An unexpectedly wonderful thing about Delhi, is that it’s
just a short hop, skip, jump, and a train ride away from Agra, which is home to
the “most beautiful building in the world.” Not that Agra is all that awesome…
it’s actually pretty disgusting and has the added benefit of housing the
countries (and one of the worlds) largest tourist attractions and thus hosts
all the most wonderful travel scams abound. That being said, the Taj was pretty
rad. And, in the event that you need a refresher, looks like this...
Arriving in Agra, I found myself feeling the same sense surreality as when I touched down in Rome for my first long-term-ish adventure abroad in 2007. In the same way I felt the need to pinch myself when standing next to the Colosseum, gazing up at the Taj Mahal I had to shake my head a few times to remind myself that it was in fact the real one. As modern media continues to open our eyes to wonders often an ocean away, its important to remember that photos never quite do justice to the real deal, let alone the unique moment in time which you share with the space, the vibes, and your companions, both strangers and known.
After a an hour our so basking in the serene calm that comes from viewing Shah Jahan's monument of love, Lauren and I grabbed some lunch and a nap, and made our way to the less famous but totally legit Agra Fort. Also remminicent of Europe's "I-never-want-to-see-another-early-Italian-renisance-Mother-And-Child" syndrome, I sometimes feel the Mughal Forts are starting to blend into one giant redish stone carved blur. That being said, they are totally beautiful, totally part of the India experience and, you never know...my new found ability to recognize a good diwan-i-khas from a mile away may come in handy down the road.
We had dedicated one of our precious 2 day weekends to this Agra adventure; so, after a low key night [read: grilled cheese, lassis, and bed] we caught the local bus to the ancient city and World Heritage Site Fatehpur Sikri. After only moderate success evading hoard of scam artists, we found ourselves at the slightly less than subtle main entrance to the site.
Fatehpur Sikri, or the "City of Victory," was built by the Mughal Emperor Akbar in the second half of the 16th century. In a cruel twist of fate (and poor planning, if I do say so myself) the magnificent city was build in a place with a serious lack of water access [read: no hydration-station] and thus abandoned after only 10 years. Today the remnants of the city, whose intricate stone work and architecture have been fabulously preserved, stand proud, and certainly hold their own against their famous neighboor. Some may even say Fatehpur Sikri is the real treasure of Agra.
Taj vs. Fatehpur Sikri Final Verdict: Both. They're both amazing. They're totally different. And neither should be missed. Just make sure to get your tushie out of Agra as soon as possible once you're done!
Adding one more check to my ever-evolving and expanding life-long travel bucket list!
17 Days until my big sister comes to Delhi!
And less then a month until I am Stateside for goodsies (or for a long while...)
How about that for some craziness??
Happy Spring/Pesach/Easter/Life!!
Emily
