Taj Mahal: A living legend

Just 250 km from New Delhi, with several travel options and a strong pull, a visit to the Taj Mahal, one of the world’s most visited monuments, had been eluding me for years. Quite often it was just a narrow miss that kept me from one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But recently, thanks to an office assignment, I got the chance and an ample amount of time to visit Agra, which houses not just Shah Jahan’s tribute to Mumtaz Mahal but other monuments that are steeped in history. Agra, once the capital city of Mughal India, played a significant role in the history of this country. Indeed, one can find many descriptions of the city right from the Mahabharata era to the Mughal or Lodhi dynasties. Its various overlords bestowed on Agra a time graph through its numerous forts, mosques, step wells and gates and some, like the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, come under the ambit of Unesco World Heritage Sites.

Also read: Agra's colonial connection (travellernook.com)
My tryst with Agra began on a Saturday morning. Initially, I’d planned to catch the newly launched Gatimaan Express, which reaches Agra in just 100 minutes, but as tickets were not available I took to the road and almost four hours and three toll gates later reached the historical city. As I drove in, images of the Mughal era that I’d read about or seen in movies began opening up before me. I imagined Emperor Akbar walking along the congested lanes of Agra, or Shah Jahan walking a Yamuna bank to monitor the progress of the Taj and even how Agra Fort must have been abuzz with people one upon a time.

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My first priority was to look for a good place to stay and my search ended at the Radisson Blu, which became my home for the next two days. Staying there had its advantages, the foremost being its location. This luxury hotel is conveniently located near the Agra Fort and at walking distance from the Taj Mahal. Apart from this, the property, which is surrounded by 4.5 acres, houses 142 rooms and suites and boasts of many latest amenities like a sparkling outdoor pool, the Health Club and Spa, a business centre and restaurants offering that offer the finest world cuisine, even a traditional culinary and rustic barbeque at the poolside. My room was comfortable and well-decorated, inclusive of fresh flowers and lovely artwork. But the best part was the fashioning of the towels in the shape of the Taj Mahal, which strengthened my resolve to visit the monument as soon as possible.

After lunch and a short rest, I headed out to explore the city. Naturally, my first instinct was to head for the Taj Mahal but the hotel staff advised that I skip the afternoon for an early morning because the white structure looked far more attractive when it burst into golden radiance with the first rays of sunlight. Seeing sense in local wisdom, I visited Agra Fort, also known as Lal Quila, which was the abode of the Mughal dynasty and is now known as the Taj’s sister monument.

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The red sandstone structure was built by Emperor Akbar and it took 4,000 workers eight years to complete. The fort has four large gates and is divided into different palaces — Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Jehangir’s Palace and Khas Mahal – but apart from its impressive architecture and design, it also bears the fascinating history of the Mughals. Shah Jahan renovated it by adding marble work and converting the raw red sandstone structure into a palace. His son Aurangzeb imprisoned him in the same fort at Mussaman Burj. My tryst with the fort done, I visited Sadar Bazar, one of the oldest areas of the city and one of the best places to grab a quick bite of street food. Back at the hotel, I was asked by the manager to be ready by six the next morning if I really wanted to see the Taj Mahal bathed in gold. He also recommended the Noor-e-Taj show — an audio-visual extravaganza organised by the hotel that afforded an inside view of the Taj Mahal. I was ready by 5.30 the n3ext morning and found a huge queue outside the main gate of the Taj.

Surprisingly, there were mostly foreigners armed with their mobiles and cameras, and after much pushing and shoving I finally managed to enter. Passing one more red gate, the pure white structure lay before me and I kept asking myself whether this was the legend? For a few moments, I kept staring at the structure, the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Then it was time to steal the moment and, like everyone else, I clicked away. People were jostling to get best shot of the Taj or with the Taj and as the sun rose, from every angle the monument changed from pure white to gold. I lingered there for two hours before returning to the hotel. All too soon it was time to take the Gatimaan Express back to Delhi and all along the way home the only thought that ran though mind was why were we so keen to get the Kohinoor back when a living Kohinoor was present in Agra.

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