Utter Rubbish and Tips on Taj Mahal, Agra

Unless you have gone through this blog, don’t bother about reading other information on India’s 16th century architectural wonder that still fascinates the entire world. POTUS & LOTUS Donald and Melania came and sang its peans. So, did Ivanka and Jared. What still ticks for this amazing beauty?

You want to be prepared and so does your spouse.You gotta click that famed selfie or kodak/canon/minolta moment for posterity.

Some eye openers to think about:

You will bump into an expert guide who will scare your wits and scare you mentally much before you have reached the entrance. They warn you about local selfie seekers, robbers touts and fraud guides. So how can it be an amazing one-time experience?

Booking train tickets without a guide.

It could be hellish unless you have an agent book a ticket for you. Donald And Melania did not have a problem because Air Force staff managed it all at least 6 months in advance.

Everyone isn’t luck as the POTUS. A private car from a reputed rental agency is a better choice. And ensure it is booked in advance.

If you come with kids…

Explain from their point of view. They won’t understand the romance part of this monument. Explaining it otherwise would be a monumental disaster. In brief is a short Taj bio that most tourists understand (including Donald Trump).

if you are an Indian, ask your grandmother/father about the Taj. The international tourists have enough travel blogs to get both facts and fiction about why this white mausoleum is a work of art and undying love.

India’s most popular tourist destination, Taj Mahal was built in 1653 AD by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in loving memory of his deceased wife Mumtaz. Taj is one the seven wonders of the world and it attracts over 3 million visitors in a year. Entirely built in white marble, Taj Mahal is a great example of Indian architecture during the Mughal era. The construction of this monument took a time period of 22 years. A workforce of 20,000 laborers was brought from here and there for building the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is considered to be the seventh wonder of the world.

Over a 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials during the construction.

Estimated Money Spent to build Taj Mahal:      35 million rupees (750,000 USD)

Agra is in the Northern state of Uttar Pradesh. It is 200 Kms south of capital city new Delhi. The nearest airport is the Indira Gandhi International airport, New Delhi.

There are 2 main railway stations in Agra.

Agra cantonment (Trains from Delhi, Gwalior, Jhansi stops at this station)

Agra Fort Station (Trains from Rajastan stops here)

Tickets are expensive for international tourists

Arrive early and depart early

From sunrise to sunset, tickets are sold. If you do not arrive early, you may get quashed!

Recently, friendly locals have started explaining where the toilets are. Well, Swacch Bharat is going somewhere.

A rubbish tip that some people give… If there is a smog, you will not be able to see the monument clearly . Just ignore this B*–t.

Me time is impossible. Well if you look around there are spots where you can simply sit and reflect. There are beautiful gardens around and shady trees. Imagine Shah Jahan and Mumtaz strolling around quietly, wondering why so many people come to disturb their peace.

Agra is not clean, move out quickly.

Noo. Don’t do this. There are parts of the city that are still worth visiting. There are local attractions too like Agra city, Fatehpur Sikri Fort, Jahangir Mahal, Agra Fort, Jama masjid, itmad ud daulah tomb, Chini Ka Rauza, Akbar’s mausoleum.Visit local attractions, do shopping(Agra  is famous for  marble tabletops and floral designs, leather and carpets. If you are famished go for Agra Peta (Crystallized pumpkin), Naan, Tandoori Chicken, Agra is famous for Mughlai cooking.