The Taj Mahal is described as one of the great testimonies to love and is one of the wonders of the world. Excited at the prospect of seeing it, a five-hour journey from New Delhi to Agra seemed trivial. Leaving Delhi at the crack of dawn when the city was barely awake made for splendid photographs and the unbelievable joy of sparse traffic on the roads.
Getting to Agra itself is a fascinating journey as you go from urban city to rural lands, getting first-hand experience of everyday life.
Hour after hour stretched by after a quick breakfast stop at a quaint Rajasthani restaurant where a little girl, her brother and father welcomed us with traditional dances and songs. The landscape was dotted with universities, temples and large statues of Hindu deities.
At first sight, Agra was not impressive. It looked ugly, dirty, polluted and overpopulated. But rising from the midst of all this is the magnificent Taj Mahal, which draws tourists like moths to a flame. Despite the hype, it was every bit as good as expected.
But the Taj is not a stand-alone attraction. The legacy of the Mughal empire has left a magnificent fort and a sprinkling of fascinating tombs and mausoleums, while the Yamuna River provides a suitably sacred backdrop.
The story of the Taj Mahal is well known. Mughal emperor Shah Jehan, overcome with grief at the death of his wife Mumtaz Jehan during the birth of their 14th child, built the imposing monument as her tomb.
Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1648 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished five years later.
Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words: “Should guilty seek asylum here, like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin. Should a sinner make his way to this mansion, all his past sins are to be washed away. The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs; and the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes. In this world this edifice has been made; to display thereby the creator’s glory.”
The Mughal emperor Babur established his capital here in 1526, and for the next century Agra witnessed a remarkable spate of architectural activity as each emperor tried to outdo the grandiose monuments built by his predecessors.
Today, the Taj, under threat of pollution, has undergone some minor changes to ensure its preservation. You have to wear cotton slippers over your shoes or walk barefoot, the tombs in the main mausoleums have been screened off, and you are not allowed to take photographs in the main mausoleum.
That it is magnificent is an understatement. It is an architectural feat of all times considering the period in which it was built. It is mind-blowing to see the minute detail etched in marble and hand-carved flowers embedded with semi-precious gemstones. A poignant touch is that flowers engraved on the walls are depicted as wilted.
A lively market lining the streets just before the entrance to the monument offers a few bargains, but I was fascinated by the persistent boys, with their American drawls, selling souvenirs.
“Madam, most of the tourists here are Americans. At school we are taught to speak with an American accent so we can strike quick conversation with them. It also gives us a heads-up,” said one.
Moghuls are also known for another Indian great – introducing the world to breyani. Sadly, my search for my favourite dish was not too impressive, especially in Agra. I think South Africans have perfected this basic Indian recipe.
Next stop was Jaipur, an amazingly beautiful city with structured traffic and free-flowing roads, unlike the rest of India. We even saw traffic police handing out tickets to errant drivers.
We were lucky enough to be in India a few days before Diwali and Jaipur, aka the Pink City, celebrated it with fervour.
To say that Jaipur, meaning City of Victory, is an architectural wonder is an understatement.
Huge palaces and forts, which have been turned into hotels as India’s traditional Maharajas were displaced by the British rule faced economic turmoil, are an amazing sight.
Founded by Maharaja Jai Singh II, his descendants still live in the many palaces in Jaipur. A little known fact about Jaipur is that it is built in the form of a nine-part Mandala (Hindu circle). Nine signifies the nine planets of the ancient astrological zodiac.
It is well known that Sawai Jai Singh II was a great astronomer. The commercial shops are designed in multiples of nine (27), having one cross street for a planet.
Then it was on to Chowki Dhani, a quintessential tourist venture, capturing the essence of day-to-day Rajasthani village life. Spread over 10 acres of beautifully landscaped area for a rustic look, it is dotted with platforms where different folk artists perform concurrently.
A village fair is created every evening as an ongoing celebration of the rich and vibrant cultural heritage of Rajasthan.
There was a traditional magic and puppet show, acrobatics, an astrologer, and a fortune teller, all of which held us spellbound. There’s even an artificial forest with sounds of animals and tribes, boating, horse riding, camel riding and elephant riding.
And when you have had your fill of that, you can settle in at a traditional restaurant, where you leave your shoes at the door, and sit cross-legged style on the floor to be fed traditional Rajasthani supper from hand woven leaf plates.
This food is the closest to South African Indian cooking I have tasted in all of India.
Another late night and yet another early morning would see us on the last leg of our journey in Mumbai. - Sunday Tribune
l Next week, Niyanta travels to Mumbai and Delhi.