Day 10 - The Taj Mahal

11th January 2020

On the tenth day of our trip, we had another full schedule. After breakfast, we went to the Taj Mahal with our guide Atiq.

The day before, Atiq had explained to us that the Taj Mahal is actually a mausoleum, a tomb for the wife of a former ruler. It was built between 1631 and 1652, taking 22 years to complete. As we entered the vast grounds, we were increasingly impressed by its grandeur. We took an oversized golf buggy to the security check before the entrance of the Taj Mahal. First, we passed through one of the large gates towards the main monument. This created a fascinating optical effect, making it appear as though the main building was moving further away, even though we were walking towards it.

We had perfect weather and, among the other seemingly millions of tourists, we were able to admire the entire complex with its four minarets, two mosque buildings, and of course, the impressive main building. Photography was allowed up until the entrance of the actual mausoleum, but not inside. However, that was not a problem as the interior was quite plain and somewhat dark. We were guided through the short circuit quickly and efficiently to prevent congestion. The architecture and the delicate marble and stone work were truly impressive, and we were all grateful for the amazing experience.

Afterwards, we checked out of the hotel and took our bus to "Fort Agra". The enormous fortification, surrounded by a 21-meter-high wall with a total circumference of 2.4 kilometers, is mostly used by the military today. The other area is open to the public. Here, we found the palace area where the builder of the Taj Mahal, who had erected it for his deceased wife, was placed under house arrest due to his descendant's criticism of his rule. Atiq provided us with some interesting information here as well.

For lunch, we went to the rooftop terrace of a great restaurant. With a view of the Taj Mahal, we enjoyed delicious food and great music under the burning sun, which was quite pleasant considering the cold weather we had experienced in the previous days.

After lunch, we finally said goodbye to Agra and boarded the bus to Mathura, 60 kilometers away, which took us about 2 hours. Mathura is the birthplace of the Hindu incarnation Krishna. We walked to the "Shri Krishna Janmastahn" temple without any cameras or other devices. Since not many tourists come here, we were greeted with some suspicion, but overall, there was always a friendly atmosphere in all the religious places we visited. The temple and its surrounding area were bustling with activity and various shops.

Right next to the temple is a Muslim mosque, which is the reason for the high military presence due to previous threats and the current political situation and conflicts. However, throughout our entire journey, we found Hindus and Muslims living together peacefully.

After visiting the temple, we took rickshaws for a thrilling ride towards the riverbank. Not only did our drivers and the oncoming traffic test our physical and mental endurance, but the smog in the narrow streets of Mathura also reached a whole new level, making it difficult to breathe at times. We entered an area that was completely different from anything we had seen before. There was extreme poverty, an unimaginable amount of garbage, and multi-story buildings that seemed like they were on the verge of collapse. It was a deeply sad and impressing experience. We arrived at the boat dock, where we boarded a small rowboat and cruised along the banks of the Yamuna River. At 7:00 PM, we witnessed the "Aarti Ceremony" on the riverbank, where candles were floated and prayers were recited.

After the spectacle, we raced back to the bus in the rickshaws and headed to Vrindavan to our hotel. The check-in process was as smooth as always. And then came the welcome drink!!!!!! It had become a customary gesture in every hotel, with the staff offering it during check-in. Over the past few days, we had tried some delicious ones and some that were just okay. But the pièce de résistance was yet to come. While 6 of us had already taken a quick sip and collectively exclaimed "UGH," Sergej and Ramon arrived a bit later, as they needed to have a cigarette after dealing with all the smog. The rest of us didn't show any signs and recommended that they take a big gulp of the divine juice. Ramon, who wasn't accustomed to such kindness from us, sensed that something was amiss, but then did the inevitable. In a series of unpredictable events: he first smelled it, quickly realized it was going to be terrible, and then took a big sip...with the sound of a laboring mammoth and a face contorted in agony as if someone were torturing his fingertips with a sheet of paper. He narrowly avoided throwing up, which in turn triggered a laughing fit in Claudia and Vanessa that spread to everyone else, pushing us toward certain collective death by laughter...if Ravi hadn't returned with our passports. In the meantime, Sergej almost fell off his chair unnoticed, as he lost his balance due to a mixture of trying the drink, laughing, and feeling disgusted. It was FANTASTIC.

Afterwards, we had a vegetarian dinner at the hotel restaurant, which was perfectly fine.

It was the end of an eventful day.

Insights of the day: the fantastic Taj Mahal is definitely worth the tiring journey; the disparities in poverty, living conditions, and garbage accumulation are indescribable and completely different in each region, but always shocking.

And finally, the moment when an entire group bursts into laughter and Ramon makes sounds like an imploding supernova is undoubtedly one of the most disturbing events that the hotel page in Vrindavan has experienced in his young life.