The Taj Mahal site plan consists of these:
1.The Moonlight Garden to the north of the Yamuna.
2.Terrace area: Tomb, Mosque and Jawab.
3.Charbagh (gardens).
4.Gateway, attendant accommodations, and other tombs.
5.Taj Ganji (bazaar)
Our initial plan was to wake up at 5am to catch the sunrise. Somehow waking up during winter is always so difficult. The cold made made just want to cuddle in bed and not wake up. On top of that, the cold shower the night before only made me colder. I wanted the warmth of the sun so badly.
After much procrastination, we managed to get up at 5.30am and took a cab to Taj Mahal. The fog was so thick and I could badly see what's in front of me.
Arriving at Taj Mahal, we were approached by a 'tour guide' who brought us to the ticketing booth to purchase our entry tickets and offered to bring us in, claiming that he was the official tour guide to show tourists around. He then threw statistics at us, telling us the number and types of tourists that he has shown around. Thinking that the tour guide came along with the ticket (since the ticket wasn't cheap, costing about SGD $20), we allowed him to bring us around in Taj Mahal.
The fog was so thick and I couldn't see the Taj Mahal from the entrance. It was only when I was right in front of the Taj Mahal structure itself had I managed to see the beautiful white structure. At first look, however, it did not impress. Maybe it was the fog which made the structure look dirty or maybe the years of wear and tear have proved to have taken a toll on the structure.
As we walked closer into the building of the mosque, the tour guide started to tell us more about the story of the Taj Mahal and the reason behind the architecture of the structures of the Taj Mahal. It was then that I'd realise how much of an engineering and architectural feat it was for the people back then. I always envy the royal family back in the past. They were so rich that they can spend lavishly, building something for their own purpose.
I shall now let the photos do the talking. I have got really bad photos because the fog was really really thick! =((
The Taj Mahal mosque or masjid
Interior of the masjid
The Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal and the river Yamuna, reflecting the Taj Mahal
A photo of us standing outside and taken from inside of the Taj Mahal - the pentagonal tiles served as a very good frame!
After briefly bringing us around the Taj Mahal area, the tour guide then brought us out of of the backdoor of the Taj Mahal into a street that sold white marble Taj Mahals at exorbitant prices. He assured us that we will be able to re-enter the Taj Mahal later even though we were leaving it now. He then brought us into a shop and the shop keeper started selling us different products, all of which we have no money to pay for. Knowing that we must have been tricked into going into a shop so that the tour guide can earn commission should we be forced to buy the things, we wanted to leave the shop. However, just as we stood up to walk out of the shop, the shop keeper started throwing discounts to his products and selling us cheaper stuff. Persistent that we wanted to leave, he then angrily hurled comments at us in Hindi. Thankfully I cannot understand a single word that he was saying and could walk out of the shop without feeling bad or uncomfortable.
We wanted to re-enter Taj Mahal because we were not done with sightseeing that area. However, our 'tour guide' then told us that we had to pay him a small fee to re-enter the place because we were already out of it. Thankfully the guys were really insistent on not paying and started arguing with him about how he had promised us re-entry into the place. The tour guide made a few phone calls, probably complaining to his partner about how he couldn't squeeze out any money out of us and plotting about more plans to try to trick us. After much time wasted arguing with the tour guide, we got our tickets back from him to re-enter the premises. I guess the key to all these is persistence!
Indian men are such a cute and friendly bunch of people. I was sitting somewhere, waiting for the rest who had gone to the toilet and suddenly, one Indian man approached me and asked if he could take a picture with me. Slightly wary and afraid, I agreed for fear of offending them, while secretly hoping that the rest of my group would quickly return.
The first photo
After that photo, his friends seemed to come out of nowhere and one by one, they sat beside me to take a photo with me. I became like a sightseeing figure, posing for photos with them. Yet I have to admit that I was slightly flattered, becoming an instant celebrity at that moment.
The second photo
The third photo
It was taking too much time queueing up to take a one on one photo with me, that they decided that they will take a photo with me together.
My friends, finally saw what was happening and had arrived back and so it became evident that I wasn't alone and we all had to settle for a group photo with everyone.
Leaving Taj Mahal, I was filled with mixed emotions. I was disappointed that the fog was so bad that I couldn't really get to appreciate the true beauty of one of the seven wonders in the world. On top of that, it was so crowded that I couldn't fully immerse myself into details of the place before being bumped into by someone. Yet I have to admit that the architecture was really sleek and having to build such a place back then must have been much work and effort, which explains why they took 12 years to finish the whole project.
At the exit of Taj Mahal, I was cornered by Indian kids, asking me to buy the keychains of Taj Mahal that they were selling. Not knowing what to do, I continued walking and they only became more persistent and I relented and bought from one of them and the rest walked away. Only walking 10 steps or less further, more kids approached me to buy the same item which I had just bought and they started quoting prices even less than what I had paid for. It was sad seeing the kids spend their childhood earning a living for survival. My heart bled and I wanted so much to just buy everything from every kid who was selling their items on the streets but I don't have that type of money. Upon much thought, I wondered if these kids were working for a syndicate and forced to the streets to sell the products to gain the symphathy of people like us. What a pity that these kids have to grow up faster than they should, reaching a maturity level much higher than us students who are still in the university simply because they have to earn money for survival.
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