Taj Mahal - For Love

Another bucket-list thing done. Last time I was in New Delhi felt so crap I could not muster the strength to even get myself out of bed. Let alone sit a whole day in a car to Agra. This time 6 days in India and not a single stomach issue! Thank you BioGaia products :) And probably also because Marriott & Meridien has "better than streetfood" hygiene...

Rented a car for 6 am in the morning to drive me out to Agra. It's a 3 hour drive out of Delhi. The sky was clearing visibly while we were driving. Delhi is seriously badly polluted. Not even Beijing and Shanghai are like this. So far the only worse I can think of is Lahore. 

The Taj Mahal is a tomb build for the kings wife. He had many wives but only one he loved and this was to be her final resting place. She did not even know that the king was building it before it was done. Took 22 years to make and cost a LOOOOT of money. The king wanted a build a replica but black Taj Mahal behind this one. But, his son stopped him and put him into the nearby fortress as a "prisoner". Reason? Because it would have bankrupted the whole kingdom to build a second one, and specially in black marble. Too bad, because today it would be an amazing sight. After visiting the tomb I went to see the fortress which served as a "prison" of the king for 9 years before he died a natural death. He was buried alongside with his beloved wife. What crazy things we do for love...

Early 6 am sunrise 

Big roads, and all empty

Stopped on the way for a break, locals sleeping in the bushes

 And some people watching from the car...

Bananas anyone?

Only in India

It's not an urban legend that people travel on the roof

Tuk tuks 

Yes!!

 BMWs & Buffalos on the road

Gate to the Taj Mahal

 Each cone represent 1 year of building the Taj

 Here she is!

 LOADS of people, each day about 12.000 visitors

Amazing craftsmanship

Inside the Taj, the tomb of the kings wife and himself

2 side temples, identical on left and right

4 minarets to create a look that the Taj Mahal actually feels larger. Each tower is not big enough to crush the main building IF it would fall. Smart!

Courtyard

Red red red

They make a lot of marble crafting in Agra, big income for the city

Slow work, small colourful rocks are glued to the marble forming beautiful formations

The final work looks amazing, and this marble is special and responds to light

Reaching the fort or "prison"

 Amazing crafting

 Taj from far

 

Was an amazing day! Now to the airport and night-flight to Singapore