India: Dawn at the Taj Mahal, Dusk in Jaipur
Summary. Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal took more than 20 years to complete. The monument blends Persian, Islamic, and Indian architectural styles, and its sheer size is matched only by the attention to detail found throughout the complex. Photos don't really prepare you for seeing it in person. There's a reason it attracts millions of visitors each year and remains one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. After leaving the Taj, we began the roughly five-hour drive to Jaipur, stopping along the way at Chand Baori, an incredible 9th-century stepwell hidden in the Rajasthan countryside.
[This blog is part of our 16-days in India and Bhutan trip].
Before Sunrise. To experience the Taj Mahal at sunrise, we were up well before dawn. Our guide picked us up from the hotel while the city was still asleep, and we made our way through the quiet early-morning streets of Agra. After clearing security, we hopped on a short electric tram ride that carried us to the massive red sandstone entrance gate. Within the entrance gate, we caught our first glimpse of the Taj Mahal.
Upon entering the main area, the crowds were relatively sparse compared to what we were informed they would be later in the day. This allowed us to capture some beautiful photos.
After that, we walked over to the side of the Taj Mahal to access the interior section.
No videos or photos are permitted inside the Taj Mahal. Outside, you can walk around the back to see the Yamuna River.
Then, we strolled to the opposite side to capture additional photos of the sunrise reflecting on the Taj Mahal.
With the sun up in the sky on our way out, we capture one last video of this beautiful place. You can see how the building is a different color when the sky is no longer pink from the sunrise.
Afterwards, we checked out of our hotel and headed out for the 5-hour drive to Jaipur, our next stop.
Scenes from our drive.
Chand Baori, Abhaneri. Along the way, we stopped in the small village of Abhaneri, where this ancient stepwell was built over a thousand years ago to capture precious water in the desert region of Rajasthan. The well drops about 100 feet underground, with thousands of precisely arranged steps creating an incredible geometric pattern that seems to go on forever.
Back on the road, we viewed more of the countryside as we approached the bustling city of Jaipur.
In Jaipur, we checked in for the night our lodging for the next two nights. This beautiful place had a lovely restaurant we enjoyed dinner at without having to go out onto the busy streets.
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