Moghul Masterpieces
Written: Jan 26 '00 (Updated Jan 26 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: monuments, monuments, monuments
Cons: hard sell
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| clubfoot's Full Review: The Taj Mahal |
The monuments of Agra are India's most visited attractions. From the wealthiest package tourists to the scruffiest backpackers, just about everyone goes through Agra. I had been in India for a while when I got to Agra. In fact, it was my last stop on a long trip and, since my flight was leaving from Delhi in four days, I only had a couple of days there. So this will be a quick rundown of some of the main sites in and around Agra: Agra Fort, Itimad-ud-daulah, the abandoned city of Fatehpur Sikri, and, of course, the Taj Mahal.
Agra Fort is a labyrinth of halls, courtyards and rooms surrounded by massive red sandstone walls and a rather stagnant moat. It's one of the more crowded spots in Agra, but the immensity guarantees that you'll be able to find plenty of deserted corners to explore. The most interesting part of the fort is the apartment where Shah Jahan, the builder of the Taj, was imprisoned by his son when his rule became ineffective. It's a beautiful series of white marble rooms that look down the River Yamuna to the Taj. Shah Jahan spent his last days there staring at his great monument that he built as a tomb for his beloved wife. If you have to be in prison, that's the place to be, but it's poignant none the less.
The more common name for the Itimad-ud-daulah is the "Baby Taj", and that's pretty much what it looks like. In fact, it was used as a model for the much larger Taj Mahal. There's not much to do there, but it certainly is a fine example of Moghul architecture. It's also the least crowded of Agra's monuments. There were only a few people wandering the grounds while I was there, which was nice.
I can't really say anything about the Taj that hasn't been said countless times before. It's such a symbol of India, of the whole East really, that it almost seems like a tourist brochure cliche. It's not though. The splendor of the Taj Mahal really does surpass all that's been written and said about it. I don't know anyone who's been to see it who came away disappointed. I almost decided to skip Agra because I was pretty worn out from my long trip, but I'm sure glad I didn't. The grounds that surround the Taj are nice too. They are particularly well-kept and no hawkers are allowed in. You can spend the whole day there if you want. Even though it's the most popular attraction in the country, it's still remarkably peaceful. Pack a picnic lunch, grab a good book, and spend the day watching the Taj change colors in the different types of sunlight.
A word about getting to all of these places. They're all pretty close to each other. You could probably walk between them, and you could definitely do it by bike. The other way to do it, and the way I chose, is to hire a rickshaw for a day or a half-day. A half-day will cost about $10. My driver was a pretty good guy too. He took me to his house to see the view of the Taj from his roof. I talked with his brothers for a while and his sister-in-law made us some delicious pakora.
Your driver will probably want to take you somewhere to go shopping. They get paid commissions by particular stores for bringing in the tourists. I made a deal with my driver to pay him a little extra and skip the shopping. One thing you'll notice about Agra is the hard sell. Even if you've been in India for a while it tends to get to you. There are a lot of people chasing the tourists' rupees. Just remember, everybody's got to make a living. If you're not interested, smile and say "no thank you". Even the most persistent tout will move on to more likely prey after a minute. There are a ton of scams in Agra revolving around carpets and jewels. Most guidebooks outline them in detail. Most of the scams have been around forever, but people still fall for them.
The last place I went to in the Agra area was Fatehpur Sikri. The Moghul emperor Akbar the Great built this city and moved the capital there from Agra. Unfortunately, he didn't take into account the lack of water in the area and the city had to be abandoned after only 20 or so years of occupation. Akbar's loss is our gain though because Fatehpur Sikri is a perfectly preserved snapshot of Moghul palace life. The first area you'll probably see is the mosque and it's surrounding courtyard and building complex. It's spectacular, but the effect is somewhat ruined by the crowd of hawkers selling chess sets and such. There are also gangs of roving students who will pounce on any foreigner and proceed to take you around the mosque area. The one I had didn't tell me anything I hadn't read in my guidebook, but he was so eager that I let him take me around anyway. When you get tired of the mob scene ate the mosque, head for the palace. You have to pay a few rupees to get in, so the hawkers magically disappear. Most of the palace is open for exploration and even though there are a lot of people there, it doesn't feel crowded. The inner courtyard where Akbar's throne was and the harem are a couple of highlights. Fatehpur Sikri is about an hour outside of Agra. To get there you can rent a car and driver or take the bus. I would suggest the bus. It's cheaper and you'll most likely get to talk to some of the locals, as well as your fellow travellers. Just take a rickshaw to the Agra bus stand and look for the guy standing in front of a bus yelling "Fatehpur Sikri, Fatehpur Sikri".
Food, Lodging, etc
I stayed in Taj Ganj, which is the area adjacent to the Taj Mahal. It's set off from the rest of the city and it's definitely a backpacker place. Being next to the Taj, the atmosphere is nice, and there are plenty of decent budget hotels. My room was on the roof of a hotel with a spectacular view of the Taj from my front window.
The food in Taj Ganj is of the basic traveller restaurant variety, which means it's pretty dull. Josie's is a decent option. Zorba the Buddha is another place with decent food, and it's vegetarian. There was a scare about unclean food and restaurant owners who purposely get tourists sick and conspire with doctors to collect medical insurance money. Josie's and Zorba are safe if you're worried about that. On my last night in Agra I went to the Clarks Shiraz and ate a big mughalai dinner. It was shockingly expensive at the time, but it really wasn't anymore than a dinner out back home. High quality Indian cooking can be amazing, and mughalai is as rich and tasty as any food in the world. It's a part of the culture you shouldn't deprive yourself of due to cheapness. The occasional splurge can really enhance your travelling experience.
That's it. My stay was short, so I didn't get to know Agra as well as some other places in India. You could take in the main sites on a day trip from Delhi, but Agra really deserves at least a couple of days. Although you might be dismayed at the throngs of tourists and the overt commerce, the spectacular monuments of the Moghul Empire will eventually push them to the background.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
clubfoot
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Location: Oakland, CA
Reviews written: 4
Trusted by: 2 members
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