The T-A-J

East Gate of the Taj Mahal.


I never gave into all the hype about the Taj Mahal..i mean, yeah sure its there with all other things Islamic - a Dome and four minarets. But boy, was I in for a surprise or what !

Stepping into the complex itself, this thing is HUGE. And its off white now, but its Majestic and just terribly fantastic..

Its not gawdy at all, instead the Taj is classy and sombre and supremely cool. I forgot all the misgivings I had about Agra City with its pushy Rickshaw drivers, tour guides and foreign exchange scammers. In side the Taj complex, its a completely different world.

Everybody has to visit it. Tickets are Rs. 20 for Indian Nationals and Rs. 750 for foreign nationals. Being a Transnational like me helps a lot. The Taj opens at 6 am and closes at 7 pm. Be very vary of rickshaw drivers dragging you into Meena Market or a Marble shop, you are better of bargaining by yourself. Don't be ashamed to bargain, the boys selling little Taj Mahals still make a chummy chunk off tourists. Don't be ashamed to bargain, but don't be too inconsiderate. Make it a point to bargain down your price and then pay Rs. 10-20 over as a tip. It just makes them happy.