We had to undertake 185 km of travel this morning and in the first hour after 09:00 we made little progress as we were competing with the Delhi traffic which has to be seen to be believed.
Our driver Vikram buying ice to keep our water cool in the esky on our bus
Having overcome this initial traffic congestion, our new driver Vikram managed to speed up considerably and we were now able to join the Yamuna Expressway.
For the next two hours we followed the expressway southwards through flat, dry agricultural areas where many of the fields of grain and other crops had been harvested. There were still some patches where maize and potatoes were a long way from harvesting.
Countryside heading for Agra
This rich agricultural ‘food-bowl’ of northern India survives on the availability of ground water which is pumped up from artesian wells for irrigation purposes.
After about three and a half hours of driving south we took a fairly quick comfort and drinks stop at a large roadside centre featuring amongst the usual coffee and drinks facilities the joys of KFC, Pizza Hut and Subway. The temperature was now just on 42C and the surrounding atmosphere subject to considerable smog with it being sufficiently dense in some places that visibility was down to less than 250 m.
From this rest point we were only an hour away from our primary goal of Agra. We reached our Mercure Hotel in Agra at 14:30 and settled into our very comfortable room on the fifth floor at the very end of a corridor that seems to be over 80 m long or more. The bonus is that from our bedroom window we have a very clear view of the Taj Mahal about one kilometre away.
View of the Taj Mahal from our hotel room
At 15:30 we met up with our Agra guide Pawam and were driven to Sikandra, a small village just northeast of Agra where the Mughal emperor Akbar is buried.
Akbar ruled in India from 1556 – 1605. He is credited in having established an empire that extended from Kabul to Assam and Kashmir to Ahmednagar in western India.
At this site is an extraordinarily spectacular mausoleum designed by Akbar himself and then modified later after Akbar’s death in 1612 by his son Jahangir.
The result is the impressive, perfectly symmetrical complex with the tomb in the centre of a vast walled garden.
Mausoleum, Sikandra
On each corner of the mausoleum are four graceful marble minarets considered to be forerunners and standards of those used in the construction of the Taj Mahal.
Gardens & Mausoleum, Sikandra
Encompassing the main mausoleum is the building holding the grave of Akbar. The tomb area has a raised white marble sarcophagus on a raised marble platform.
Tomb inside Mausoleum, Sikandra
The heat of the day was taking its toll but we ventured on to the final site for the day and that was to watch the sunset on the Taj Mahal.
We were driven to Mehta Bagh (Moon Garden) which is a garden cum orchard with neatly maintained lawns and trees. From this garden location the Taj Mahal was just across the Yamuna River which is barely a trickle at present.
Mehta Bagh (Moon Garden) with Taj Mahal in background
We’ll be learning a lot more about the Taj Mahal tomorrow but one piece of information that caught our attention concerned the wife of the builder, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. This now world famous building was built in memory of Jahan’s wife Mumtaz Mahal who died at the age of 39 during giving birth to her 14th child. She also had several miscarriages. Much more detail will be revealed tomorrow.
As sunset approached the brilliant white marble of the ‘Taj’ took on a distinctive lemon colour and looked amazing.
Taj Mahal with Yamuna River in the foreground
Dripping in sweat but full of joy at this encounter, we were driven back to our hotel where cold drinks and a light evening meal brought this awe inspiring day to a close.
Tomorrow morning we leave our hotel at 05:00 to watch the sunrise at the Taj Mahal.