Dawn & Dusk at 7th Wonder of the World!

As I walked down the street through the red walled East gate entrance , I stood still at the first glance of the Seventh wonder of the world!

The Taj Mahal!

First glance of Taj hidden behind the gates!

It was an abrupt trip, completely unplanned for; thanks to a friend who shot this idea my way to take a pit stop at Agra for an evening before I catch my flight to US from Delhi the next day. I just had one evening in Agra, and did not have time to plan anything.

View of Taj from the main entrance.

Time Check — We reached Agra at 5 PM on a Saturday evening and headed out to buy entry tickets at 5:45 PM; were inside the East gate by 6:15 PM and it was not crowded at all. We saw the interiors of Taj and then sat outside in the veranda watching the sunset. April being the hottest month, the evening was warm but not uncomfortably hot. 7:30 PM we had to leave as it was closing down. The next day morning we got the tickets at 5:45 AM, were in Taj Mahal again around 6 AM and we sat watching sunrise at the Taj Mahal until 10:30 AM when slowly the place started getting crowded.

Taj Mahal at Dawn!

It really is quite a serene place if it’s not crowded :) ; just sit there watching this huge white palace in front of you wondering how 400 years back, they would have put this together with such precision. Or just watch the sunset/sunrise color the place red due to all the red stone buildings surrounding Taj Mahal.

Sunset at Taj!

Thankfully there is still some nature left around Taj; one can hear the birds chirp or cuckoo sing or see some monkeys/squirrels wandering around.

Today it might seem like just another architecture, but going back to its 400 years old legacy; one can imagine how bright it would have shone in the day light when it was newly built. The pollution and population have done and are continuing to do their job very well in leaving their imprints on Taj Mahal.

I might go back to Taj with my camera for a photography visit to capture it’s beauty the best I can.

Lately I have come to realize that backpacking trips are the best way to see places. Travel in a manner that you belong to that place, not as tourists. To see or feel the beauty and real sense of a place is in being there without rushing around. Me and my friend just sat there, breathing casually, chatting about life in general, observing people around and just relaxing! I cannot think of a better way to enjoy Taj Mahal and am glad I got a chance to do it this way!

-Sarita
Dated — 6th and 7th May 2017!

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