By Abhijith G
By the beginning of June 2023, my soul desperately yearned to travel far away. During that time, my friend working in Gurgaon invited me for a visit. I thought that was a great idea as I had never traveled beyond Rajasthan. Without much thought or planning, I booked a one-way ticket from Bangalore to Delhi around the middle of June 2023.
My friend’s strenuous schedule made it so we only got a chance to travel together to Varanasi. However, the trip that I thought would last a week extended to three. I traveled solo to Delhi, Manali, and Agra during this period.
Here, I shall recount my experience of the one-day trip to Agra.
On 28th June, 2023, at 6 AM, I boarded the Shatabdi Express from New Delhi railway station and reached Agra Cantonment railway station at 8 AM. The travel experience on one of India's fastest trains, clocking over 150 km/h, was truly fascinating. The distance between these two stations is exactly 195 km, and I had a simple breakfast, which was included in the ticket charges.
Once I stepped out of the Agra railway station, I was surrounded by rickshaw drivers offering rides. I walked a few hundred meters to escape the loud ruckus of yelling and bargaining. Then, I took a shared rickshaw to my first destination, which was almost 6 km from the station - the Taj Mahal!
Even though I chose a weekday to avoid crowds, there was a long queue by the time I reached the ticket counter at around 9AM. Then, I purchased the entry ticket to witness one of the world's seven wonders, and spent around two hours exploring and taking photographs of the architectural marvel.
If you plan to visit the Taj Mahal, it's best to arrive there early in the morning to avoid the crowds and capture beautiful pictures. It was a childhood dream come true to see this marvelous monument. The fact that it was a reality took some time to sink in - that I'm walking towards the Taj, getting closer one step at a time.
Personally, I preferred to enjoy the distant view of the Taj Mahal more than the view upfront. Finally, at around 11:30 AM, I left the Taj to visit Mehtab Bagh, a garden complex built by the Mughals that provides a panoramic view of the Taj Mahal.
This garden is approximately 8 km from Taj, and I took a rickshaw to get there. As the heat started to pick up, there were only a few people at Mehtab Bagh. Walking alongside the well-arranged shrubs and trees blossomed a blissful feeling. After spending almost an hour in the magnificent garden, I took a rickshaw to my third and final destination in this city, the Agra Fort.
The Agra Fort and Taj Mahal were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1983. They are only about 3.5 kilometers apart. Agra Fort showcases remarkable Mughal architecture and is commonly referred to as Agra's Red Fort due to its construction with red sandstone. This fort used to be the royal residence of Mughal Emperors until they shifted their capital to Delhi.
The walls of Red Fort were built as high as 20 meters to prevent attacks from enemies. Moreover, the massive fort complex reflects the architectural marvel of Indian, Turkish, and Persian styles. In addition, Agra Fort includes gardens, palaces, halls, and mosques for religious, cultural, and administrative purposes.
After exploring the Agra Fort, I went to The Nawaabs restaurant in Tajganj to have the iconic Awadhi biryani, one of the cuisines that flourished during the Mughal period. It was a heavenly taste experience, making it to the list of some of the best biryanis I've ever had.
Finally, after the delicious lunch, I took a bike taxi back to Agra railway station, from where I returned to Delhi. Reflecting on my brief trip to Agra, I realized I had only stayed in the city for around 8 hours, yet the experience was mesmerizing and value-packed. I had never thought I would visit Agra, but it did happen.
Sometimes, traveling without a proper plan turns out to be surprisingly rewarding. As I write this, my wanderlust soul is already yearning for another trip, and like before, I'm unsure where I'll end up this time.
By Abhijith G
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