Finally! The Taj Mahal

Tuesday January 28, it’s finally our day to visit the Taj Mahal. I’ve been anxiously awaiting this.

There were nine of us who decided to hire a tour guide to go see the Taj Mahal at sunrise. A big thanks to our friend Michael for setting it up with a company he had already been using the previous days before we arrived.

Commemoration of the 370th death anniversary of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal began on Sunday and went through today. Because of this the entry to the Taj Mahal was free today which contributed to a larger than usual crowd.

The Urs is an annual event organized by local committee to commemorate the death of Shah Jahan, which also includes opening the passage to the basement where the emperor and his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, are buried. Typically, this passage remains locked, with access granted only by the ASI.



 Tomorrow we start riding. Definitely a bit nervous as we’ll be riding through Agra to the Taj Mahal for a group photo and then on to the road out of town.

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