Ninjineer

a Nerd with Delusions of Wonder

The Taj Mahal Experience [The India Trip - 6 of 6] — (Photo taken 2004-07-01)

We got started for Agra around 5:30am. It’s a four hour drive from Delhi. Along the way …

• Besides the run-of-the-mill horse-drawn, donkey-drawn, and cattle-drawn carts, we saw examples of water buffalo-drawn and camel-drawn ones too. No elephants though.
• The road we were on was a divided, two-lanes-each-way highway. At one point, oncoming traffic started barreling down on us using our fast lane. Their side of the highway apparently was closed and they had been routed to our side., There had been no signs or cones or any other warning to inform cars moving in our direction.
• At one point, I saw a whole line of ladies walking with water urns on their heads just like at the end of Disney’s Jungle Book, except they were doing it down the median of the highway.
• There were several points along the way where tolls had to be paid. At one such point, our driver parked and went off to pay the tolls. Near us were three or four monkeys and two bears. All were on ropes with handlers. My buddy got out to pet a monkey and take a couple pictures. The guy had him stand astride the bear, and one of them took a picture with his camera. When it was time to get back in the car, the guy demanded 1000 rupees for the privilege. My buddy managed to get away for only 100 rupees.

As soon as we parked near the Taj Mahal, hawkers and “official” guides mobbed the car. We managed to make our way clear of most of them, though a couple of the guides insisted on pacing us for the half-mile stroll to the entrance. During the walk they repeatedly tried to convince us that our driver was only going to rip us off and that we should avail ourselves of their services. Our driver was one of the school’s regular drivers. We knew he was a stand-up guy. My buddy got fed up with the insults and told them to bugger off in less than friendly terms. That seemed to get through to them, and they finally wandered off.

>Ticket price to enter Taj Mahal was 20 rupees for Indians. For non-Indians, the rate was 700 rupees.

We cleared the first guard point and were on our way through the second when one of the guards realized that my buddy was carrying a Palm Pilot. As far as the guard was concerned, that device fell under the same category as cell phones, which are forbidden. We tromped back through the first check point, found a locker where he could leave the Pilot, and then passed through the screening again.

Just after the first check point is a wide courtyard. It was home to a dozen or so photographers. Like the other hawkers, they quickly descended on us. One of them had the sense to hit us with a soft sell, and we agreed to his pitch. He took us to the spot where the geometry works out such that one looks like they’re touching the tip of the dome. On our way out, we picked up our prints.

We had to remove our shoes before approaching the Taj Mahal proper. It was around 1:00PM on 100+°F day, so the temperature was not entirely pleasant on bare feet. Surprisingly, it was more bearable walking on the marble than on the burlap carpets.

Going inside the building, another “official” guide glommed onto us. This one was actually pleasant. He explained to us where all the different inlay materials came from and demonstrated how several of them were translucent when exposed to light. He also rattled off the site’s history and showed us about. Amusingly, he would move aside unguided persons, so we could stand in each of the tomb’s significant spots. After the tour, the guide merely asked for a tip if we felt like it. We were happy to provide one.

Leaving the site, we were once again mobbed with hawkers. We managed to wade past them, only to encounter the original group of hawkers at the parking lot. They continued pressing us even after we’d slipped back into the car.

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