The Taj Mahal

Not sure why you think seeing the Taj is a hassle. But I can not see going to India and missing the Taj Mahal. That would be like going to Paris and skipping the Eiffel Tower or going to Rome and skipping the Colosseum.

If I may have the indulgence of quoting myself, here's my reaction to the Taj Mahal:

AGRA
Beyond the power of description...

...but of course I'll try anyway.

The Taj Mahal looks as if it were set down on a cloud from heaven, not grown brick by brick, marble slab by marble slab, from the earth. It glows and floats and gleams and is, without doubt, worth every moment that it takes to reach this point.

And that’s from the outside, across the river. I communed with it with only a small but sensitive post card seller to accompany me. He didn't try to sell until I was on my way back; a rare gift.) The driver took me to the road leading down to the viewing site; there’s a garden there that charges admission, but you just head on down the road for a beautiful view of architectural perfection.

It seems like nothing could live up to the story and the legends of the Taj: built as a mausoleum to commemorate the great love of Shah Jehan and his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; gazed upon by Shah Jehan from the Agra Fort whilst he was imprisoned there by his son (mostly for spending so much money); pictured in so many places and so many contexts that it's one of the most recognized buildings in the world. But there is nothing, nothing to prepare you for the sight of it. (And this is rare; many times, the reality requires an adjustment from the expectation--life's like that, innit?--but this, well, this one is immortal.)

I absolutely cannot imagine not seeing it if it is in your power to do so. (By the way, I stayed at the Hotel Sheela, walked up to the gate at 6AM, no hassle actually.)

We spent 2 nights in Agra in June and we would do it again - for the Taj Mahal solely!

I don't know why Agra is picked for being un-attractive. To us it wasn't more dirty, poor, traffic - than any other big city in India.
And YES - IF one wants to see the unique Taj - then one has to sacrifice some time.

We made it 2 nights because we wanted to make sure to see it at least once at sunrise and sunset.

We do not regret the drive (you also can fly)! Not at all!

Go for it! Go for the http://www.amarvilas.com/Hotel/Hotel-Overview.aspx. This place is wonderful. They take you by golfcarts to the Taj!
That hotel supports the whole Taj Mahal experience. And it's quite affordable in European terms!!!

The Amervilas and the Taj Mahal - a perfect match!

SV

The most beautiful building I have ever seen!

Taj Mahal was the second highlight of our trip to India in Dec. 2007. Seeing wild tigers at Ranthambore about 5 inches from our faces quickly knocked the Taj out of the number one spot. However, when we got to Agra, I slipped off the curb and rolled my ankle. Even the sharp pain couldn't keep me from hobbling to see the Taj Mahal. Would definitely go back and see it again. Do not miss it.

I did find Agra to be a bad place for hassles - I couldn't step outside my hotel without being surrounded by rickshaw drivers touting for custom, and the entrances to both the fort and the Taj were infested with souvenir sellers and would-be guides. I deal with the rickshaw situation by hiring one for the day, and the touts by just ignoring them, but it was about the worst place in India for that kind of aggravation.

That said, do not even think of skipping Agra. The Taj is quite magical: plan to see it at both sunset and sunrise so you can see how the color of the marble changes. Plus you can't properly appreciate the exquisite proportions from photographs, nor admire the pietra dura inlays. I enjoyed visiting Bharatpur and Fatehpur Sikri as well.

thursday
yes - that's right. I remember the worst place for beggars and sellers was the Agra Fort. But our guide said something to them and all of a sudden they disappeared.
When I asked what he was saying he answered:
I told them you are from Israel............
I have no idea why the Indians let loose when they are hearing that.

We were staying at the Gateway (a Taj property) which by far was not 5*. I would rather estimate 3-4*. But no rickshaw driver around there. Therefore the Oberoi is excellent. They get you in a golf cart and off you are........

SV

Good to here you enjoeyed the Taj.

Agra is no worse than most other big cities in northern India. You do not go there as a destination. You go there to see the Taj Mahal, and it is well worth putting up with the hassles of the city to see it. The Taj Mahal was one of the highlights of our trip and I think you should not miss seeing it.

When I saw the Taj, I thought it was simply the greatest site on earth. Then a few days later I saw a male and female tiger walking in Ranthambore...

OK, the Taj is the greatest man made site anywhere. Yes some will tell you it is cliched and overrated, but try to put all the hype aside and enjoy "the thing itself".

donm't go and you may regret it for the rest of your life!!!

