside the complex the touts are gone, the lawn is manicured, and everything is clean and bright. It’s an oasis of peace amidst the chaos of India. The building itself is larger than I’d imagined, while the symmetry and details of the architecture are perhaps even more striking than in the photos.

Here is the must-have picture for all visitors to Agra: