India Part II: Mathura & Agra
The Taj Mahal had been visible from our hostel the whole time and there we’d been, Googling restaurants with the best views of the Taj! Sometimes, what you are looking for is definitely closer than you may think!
By Shri & Firuza
Mathura:
And so there we were, at the station in Delhi, waiting to get on board our very first train in India – for some reason this had been one of the things we were most excited about doing! Perhaps it was the influence of films such as the ‘Darjeeling Express’ or perhaps even that scene of the crowded station in ‘Slumdog Millionaire’. Whatever it was, we had never been so excited to catch a train!
We arrived at the station early, having booked our train from Delhi to Mathura two days prior using the IXIGO app (this app basically scheduled 80% of our entire 3 month visit to India in the end). It turned out the train was delayed. Delayed by 1 and a half hours. We noted that when we read this on the departures board, there was even a dedicated column to indicate by how many minutes (or hours) the train was delayed. This must happen often we thought!
The train from Delhi to Mathura was a short journey lasting only a few hours and as such we had decided to go for sleeper class: now this is supposedly not the nicest class and even some locals will refrain from using it but we had decided that by the end of the trip we wanted to have experienced every single class offered by train in India. This trip was relatively uneventful, except for one of the passengers striking up a conversation with Shri, which lasted at least an hour. He later told Shri that he had waited for the first hour of the journey to pluck up the courage to speak to him – this goes to show, no matter who you are there will always be someone interested to talk to you. In this case, he had never spoken to a foreigner before and was over the moon at having this opportunity!
When we pulled into the station at Mathura, we had only a few minutes to hop off the train with all of our heavy luggage. We noticed that a lot of people were already jumping off the train before it had stopped. Shri considered this but then also thought about the stern look he would get from Firuza for even knowing he had considered this and so decided not to jump early. He could only imagine the headlines back home in the UK if people were jumping off trains before they stopped in the UK…
As we exited the station, tuktuk drivers surrounded us, all hustling for our business. Everyone was right up in our personal space, which shrunk to non-existent in a matter of seconds. Firuza walked to a corner where she ordered an Uber, away from everyone that was hounding Shri, whilst arguing amongst themselves. On reflection, we had probably grown quite accustomed to getting Ubers while in Delhi and hadn’t yet braced ourselves for the haggling or bartering stage of the trip. We would in due time become well seasoned tuktuk hagglers as the months progressed, but on this occasion the train station greeting was probably enough for the time being.
Vrindivan
Vrindivan is a holy town where the Hindu deity Krishna is believed to have spent his childhood. It was a short drive away from where we were staying in Mathura (yes we still did take an Uber on this occasion – we were still getting settled), and Shri’s friend from the train had mentioned that this would be a trip highlight for us.
Around Mathura
After returning from Vrindivan, we spent the rest of the day strolling around Mathura, getting used to being in a small town where we certainly seemed to be the only tourists. This was quite a contrast, having first landed in the capital, full of tourists and bustle. There was plenty of bustle in Mathura though, the streets completely packed, the roads amass with tuktuks, scooters, cars and cows (it wasn’t a typo).
We boarded the train to Agra later that night (we don’t hang around much!) and yet again were faced with train delay. This time the delay was over two and a half hours, which you’ll find, is not uncommon on the rail here. Luckily we had downloaded some Netflix shows to watch offline, which we highly recommend to anyone travelling by train, as you never know how long your journey, could be delayed by. Might also be good to keep extra snacks on you at all times.
Again it was a quick ride from Mathura to Agra and we went again in Sleeper class, this time opting to read our books on the way. The only eventful moments of the journey that we recall were towards the end when the chap opposite us started eating nuts, but discarding the shells on the floor right in front of us (and when he got up ten minutes before us it made us look rather suspect) and at the very end when a passenger came up to us and said “I have seen that you are a foreigner”. There was no follow up to that comment so we just said yes, watched him smile, and then said goodbye after he gestured he was getting off the train. It might be Agra, home to one of the 7 Wonders of the World, but as it happens it seems there are people there who still haven’t seen a foreigner before.
We disembarked the train, ready for this all-important part of the trip. We were finally going to see the Taj Mahal, complete our visits to all 7 Wonders of the World, and achieve a major life goal.
Agra
The first night
When we arrived in Agra it was close to 10pm and we were just ready to crash for the night. But first we had to get to our accommodation. A flock of tuktuk drivers swarmed to all the passengers as they exited the station – and it became clear quickly that if you were a foreigner you would be in high demand.
We walked out past everyone, deciding to at least get past the crowd and negotiate a suitable price with a driver without too much hassle. As we walked past a few drivers and then a few more followed us. We were soon past them but as we turned around to see what had distracted them we noticed that the original two who had been following us were now embroiled in a fight – no doubt fighting for two customers who were now getting away from them and much less likely to go with them even if one did overpower the other (we didn’t wait to see).
We eventually negotiated what we thought was a good price (it wasn’t – it would take us two more days to know what was considered a good price following some in depth conversations with restaurant owners). We arrived at our hostel after a twenty-minute ride, ready to get some shuteye. Only to find out that the hostel was not operational and that a plumbing issue had occurred. We’d have to stay at another hostel…..
The hostel owner said that they owned another hostel further down the road and said they would walk us over the there. When we eventually got there, we filled out their forms to register as guests which took almost as long as the journey there, given that you need to provide all your passport information, VISA info and more (this is very common across India for foreign nationals when checking in). Unfortunately, we did all this, only to realize afterwards that the place didn’t have hot water and that the accommodation standard was below that of the one we had originally paid for (and they were giving us the same rate). Had it just been a one-night stay we probably would have just taken it, but as we would be here for four nights, we decided to find somewhere else, which we did thanks to Hostelworld.com.
And so we walked to our third accommodation quarters for the night and finally found a place that we’d be able to stay (and yes we had to fill in all the guest registration details again). Peace at last.
The First Glimpse
The next morning we had to change rooms again – this time because the room we were in suddenly didn’t have any hot water in the bathroom. But after the previous night this was no big deal for us. In the end we took a chill day and only went out in the late afternoon.
We made our way to the Jama Masjid (the largest Mosque in Agra), which, although nice, was not close to the scale of the one in Delhi. We spent about an hour there and noted the special effect the dome structures of the building had on the voice of the priest as he made the calls to prayer. Similar to Delhi, people will tell you to leave your shoes with them before you go in but they will expect a tip in return and it is quite alright for you to carry your shoes or put them in a bag.
We wondered through Kinari Bazaar which, was packed, but using the agility we had picked up from Delhi, managed to make it back to where we had planned to eat that night.
The restaurant was called the ‘Taj Café’ and for good reason. At the top of the restaurant was a roof terrace, with 360 views of Agra. We were shown through the front door and up the stairs onto this terrace. And then there it was: what we had come here for, our 7th wonder sitting right ahead of us. The Taj Mahal.
It was a little but smoggy but apart form that the building (which ultimately is what it is although we never attach that kind of word to it) gave off a mystical feeling, appearing to float amongst the smog. We ate dinner that night in awe, making only small conversation as we continued to glance out at the wonder on the other side of all the rooftops.
We watched it against the darkening sky all the way until dusk when it began to fade into the night sky. We feel it’s also relevant at this point to mention that this restaurant also served a mean mango lassi, which we highly recommend!
Agra Fort
The next morning we set off early, on our way to Agra Fort. We had planned that today, we’d see the fort in the morning and the Taj Mahal in the late afternoon in order to get a sunset experience. We caught a rickshaw from just outside the hostel and managed to negotiate the price down to 60 rupees (from 150) – which we later learned was the local price. Ultimately, if you set your price and don’t budge, people will change their price if they think you might go with someone else.
We arrived at the fort shortly after sunrise and started to take in the structure. This fort had been the main residence of the Mughal Emperor’s of India where they operated from when Agra was the country’s capital city. This was also where the Emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son, when he overthrew his father (as you do).
When most people think of Agra, they normally think of the Taj Mahal. We were determined to discover other important parts of the city with Agra Fort being the main alternative attraction. But, as it so happens, even when at Agra Fort, the Taj Mahal still manages to steal the show!
When you look at a guidebook or online at Agra Fort, the first thing that it will say is where in the fort do you get the best Taj views. Interesting as the fort is, we also joined the crowds for the first half hour taking photos of the Taj in the distance and asking lots of different people to take pictures of us (as Firuza kept optimistically thinking that the next person would have more camera prowess…).
The structure of the fort was magnificent and the grounds vast, which took us the entire morning to complete. It’s well worth a visit to take in the architecture and history but the highlight for us definitely was the eastern views of the Taj Mahal. It seems fitting that Shah Jahan would be imprisoned somewhere where he could look out upon one of the most magnificent buildings ever constructed which so happened to be a mausoleum for his late wife (sorry for the spoiler, we’ll also cover this when we get to the Taj section).
