top of page
MISS LEADING TOUR GUIDE
AGRA
Agra is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh near the banks of the Yamuna River and houses the giant beauty known to the world as the Taj Mahal. Thousands of locals and tourists flock to this city mostly to pay a visit to the world renowned mausoleum. This isn’t an easy journey for many, as you’ll have to battle through the large amount of crowds, rickshaw wallahs, motocycles and vendors selling you anything and everything. You will need patience and perseverance. The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum commissioned by Shah Jahan in 1631 for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It took approximately twenty years to build with the help of twenty thousand people and  roughly 1000 elephants carrying the materials.
Agra: Accessibility Policy
We embarked on our journey to Agra from Jaipur by car which was mostly highway driving alongside many colourfully decorated trucks with lights and glittery tassels. Before arriving in Agra, we stopped in at the city of Fatehpur Sikri, built by the Emperor Akbar. It is in this place that Akbar had built three palaces for his favourite three wives, each embraced a different religion with each palace representing its own unique style. While visiting this small city, make sure to step into the Shrine of Salim Chishti. This beautiful white marble marvel is believed to be a wish fulfilling place where three knots are tied with multi coloured threads on the marble screen and is believed to grant the three wishes.
Agra: Accessibility Policy
Agra: Image
Arriving in Agra early evening gave us a chance to check into our hotel and drive to see the Taj Mahal at sunset. We arrived near the mausoleum around dusk and sat on the cement wall many kilometres away, watching the sun go down on this grand structure. Its size was really hard to comprehend when you saw it from a distance.
Agra: Accessibility Policy
Agra: Image
The Taj Mahal just after sunrise.
The beautiful and intricate inscriptions and tile work.
The Yamuna River seen from the Taj Mahal.
The Taj Mahal just after sunrise.
The next morning was welcomed with a 5 am wake up call to see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. We lined up to get into the mausoleum and walked through the arched gateways with eager eyes searching for the first glimpse of the monument through the crowd. Take the time to walk around at your own pace to discover the interior and exterior of the monument. You’ll be easily drawn to explore the interior with awe, but don’t forget to go out to the terrace and admire the beautiful work of the tiles, colours, patterns and inscriptions laid out for you to see. We took a moment to sit on the terrace and thought about the immense work that went into creating this place, leaving us inspired. Taking your eyes away from the Taj for a bit, look out into all four directions and admire the beautiful symmetric gardens along with the Yamuna River flowing at a rather steady peaceful pace but which also looks like as though its drying up. The river has been polluted for many years and the fish have disappeared leaving many insects to thrive, ruining the ecosystem and the foundation on which the Taj stands on. If you’ve got some time, then pay a visit to the Baby Taj that’s located a short distance from the Taj Mahal. It is often referred to as the Jewel Box and was built to house Itmad-ud-Daulah’s tomb. This structure was believed to be one of the first marble structure to be built alongside the Yamuna river and the main inspiration behind the Taj Mahal.
Agra: Accessibility Policy
With sight seeing in Agra coming to an end, it was time for us to head to the train station to board the train to Varanasi, 626 km away. Once we arrived at the train station, we were told the train was delayed by three hours, which is more often a regular occurrence. In that time, our driver Vicky, took us to his house to introduce us to his family. We stopped by the store to pick up some baby gifts and went to his house where we met his wife, parents and his new born baby. It was a short visit, but a very beautiful moment exchanged between strangers. After leaving his house, we had a quick dinner at a local restaurant before heading back to the train station. The platform was filled with passengers on the floor, some sleeping and some eating while waiting for the train to arrive. We were shocked to walk through the platform, carefully watching our steps to try not to step on the bed sheets and blankets that were laid out by the families. It was a scene we have never seen or experienced before and quite honestly, uncomfortable feelings and uncertainty was settling in. Vicky waited with us at the train station the entire time, allowing us to sit in his car until the train arrived. He waited until we were in our cabin. We shared a space with two others, one local man one foreign traveller whose destination was also Varanasi. The 14 hour train ride was spent sleeping while being serenaded by the slow chug chug sound of a steam engine locomotive, reading to pass the time, snacking on local chips and cookies, and when the sun rose, looking out at the beautiful countryside. While the journey felt endless, we finally arrived in Varanasi.
Agra: Accessibility Policy
bottom of page