Without a doubt, the most iconic building in all of India (and poster child for anything tourist related) is the one and only Taj Mahal. Unless you have been living out in the African Serengeti disconnected from society, odds are you’ve come across this building either in a textbook, online search, or any travel commercial on TV. This enormous monument is right up there with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the clock tower housing Big Ben in London, or the Empire State Building in Manhattan and I was not going to pass up the chance to see it in person. Just like the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, I never thought I’d ever get to visit in my lifetime, but my dream finally came true!
The famous Taj Mahal monument is located in a town called Agra approximately three hours away by train. I made the trek with two friends, Chan Tal from Germany and a fellow American named Kevin who I met back in Israel. I was immensely excited since this was the first time I ventured outside of New Delhi and experienced what it was like to ride an Indian train. Everything ran smoothly the day of our trip, until in my infinite wisdom, I took us to the wrong train station! Once we realized my mistake, all we could do is hop in a cab, bribe the driver speed though town, and hope to god our train to Agra was late.
We arrived at the correct station right at 9:15 am when our train was scheduled to depart, threw a wad of cash at the taxi driver, and rushed to our platform. As we descended the staircase to the platform we saw the train moving, but at first couldn't determine if I was slowing down or speeding up. A few seconds later we heard the horn blare and realized we had to move fast if we were going to literally catch the train. The three of us made a mad dash with our backpacks: Chantal was first carrying her small book bag, I was second with my 40L backpack, and Kevin was in last huffing and puffing has he hauled his 80L backpack. As we sprinted I could see the look of amusement on the other travelers faces watching the three foreigners chased the train all the way through the station. We were quickly approaching the end of the platform but Chan Tal was the only person who had a shot at getting on the train, I was horribly winded, and at this point Kevin was a lost cause. At the last moment, the train came to a surprising halt for 10 seconds before it finally pulled out of the station - just enough time for the three of us to hop on.
Not a bad first train experience for India.
Exhausted, we took our seats on the crowded, dilapidated sleeper car, each took a brief nap to recover from our morning marathon, and before we knew it we’d arrived in Agra. We checked our bags at the station and went off to explore the town. The entire day we took rickshaws everywhere and even though we saw the Taj Mahal, Red Fort, and ate lunch, I have no idea to this day where everything is located. Thankfully, I got to practice my bargaining skills all day! As we exited the station taxi drivers offering us “good prices” swarmed us. Just to give you an idea of the markup you pay as a foreigner, the first offer we received to get us into town was 400 rupees (~$6.70), we said no and quickly found another man willing to do it for half the price. For us, 200 rupees amounted to $1 per person to get into town, but I threw on a look of disgust when I heard the offer and countered with 50 rupees. It may sound like a rip-off, but I start all my bargaining at or above 75% discount. The driver looked at me for a moment and countered with 70 rupees.
Score! From 400 to 70 rupees! $0.33 per person!
I still probably got ripped off.
The three of us made our way through the unbelievably crowded city and discovered that for a local, the entry fee for the Taj Mahal is 30 rupees, but for a foreigner it’s 750 rupees! Even though we knew we were blatantly being ripped off we were going anyway, this is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The government knows people will pay, so I have to give them credit for it. Once inside, the area surrounding the Taj Mahal is like nothing I’ve ever seen in India; it’s clean, organized, manicured, symmetrical, and aesthetically pleasing. The difference was so great that I had the eerie feeling that I was transported to another country. People had plenty of space to move around, everyone was quiet, the honking subsided, there was no dust, and they had flowers!
India is really going to do a number on my standards by the time I leave.
The main area of the complex looks exactly like the pictures and outside of the main promenade lined by shallow reflecting pools there isn’t much else to do. While it sounds dull, just to walk around the famous structure is thrilling and to finally have my own photos of the Taj Mahal is quite satisfying; I can now cross off a major item off my bucket list. Under the bright sun, the building’s white marble glistens against the light-blue sky backdrop. Over the years the building has collected it’s fair share of damage, dirt, and pollution, but it is a stunning structure to behold that must have looked like the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, UAE when it was first constructed. The stunning beauty, intricate carvings, and elegant calligraphy of the Taj Mahal can be appreciated by all, but I must warn you all out there that the best part of the structure is the exterior. While the main chamber inside is wonderfully ornate, the rooms are dark, crowded, and the two tombs in the center are actually false sarcophaguses (the real ones are one floor below). I love the Taj Mahal, but for all you out there, trust me when I say that what you see in the pictures is what you get.
Looking back my experience of Agra is marred because the city is completely inundated with tourists like me; it the perfect example of how excess tourism can destroy a city. I’m sure the Agra once had a thriving culture on its own, but sadly thanks to the popularity of the Taj Mahal, that “culture” is just tourism now. I’m sure if you go on the outskirts of the city you’ll find more of a local vibe, but in town, 98% of the local population is out to separate you from your money. Many of you back home see all the wonderful places I get to visit and hear the incredible stories, but there is a dark side to travel that I almost always leave out. The Taj Mahal is an absolutely stunning building, but outside of that walled garden for tourists, the actual city of Agra is not particularly pleasant. I’m thankful Chan Tal and Kevin provided great company on this trip, but now that I’ve seen the Taj Mahal, I have absolutely no desire to ever return to Agra for the remainder of my natural life. The city honestly doesn’t have much to offer outside of a few attractions and I’d say skip it entirely, but if you’ve never seen the Taj Mahal you will still go (like I did). All I ask is that you set your expectations really low; Agra is one big overpriced tourist city.
It reminds me eerily of Neuschwanstein Castle.