A Lunch to Remember
We took a rickshaw that afternoon to a rooftop restaurant called Saniya Palace Hotel very close to the Taj Mahal. We had thought that the Taj Café had great views – the one here was even better!
For the rest of the day we had no other commitments other than eating and seeing the Taj. And we could do both form here. We waited for a French couple to leave and then quickly took the best table in the place.
Planted right in front of the ancient structure, these seats truly are the best place to eat while looking at the Taj Mahal. There was something great about seeing it up close like this and knowing that in a short while, we would actually be up close and inside it, completing our 7 wonders mission.
The Taj Mahal – Getting In
Don’t buy your entry tickets online! Sorry, we don’t mean to be abrupt but we want to make sure you don’t end up with the same hassle that we had getting our tickets. We purchased our tickets online thinking that we’d save time on the day but in the end they never came through, even though our money was taken. We ended up having to pay again at the gate and then get a refund from our bank as a dispute, because the merchant never responded to our emails.
We’re going to take a brief moment here to say that Starling Bank were fantastic in resolving this issue for us, and if you’re a Brit who likes to travel abroad, Starling is certainly the way to go from here! They offer free cash withdrawals from ATMs, have a very efficient app, great online customer service and they totally get you if you travel. Monzo is not bad either, but after this trip, we’re both agreed that Starling will take some beating.
So back to the Taj and getting in. It turns out, your ticket will work out cheaper overall if you visit the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort on the same day due to a discount applied. It’s also slightly cheaper if you pay by card versus cash. So, that’s what we did and off walked to the entrance with two complimentary bottles of water. It was going great!
Being inside
It’s worth noting that you won’t be able to visit on Fridays as it’s closed for Friday prayer, so make sure when you plan your trip that visiting the Taj doesn’t fall on that day which we almost did! You’ll also want to avoid going at the same time that a foreign leader pays a visit to India as it now seems customary to shut down the Taj Mahal in honour of their visit (Trump showed up about a month after we had been and that shut down the monument for the day and messed up probably a few peoples plans including someone we had met later on in India). You’ll also want to avoid going during pandemics or national lockdowns. But any other time is absolutely fine.
We definitely had some mini shivers as we entered through the large gates and into the vicinity where you could finally view the whole building from the front. After such an adventure seeing the other 6 wonders, we had finally made it to the last one. And what a sight it was. The initial entry area was crowded with people trying to get the perfect photo and people waiting for others to move out of the centre. We were those people!
We eventually shuffled further in, getting shots as we advanced towards the building and stopping at the various viewpoint benches including where Princess Diana had her famous photo taken. Apart from just taking photos we did get a good 360 walk around the mausoleum, and spend some time walking leisurely across the grounds. The grounds themselves were supposed to emulate ‘heaven on earth’ when the place was designed and built by Moghul emperor Shah Jahan for his favourite wife when she passed away. The building itself, beautiful as it is, was far less spectacular on the inside as it was on the out. Nevertheless, it still is magnificent and widely considered to be one of the most beautiful buildings ever created.
We stayed quite some time in the grounds of the Taj Mahal. More than three hours in fact. We walked, we talked, we read about it in the Lonely Planet guidebook we had and even managed a few minutes to sit down and gaze in awe. We had waited specifically until sunset so that we could capture some stunning pictures of the Taj with the Sunset in the backdrop. But actually, if you want a really good sunset picture then you’re better off going to the other side of the river as you’d be facing west. You can’t quite capture it if you’re standing directly in front of it when the sun is behind you.
After the sun had set, officials started to ask everyone to leave. No big deal right? Except that they were walking around with guns. Big guns! Firuza hadn’t quite finished taking her time lapses videos so this really was inconvenient timing from her perspective. Doing what any caring partner would do, Shri came up with an idea that just might work.
‘Hey, can I take a picture with you?’ he asked of this military guard. So far in India, everybody had taken any opportunity to get in a photo or selfies with us so why not try with this guy. He obliged, happily we may add and we had a few good shots with a guard who one minute was hastily ushering everyone out, and now was suddenly an enthusiastic poser, changing his positions and beaming form one ear to the next…
As we were leaving, we deposited our tokens (which looked like Vegas casino chips) into the machine to allow us to exit. But it didn’t work. We were told to go to the desk to see why our tokens weren’t working as it seemed everyone else’s did. After a minute or two, the guy behind the desk explained that we had been inside the grounds for over three hours and our time had expired. We would each have to pay half price of a normal ticket to exit.
