Saturday: Agra

Time to got to the Taj Mahal. Someone a couple weeks ago decided it would be fun if we all dressed up, and we just kinda went with it (typical, but a lot of fun!). So Saturday morning we got up around 4:30 as to be ready to go by 5:15. Us girls had to wrap our sarees, of which only two have much experience doing. Our program coordinator ended up coming in to help us out and wrap us up. They are much easier to wear than I anticipated. A saree is basically a small blouse (like a t-shirt that is cut off right below the chest) with a petticoat, and then 6 meters of fabric wrapped around like a skirt and draped over the shoulder. After we were all fancied up we got in our van that drove us most of the way. There are protective rules that doesn't allow any vehicles within a certain distance of the Taj unless it uses clean fuel in order to protect the structure. So some of us switched to a battery powered vehicle, and others got in rickshaws which run on compressed natural gas. So we got to the Taj Mahal complex and waited 'queued up' for about ten minutes before it opened.
Once inside, the Taj Mahal was just as expected. It looked like every postcard. But so much more. It was so grand, it was almost unreal. It was as if time has has no effect on the the structure itself. We took the typical picture in front of the Taj which was fun, but took a while. All of it is incredibly mind blowing to me. I can't wrap my mind about how they built this incredible complex in 10 years, and had such specific features without modern technology.

After we got the IES group picture done we all wandered off to check out the complex. To the left of the Taj is a mosque that is still in use, and to the left is a matching building that people believe was used a guest house. Everything was so symmetrical and matching. Except the actual tombs. The Taj was built by Shah Jahan as a memorial to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Her tomb was in the center of the Taj, and his was off to the side of hers, as though it were a side note. It is rare that a woman would be more important, and the man was just an after thought. The room in which they were buried was incredibly extravagant, with jewels int he walls, and incredible designs all around.

It was nice to just walk around and take it all on. The Yamuna river runs behind the Taj Mahal so that was really nice to see. Apparently it has been really low for years and years. Because of the increase in rain this year, it is said that it is close to what it would have looked like to Shah Jahan, with the river up closer to the Taj. Our teacher said she had never seen it that high.
After we left the Taj we bargained for some postcards and picture and then went back to the hotel for breakfast. We were at the Taj for over two hours, and it was only 8:00 am by the time we got back to the hotel. We had a couple hours to relax, so I took a nice two hour nap. After everyone woke up we checked out of the hotel and went on our way.
Our next stop was Agra Fort. It is pretty similar to the Red Fort in Delhi, but with less gardens, and more extravagance. Contrary to what I initially believed, most of the Mughal emperors were respected. Although there was fear from the dictators, they were mostly benign to their subjects.

(Picture to right taken by Andrew Wortham. My battery had died.) They did city planning, created wells and water tanks, distributed food, and tithed (of which the money went towards public works), there was also direct access to the emperor. Shah Jahan had a golden chain that people could shake to get his attention and try to get a meeting with him. The picture is a picture of part of his bedroom. There were also water canals through the fort to cool it down. Again, it was all pretty complex, developed, and intricate.
Our next stop was Itmad-Ud-Daulah Tomb. It is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal's grandfather (the woman who the Taj was made for). There is a lot of connectedness among families, it gets confusing. This was one of the more simple places we went, but the designs on the building were still incredible. This one also had a nice open courtyard, and one side was the river. It was kinda windy while we were there, and it started to rain so we ran to the entrance, and once it calmed down a bit we went back to our van to, finally, head to our last destination. A garden across from the Taj Mahal called Mahtab Bagh. It was a nice way to end the day of chaos. I guess it is usually more relaxing, but they were filming an Indian soap opera so there were cameras and people all over the place. But. We got to see the sunrise at the Taj, and then the sunset across the river from it. Overall, quite a nice experience. And we finally got to see clouds! In Delhi it always seems to be smoggy, or rainy, or there are clouds but not like the Colorado clouds I'm used to. So it was very nice to see the sky.