Agra and Pushkar

The majestic Taj Mahal, the Baby Taj, Akbar's Mausoleum and the other sights in Agra and Fatephur Sikri truly demonstrate the incredible architecture and magnificent artistry of the Mughul empire. We spent our first day in Agra visiting Fatephur Sikri, the site of Akbar the Great's capital during his reign. The old city walls encompass an impressive mosque and his beautiful palace. The impressive gate to the mosque was covered, of all random things, by huge honey combs. Beside the mosque, there was a beautiful marble shrine on the inside, with amazing carved lattice windows, all carved out of marble. The multi-story palace was airy and open, with large courtyards. The city was abandoned after Akbar's death due to the lack of water and the capital moved to Agra, where Agra Fort and a new palace was built. Today, there is a lively and chaotic market and approximately 40,000 people reside here.

Agra, like the rest of India, is crowded and chaotic. There is development right up to the gates and walls of the Taj Mahal. We tried to wake up in time to see it at sunrise, but it was freezing and cloudy so we promptly abandoned the idea and went right back to sleep. But the Taj was beautiful anyway. Even seeing the Taj for the second time was incredible - it is quite simply, magical. We grabbed lunch at a nearby rooftop restaurant where we ate with a view of the Taj in the background. Afterwards, we went to Sikandra to see Akbar's mausoleum, an impressive red sandstone structure decorated with marble inlay. We followed that with a visit to the Baby Taj, the first Mughul structure built entirely out of marble. It is much smaller than the Taj, but the details and design was even more intricate than the Taj. As the sun set, we went to view the Taj from the other side of the river, where we saw the back of the Taj. It never gets old.

However, living in the shadow of the magnificent Taj were some of the poorest people in India. In a small tent city, there lived hundreds who did not have real abodes. Despite the rapid pace of development in India, this is still one of the poorest countries in the world. In fact, it makes China look amazing in comparison. Children begging without shoes as well as adults, and the litter, fecal matter and urine strewn about everywhere on the streets detracts from the amazing sights and culture India has to offer and serve as a reminder that India still has a long way to go in terms of development.

We took an overnight bus to Ajmer, the closest big town to Pushkar. The bus ride was an experience to say the least. It was freezing and the bus made multiple noisy stops that made it impossible to sleep. We finally got to Ajmer at 5:30am in the morning. We were cold and tired, but found a place at the railroad station to store out luggage, then hopped on the bus to Pushkar. When we got to Pushkar, nothing was open. Things in India open surprisingly late. Even in Delhi, nothing opened until 10am. We made a half-loop around a empty, deserted town before finding a cafe open for breakfast. Post-breakfast, the town came to life. Dozens of little stores selling shawls, clothing, jewelry and other items opened and people were everywhere. We shopped, visited the Brahmin temple and walked around the ghats by the lake. The lake was small but pretty, dotted with colorful pilgrims who were visiting this holy Hindu city, and pretty pale blue and white buildings on little hills. It was nice and relaxing, and full of hippies from Europe enjoying the chill pace of life.

We rushed back to Ajmer hoping to make it in time for our train to Udaipur, which we missed. Plan B is a bus to Udaipur, which we are determined not to miss.