I am reproducing what the American writer, Waldemar Hansen has written in his well researched book, 'The Peacock Throne', ISBN 812080225X, for the benefit of those readers, who may not have a copy of it:
"“…The immediate impact of Taj is dazzling: a spiritual wonder hovering between the real and unreal, incredibly beyond all the clichés that have ever been written about it. Some aesthetes have been known to stay for days, lingering in the garden and observing subtle metamorphoses of the tomb as changing hours lend chiaroscuro – a veil of shadows which the Moslem architects must deliberately have made use of to preserve a delicate mystery from the harsh Indian sun. Experts can even tell daylight hours by shadows that fall on the alcove beneath the great central arch; they become Taj haunted. By moonlight the monument is utterly beautiful, glowing with a silver effulgence that seems to come curiously from within rather than from without.
Having passed through the entry arch, the spectator is still almost a thousand feet from the mausoleum, and it’s astonishing amplitude has yet to be appreciated. No long-range inspection can encompass precious-stone inlay or other details; white marble is all, and white is the colour of death in Islam. The four sentinel minarets are obviously masculine yet something more: they keep the Taj from being earthbound. Remove them and the tomb at once loses its ethereal aspect; it is all very odd. The pear-shaped dome is a feminine miracle, made weightless through perfection of form.
…Looming 243 feet from the garden level to the dome’s golden surmounting needle, the mausoleum dwarfs visitors by it’s grandeur. Inside of that gigantic central arch, vaulted marble has been chiselled into diamond shapes; while black-jet inscriptions from Koran weave stylised Arabic calligraphy like a giant’s puzzle around the entry way.”Concieved by titans and finished by jewellers” the entire edifice reveals a wealth of dadoes, panels in bass-relief, and precious stone inlay. Flower motifs repeated endlessly in a geometric profusion of bloom are surprisingly naïve. Dominant in the white marble bas-relief is the iris, that graveyard bulb which grows only in shadows away from the Indian heat.
At the entrance, a flight of steps leads down to the real sarcophagi in the crypt: above are only their cenotaph counterparts. Along the corridor surrounding the upper chamber, bas-relief flowers bloom again – only white here, the ghost flowers of death…
No one retreats through the garden without backward looks…
No Photograph or film can convey the spirit emanating from the masterwork; like ectoplasm, it produces gooseflesh only for living witnesses. Spirit rises from that central arch, a gothic pointer straining toward the white marble dome. It all becomes eerie and glorious, an invocation transforming death into some ultimate luxury”.

Amy-the Sheela is very much a budget hotel, people need to be aware of that. The 50m walk to the East gate is so tiring!! Great little gem though-love the dog Tiger I think? And 6am is a brilliant time to see the Taj (with a torch in hand or on the head).

indianapearl, imho you would be missing one of the most impressive sights on this planet. Fatehpur Sikri is so worth a visit also. I believe the Taj is closed on Fridays. Worth a google.

You've all convinced me to stick with the plan. We'll be there Monday-Wednesday, so that should work well. We also have Fatehpur Sikri on the itinerary.

When we went to England years ago, a British friend of mine warned me that Stonehenge is much smaller than it appears in photos and she was right. It was a bit disappointing.

My daughter was a bit disappointed with her first view of the Taj Mahal. She said it just didn't fit the image she'd created in her mind.

After an hour of wandering the grounds, she changed her mind, and she couldn't wait to come back again that afternoon.

On the other hand, I burst into tears upon my first look!

The day we arrived at Stonehenge was a school holiday and there was an army of little darlings running in and out of the stones, screaming madly. Didn't make for the mystical communion with the gods that I had imagined!

I went to the Taj last year, sorry to say I would list it as a place to go just to say you went.

Agra fort was pretty good though!

The population of the world is divided into two categories. Those who have seen the Taj Mahal, and the others.

Taj Mahal of India - "the epitome of love", "a monument of immeasurable beauty". The beauty of this magnificent monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words. The thoughts that come into the mind while watching the Taj Mahal of Agra is not just its phenomenal beauty, but the immense love which was the reason behind its construction. Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan got this monument constructed in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, with whom he fell in love at the first sight. The very first sight of the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love and romance leaves one mesmerized.

lol raju. You've been watching too many Bollywood movies.

Well, indianapearl, I must say that I admire your courage in even considering skipping the Taj Mahal. Most posters here have it first on their list, and often try to fit it into itineraries to which getting to Agra does not really lend itself (e.g. south India). I have read posts from people doing cruises to Mumbai that plan to make an overnight excursion to Agra, which is a ton of travel for a short visit.

Whether or not the Taj Mahal is “worth it” is so hard to say. It’s a very personal thing. I myself find it probably the most beautiful man-made structure in the world, and also one of those places that is, for lack of a better word, magical. (The Coliseum in Rome is interesting from a historical perspective and impressive from an architectural one, but is not, IMO, magical.) Yes, the touts are bad, but they are not inside the monument grounds, and they are only within about 50/100 yards of the entrance. And they can be ignored.

I would agree that Agra is no worse or better than other good-sized Indian cities in terms of traffic, dirt and general chaos. I personally like Agra a lot and find that there are many very interesting old town areas completely devoid of touts and tourists. You just have to get away from the Taj and the main tourist sites to find them. The main city mosque area has lots of narrow streets which are full of life and colour, for example. I’ve spent happy hours wandering them.

But if you feel that the crowds or touts would take away from your own personal experience, then perhaps you should avoid Agra and the Taj. There is no rule that you have to see the Taj if you go to India. You only have to do what you believe is right for you.

The one thing I would say is that you should avoid doing a one-day trip to Agra, as that is probably the worst way to "see" the Taj and to "enjoy" Agra. Too rushed, and you will only see the main clogged tourist sites. I think you would come away not liking any of it except perhaps the moments spent at the Taj itself. At least do an overnight to see the Taj at sunrise and other times of day if possible, and then try to see some of the less-touristed old town areas and sites. Avoid the stops at the marble shops (and most all shopping in Agra).

Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful response.
"Magical" is a word that sounds like a descriptor to impel me to see the Taj. I don't know whether I'm courageous to question the value of going there, but as I get closer to the end of my life than to the beginning, what time I have left is especially precious.

We'll be in Agra for two whole nights and one whole day -- two sunsets, two sunrises. I'll take your advice and see it in all aspects.