Hoping to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, India? Here are my takes on this spectacular Wonder of the World, based on my visits there in 2016 and 2019.
Moon Garden
Late morning or early afternoon, when the Taj Mahal is most crowded, is the best time to visit the Moon Garden. This lesser-known attraction is behind the Taj, just across the Yamuna River. The garden offers panoramic views of the entire structure, not only the iconic white mausoleum but also the mosque and guest house on either side, which are made of red sandstone with matching marble domes.
The garden is much less touristy that the monument itself and is often frequented by locals, such as this woman herding water buffalo!
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal, meaning ‘Crown Palace’ is truly one of India’s crown jewels and is well-deserving of its designation as one of the 7 Wonders of the World. I have visited both at sunrise and in the evening, and I found that it was less crowded in the morning and that the lighting was better for photography. However, you should also consider the air quality forecast when choosing what time to visit, as cleaner air will improve the quality of both your photos and your experience!
The mausoleum was commissioned in 1632 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal (his own tomb was added beside hers when he died 30 years later). To build the Taj Mahal, the emperor requisitioned more than 20,000 masons, stone-cutters, inlayers, carvers, painters, calligraphers, dome builders and other artisans from across the Mughal empire as well as from Central Asia and Iran. On the building’s exterior, the doors, windows, and domes are surrounded by inlaid calligraphy panels quoting passages of the Qur’an as well as intricate lapidary inlay of precious and semiprecious gemstones in floral motifs.
The first time that I visited the Taj Mahal, scaffolding covered one minaret and one side of the mausoleum so that workers could apply a mud paste over the marble. This marked the first attempt to clean the monument since the Taj Mahal’s construction, as the marble had begun to turn yellow from air pollution. Upon my return three years later, I was stunned to see how much brighter the marble was!
The brilliant white marble of the mausoleum contrasts stunningly with the rest of the structures of the complex, which are all made of red sandstone. The elaborate entrance gate is almost as tall as the Taj Mahal itself, and has decorative panels of white marble inlaid with precious stones. The mosque and guest house (to the left and right of the tomb, respectively) are also made of red sandstone and look identical from the outside, to complement the symmetry of the Taj Mahal.
Tragically, the mosque is no longer open to the public due to one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s many anti-Muslim policies. His Bharatiya Janata Party has brought Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) from the fringes to mainstream politics in India. This extreme form of religious nationalism, called Hindutva, seeks to negate the existence of other religions in India, especially Islam. The history and politics of Hindu nationalism is a complex topic, but you can learn more about it in this academic blog post that I wrote for a master’s degree course on borders and nationalism. I still hold out hope that Hindutva will fade back into the margins of India’s political landscape, and with it, these restrictions on accessing historical religious sites. In the mean time, here are some photos taken by me (and of me!) in the Taj Mahal’s mosque.
The entire complex is surrounded by red sandstone walls, with a domed tower at each corner. The walls also encompass a long reflecting pool in front of the mausoleum and several acres of gardens.
My second time visiting the Taj Mahal was with a dear friend from Jaipur named Priya. She begged me to wear a saree with her, and I ultimately agreed. In academia, I spend a lot of time reading, discussing, and writing about the issue of cultural appropriation and clothing. Historically, my stance was simply that it was never okay to wear clothing from a culture that was not your own. Living in India, however, I began to wonder if the issue was not as black and white as I had once assumed. My students and friends in Jaipur felt such pride in seeing me wear local clothing and said it made them feel that their culture was valued and appreciated. Not to mention, my jeans and other American pants were stifling hot in a 120 degree classroom with one solitary ceiling fan! In the end, I decided to indulge Priya and wear what she saw as a celebratory outfit for our celebratory trip to a place she had always dreamed of visiting. Many Indian tourists were quite excited to see me in traditional dress and even asked to take pictures with this funny gori (white girl) in a saree.
Agra Fort
Although most tourists only travel to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, the local red sandstone fort is not to be missed! Even larger and grander than Delhi’s Red Fort, the Agra Fort is a stunning example of Mughal and Persian architecture. Not to mention, it is considerably less crowded than the famous Taj!
Encompassing 94 acres, this fort can more accurately be described as a walled city. When the Mughals moved their capital from Delhi to Agra, this site served as both a fortress and a royal palace. Numerous famous Mughal emperors resided here, such as Humayun (whose Taj-like tomb is one of my favorite sites in Delhi) as well as Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal.
The fort once contained as many as 500 buildings, but some were torn down in the 1600s and others are currently used by the Indian military and government officials. However, many buildings are open to the public, including royal residences such as Jahangiri Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, and Khas Mahal. The fort also has two mosques – the moti or pearl mosque, which is made entirely of white marble, and the Nagina (gem) mosque built for the royal women. Several halls are also open to the public, including the Diwan-i-Am where the emperor held public audiences, and the Diwan-I-Khas where he received nobles and foreign envoys.
Agra Fort exemplifies the most magnificent aspects of Mughal architecture, such as arches, domes, stone carving, and inlaid stones and mosaic tiles. Most examples of such architecture are located in Pakistan, which is considerably more challenging for westerners (especially Americans) to travel too, so Agra Fort is a great way to get a taste of this architectural style. In particular, Agra Fort reminds me of Badshahi Mosque in Lahore Pakistan, which is my most favorite building in the world.
I visited this fort with Priya in 2019, and we spent several hours here exploring and taking pictures. The fort was shockingly empty in comparison to the Taj Mahal, which is always packed. At Agra Fort, we could take our time to explore without the crowds, relax in the courtyard gardens, take silly pictures, and even feed peanuts to the fort’s resident chipmunks!
As if all this wasn’t reason enough to visit Agra Fort, it even has panoramic views looking down over the city’s most famous attraction – the Taj Mahal.
Want to know more about my travels in India? Click here to read my previous post about sightseeing in Jaipur, or here for my next post about hiking in the Himalayas. Or, you can browse all of my travel trips and adventures in India and Asia!
XOXO Ann