So finally....after just 48 years, 6 weeks (and two earlier failed attempts) we make it back to Agra. This is where it all began on October 21, 1971. For it was on an Indian government bus day tour from Delhi to Agra that we met. And we both kept the bus tickets, a little faded with time, but the intention is clear.....

And here we are back again, although it must be admitted in considerably more comfort. We still come from Delhi, but this time the journey is made in a private car accompanied by Sanjay, an excellent guide and Agra native who helps to make this visit to the Taj Mahal almost as memorable as the first. Sanjay tells us that he was just six years old at the time of our first visit. Not a day trip this time, but two nights stay at one of the only two hotels in Agra that have a view of the Taj. The hotel had been “pre-warned” of our Agra history so the staff were exceptionally nice to us the entire stay. We get to have dinner on the balcony of our room with a view of the Taj - or at least a faint outline as Islamic custom means that it’s not floodlit (the outline of the Taj can just be made out in the background)...

With Sanjay’s guidance we get to see the Taj at sunrise.....

....and then again at sunset

So what’s changed in the intervening years? In 1971 there were mostly local tourists, but very few foreign ones. After beating off the hawkers, entry into the monument grounds was easy. Today with the constant threat of terrorism, not to mention the never-ending enmity between India and Pakistan (during the 1971 war, the Pakistanis threatened an attack on the Taj Sanjay tells us) there is a massive military and police presence in and around the Taj and the now all-too-commonplace security checks on anybody entering the Taj grounds. At times, the crowds of tourists are so large that there is now a visit limit of three hours. Then there’s the infamous “Lady Diana bench” (no further explanation needed!) on which it seems now every visitor wants to be photographed (us included!!).

The actual tombs of Mumtaz and Shah Jehan in the crypt of the mausoleum which we saw in 1971 are now closed off to the public to prevent further souvenir-hunting vandalism. Now only the “replica” tombs in the main hall of the mausoleum can be viewed To enter the mausoleum itself now you either remove your shoes or wear shoe covers.

But in the end, these are really at worst, just minor inconveniences. For what hasn’t changed is the Taj Mahal itself. Regardless of the time of day the first sight of this monument as you walk through the archway which opens onto the extensive grounds truly takes your breath away.

And that really is no exaggeration - admitted even by Sanjay who must have visited thousands of times! There can be no disputing that this 370 year-old building is the most beautiful on the planet. The remarkably symmetrical construction of locally mined, non-porous white marble with the facade and interior spaces in covered in intricate patterns made from inlaid semi-precious stones and coloured marble are all quite stunning. Flowery words and endless photos don’t do the Taj justice. It has to be seen to be believed! 

And of course as can be seen from the photos from 1971 and today, we haven’t changed either - well not that much anyway (that's Sandra in the left foreground in the next photo; and me in the centre foreground of the following photo).....

These and many more photos are in the album that accompanies this blog. Some but not all are captioned and they are just a few of the many we took at this incredible sight during our sunrise and sunset visits....