There had been no signs or explanation from any staff that there was a 3 hour time limit at the attraction so we had innocently assumed that we could stay until we were told to leave. Was this all part of a plan to get more money out of tourists? Either way Firuza wasn’t having any of it and she continued to argue this point with the man on the desk. The last thing he said to us was that if we don’t pay then we won’t be able to leave and we’ll have to spend the night there. ‘Fine’, retorted Firuza, ‘then we will!’
We walked away from the desk, both thinking exactly what would our next move would be, and now noticing the size of the guard’s guns even more than usual. Suddenly, Firuza made a brisk walk towards a gate leading onto the outside street that was not token-controlled, shouting ‘I’m going’. ‘Ma’am wait, you cannot just leave like that’ shouted one of the guards. Shri had a split second to decide what to do next before saying to the guards ‘don’t worry, I’ll get her’, before sprinting after her out of the gate.
After we got out we continued going at a pace, hearing the calls from behind growing more distant as we advanced further away. We kept at this pace until we were sure we had lost them and took a moment to catch our breath. ‘You were going to wait for me right,’ asked Shri. Firuza simply smiled in response…
Cat & Mouse (& Ola)
That night we ended up having to change rooms again, this time though it wasn’t due to no hot water. Shri was on the laptop, facing the edge of the bed when he noticed something crawl under the door. He blinked, not sure if he had seen it right. Then it went back out and came back in only seconds later. It was a mouse.
Shri had to impressively deal with the situation while not letting Firuza know what was going on to avoid her freaking out. And so within 20 minutes we had moved room, Shri had explained to Firuza why (but only after), and we had wedged what we could into the gap under the door to our new room. Meanwhile, the hostel staff left their cat in the room in an attempt to clear the rodent out. So if ever you’re considering staying at a budget hostel in Agra, just make sure to inspect the gap between the door and the floor before you get into bed….
The next day we opted to take an Ola ride, which is an alternative to Uber in India. It pretty much works the same, except that you still are expected to pay in cash (well at least we were). When we got out, the app asked us to rate the driver, as is normally the case for Uber, but it also asked us to rate them in terms of ‘how well groomed’ they are. We found this highly amusing, but not having looked properly at our drivers face we opted to give him the benefit of the doubt and selected that he was well groomed.
We spent the day visiting the tombs at Chini Ka Rauza and I’timād-ud-Daulah which offered more spectacular architecture and history of the Mughal emperors. Following that we had sumptuous Dahl Makhani for lunch before heading off to see a proper sunset with the Taj Mahal in the backdrop.
We arrived at the Mehtab Bagh, which is a garden complex across the river from the Taj Mahal. And similar to the previous day, we camped ourselves ready for the sunset show, only this time it was much better as you’ll see from the photos and time-lapse video.
There were still a fair number of tourists here although not as many as were present at the actual Taj. One boy kept coming around and asking for money. Most people ignored him but one man decided to take a selfies with him, only to then get annoyed afterwards when he continued asking for money.
And so our last day in Agra was spent watching the sun set over the monument we’d obsessed over for so long, now spending the third day in a row looking at it from a new angle. And it was well worth it!
One More Thing
On our last full day in Agra, we decided to take a day trip to Fatehpur Sikri. Some will say it’s worth spending a night there, but we found it worked out quite well doing a round trip as it took around an hour to get there from where we were staying. Just make sure you leave early enough to get the most out of it.
Fatehpur Sikri is essentially a fortified ancient city, which was the capital of the Mughal Empire for a short period of time. We ended up arranging a taxi to take us there and bring us back to avoid having to haggle that day – we wanted to get there and back for a fair price and we figured we were allowed at least one day off from bartering.
Often overlooked as a place of interest next to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri also offers plenty of to see and learn about from the Mughal history to the architecture of the stunning mosque, which is still in use today. We spent a good number of hours here and even ran out of time to visit the Tomb of Akbar which is also worth a visit if you are staying in Agra for an extended period. Just remember to keep cash with you as to get to the fortified city of Fatehpur Sikri you will need to jump on a small bus at a pickup point where your taxi/Uber/Ola/Rickshaw will drop you.
On our final day back in Agra we had enough time for a late brunch at our hostel before catching our next train going to Bikaner via Jaipur. While we waited for our food to come, Shri went to the roof terrace to dry our towels. As he hung them up, he noticed in the distance the protrusion of a magnificent white marble building – the Taj Mahal had been visible from our hostel the whole time and there we’d been, Googling restaurants with the best views of the Taj! Sometimes, what you are looking for is definitely closer than you may think!
