After another not great nights sleep, due to a big birthday party going on in the restaurant next door we left after breakfast to our next stop. We are driving to a small place called Dhulla Village.
This is a nice relaxing stay in the countryside to recuperate after the madness of Delhi & Jaipur.
It was a pretty long drive with a stop along the way for some lunch then we arrived at the place we were staying, and it’s gorgeous. A beautiful tented camp in the grounds of an old Palace. It’s so tranquil and calm, the tents are great and there is also a swimming pool, not quite full but still fab for a cooling dip! We got settled in and had a relaxing afternoon. I chose to have a dip and then relax in the shade and read my book, and watch all the birds, peacocks and even a Jackel!
Later in the afternoon we all went for a bike ride through the local village, led by a lovely local guy. The ride was on bikes with no gears and tiny saddles 😬 but it was brilliant, just seeing all the fields and the village and villagers going about their business was amazing. The kids all get so excited and wave and want to high 5! Not the easiest manoeuvre when on a bicycle! 😀
Our guide then took us to his home in the village, where we met his son, wife and mother and all had a refreshing cup of Masala Chai.
Village life is still pretty simple and traditional, but also peaceful and calm. I loved this activity.
We all had dinner in camp and then sat around a fire pit chatting and enjoying the fireworks and music from a wedding taking place very nearby.
Unfortunately the music became slightly less enjoyable from 11 – 3am! It finished just before a whole pack of jackets began howling, they then stopped just in time for the birds to start! 🥱😴🥱😴 So another night of very little sleep, India definitely likes a party! 🥳🎉
We left Dhulla after breakfast, next stop Agra.
We stopped on route to visit a magnificent Step Well, Chand Baori. It is stunning. It was built in the 8 & 9th centuries by King Chanda of the Nikumbha dynasty. It was the idea of the queen and the women to build it to save the long, hot walk to fetch fresh water. It has appeared in several Bollywood films and also in The Dark Knight Rises.
I found it amazing, if a little hairy, it’s deep and steep!
When we arrived in Agra our first stop was Itmad-ud-Daula or Baby Taj. It is referred to as a Jewel Box and is possibly a draft of the Taj Mahal. It is a Mughal Mausoleum. It was built around 1625. It is impressive and very pretty. It is the tomb of Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, the grandfather of Arjumand Banu Begum, the wife of Emperor Shah Japan, who was responsible for building the Taj Mahal.
Vik is so good at explaining all the history and giving plenty of information, not all of which I can remember! Suffice to say it’s fascinating.
We arrived at the hotel, a more modern place, which is fine, I had a slight issue with mouldy and dirty pillows, and some peoples rooms are pretty damp smelling! But overall it’s ok. It does have a roof terrace with a small pool and a great view of the sunset. 🌆
We had a pleasant dinner out and got to try a local delicacy, Petha, sweet. It’s is made from Winter Melon, or white pumpkin. It’s was interesting. To be fair we tried another the next day and that was yummy!
It was an early night as we were leaving to visit the Taj Mahal at 5am. 😳
It was the first quiet night I’ve had, such a shame I had to get up so bloody early.
We set off in our bus to the entrance which wasn’t very far, luckily for us the early start payed off as we were pretty much first in line. It’s obviously very busy but even more so on Saturdays.
We entered while the sun was starting to rise, so not completely light. You walk along past some red sandstone buildings then through the huge entrance gate and there it is!
It is overwhelming, huge and absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.
I got very emotional. I just felt very privileged to be there and be able to see one of the 7 wonders of the world.
The story of the Taj Mahal is also very beautiful and moving. (Although I feel it might be embellished somewhat!)
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal (Arjumand Banu Begum). Mumtaz had 14 children with the Emperor, she also accompanied him on missions and to battles and acted as an advisor. She was very beautiful. When she was giving birth to her 14th child there were complications and she became very ill, the Emperor was called back from battle and arrived in time to see and speak to his wife before she died.
Mumtaz made Shah Jahan make 3 promises, 1. Look after her family. 2. Never marry again. 3. Build a monument to tell the world how much he loved her.
Shah Jahan was inconsolable after her death and plunged the royal court into 2 years of mourning, but he kept his promises to his favourite wife.
He summoned Muslim artists and architects from all over the world to help design and build a mausoleum worthy of Mumtaz.
It took 20,000 artisans, 1,000s of elephants, 10s of thousands of workers and over 22 years to build.
Incredibly it is also earthquake proof! It is built on a raised platform, with deep foundations. The foundation’s consist of a series of wells, the materials used including clay, stone and wood help to distribute the load evenly and provide stability. The use of Sandstone and marble reduces the overall weight. The four Minerets are built angled outwards, so that if they fall they fall away from the main structure. The overall height, and design, using Domes and arches also helps with the stability. This is a hugely impressive feat for a building over 400 years old!
The White Marble used to build the Taj Mahal is from Rajasthan, it is a very special marble, hard, non porous and with quartz in it. This is why after 400 years it still looks pristine.
The design of the whole place is stunning. The gardens, the water, the mosque’s. Everything is to reflect the Mughal ideas of symmetry, balance and harmony.
I found the whole place to be quite spectacular, incredibly beautiful and very peaceful. I can’t quite believe that I was able to see this wonderful monument.
We spent around 3 hours here. I could easily have spent much longer, just soaking in the beauty. But it was beginning to get very, very busy so we left and went for a much needed big breakfast buffet!
After this we went back to the hotel for a short rest and time to freshen up before we headed to the Agra Fort, also known as the Red Fort. Again this stunning place was built by the Mughals. Emperor Humayun was crowned here in 1530. It is also another fantastic building, very complex and intricate. Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned here by his son, this fate was awful for him as his prison, to be fair it was quite a fancy series of rooms! But it looked across the river to the Taj Mahal and his wife but he wasn’t able to visit.
Agra Fort was also the site where the emperor’s signed a trade agreement with the British East India Trading Company in the 1800s and heralded the end of the Mughal empire.
It really has been a full on few days, so much to see and absorb. I’m so behind on my blog, as I just don’t have time to write it or sometimes no wifi to post or both!
That’s it for now, so much more to tell you! 😍🧡💚🇮🇳
Books Read.
I’ve nearly finished another book!
Have a great week.
🧡❤️🩵🩷💙
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