Taj Mahal

Everyone I’ve ever met who has been to India has a photo of themselves in front of the Taj Mahal. The photo is iconic and for many people is the raison d’etre for traveling to India in the first place. We all have our stories of taking the photo and we remember what it was like to gaze at it in the hustle and bustle of the people but somehow we miss what it was like to enter through those gates as our anxiety grew. That’s why I took this photo:

There were Indians everywhere as we happened to go on a weekend. There was an immense crush of people trying to squeeze through those gates just waiting to see the whole thing. The air was buzzing with excitement and kids were literally giddy. Just to get to this point we had already gone through a parking lot filled with vendors selling all manner of artifact and even a chariot ride or two. Bottom line, the Taj Mahal is no museum, it is a verifiable attraction.

IF YOU GO: We took flights to India from Bangkok and into Mumbai before flying again to Delhi….we arrived in Delhi and got in a car first thing in the morning. From Delhi the Taj was a long day trip but it makes for a nice triangle with Delhi and Jaipur if you’ve got the time for it. As it was we couldn’t keep our eyes open on the drive back that evening but thankfully the driver knew where he was going and I got nudged awake each time we passed by ANOTHER Indian wedding on the road.

Everyone takes photos of the Taj Mahal. Once you arrive it is probably the very first thing to do. As we entered the gate it seemed like all of Agra was right there with us trying to snap the exact same photo we were trying for. So few images of the Taj however seem to really encompass the reflecting pool that sits beneath it.

For this photo we got a lot closer to the Taj Mahal and then took the picture with all the water we could include. Most photos of the Taj Mahal focus on the Taj Mahal, and indeed with good reason….This one stands out for me though because of the reflection in the water and it stands as one of my favorites from the entire day. What’s really remarkable is how peaceful this photo feels in comparison to the parking lot just a few hundred meters away. 🙂

IF YOU GO: We based ourselves in Delhi and made the Taj Mahal a day trip. For us this worked great but we missed out on seeing the Agra Fort. If you have more time, we’d recommend going and spending at least a night or two in Agra and then continuing onto Jaipur to complete the the triangle with Delhi.

To see more of our favorite photos from around the world check out our travel photo page. Let us know your favorites and we’ll include them in our photo of the day series.

Entering the Taj

Photo: Reflections of the Taj Mahal

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