Agra

 Okay so I woke up a bit more hungover than I’d anticipated. I’m back in the part of the world where you have to ask for water when drinking, there’s an adjustment period. Still, I make it to the hotel’s restaurant in time to wolf down some potatoes and chai. We pile into the van and set off for Agra fort.

In a moment where the thread of history has been uncut through my travels, we arrive to this Mughal fort. The Mughals are the descendants of the Timurids who came from Persia and ruled Uzbekistan for many years. Many architectural motifs are common to both areas, the family resemblance is quite clear.

Fort

Calling it a fort is really underselling it. This place was a place and a capital for one of the richest empires of all time. A moat of alligators and another of lions. A massive throne carved from one lump of onyx. Thousands of square footage dedicated just to housing the harem. A hot tub sized pool for rose water. A vineyard with soil brought in from friendlier climates. Fountains. Carvings. Inlay. It’s all there. After he was deposed by one of his sons, the emperor who built the Taj was imprisoned here. His quarters were about a thousand square feet and included an indoor fountain and library. Oh to suffer.

The fort’s last fearsome defender

After soaking up the opulence at the fort, we went to a carpet factory. To preserve the Taj, the government of India banned polluting industries from the region. One of the things they encouraged in its stead was carpet manufacture. The bossman guides us through the factory floor and goes into much greater detail than any of the carpet people I’ve seen before. After learning everything there is to learn about carpets we are naturally brought upstairs to the showroom. Luckily, I get to relax here. I’ve had enough. The product is highly Persian influenced being of the old Timurid influenced style. The works is not afraid to have original thoughts and many of their designs are original and contemporary. They take custom commissions as well and talked of recently completing a Denver Broncos carpet.

The boss made it clear I would not be paid for this

Next stop Taj. While our guides secured our entry, we had a breif chai and samosa break. The cafe we stopped in was proud of their espresso machine and foamed the milk for my chai before stirring it in. An interesting new idea. I’ll skip this one.

Agra’s cleanest air

More than just a white dome, the Taj Mahal is an immense complex of monuments situated over a Niger of acres in Agra. Six months after his wife died, the emperor began construction of this behemoth. Twenty two years later it was completed. I’ve been wiring a great deal about the impressive quality of craftsmanship and oodles of precious stones incorporated into the stonework in this region. The Taj tops them all. I have not been so impressed with a manmade object since I saw The Duomo in Milan. You could spend a day soaking up the mosque to the West of the tomb. That mosque is mirrored on the right and there is a fittingly intricate wall surrounding the complex. Any open space is filled in with gardens.

Also the Taj

I don’t want to paint a picture of serenity here, it is not. The expression “quiet as a tomb” does not apply to this place. There is an ocean of people who flow through the tomb like a river. In order to take in the details you need to step out of the current and hold fast lest you be carried out again. The tomb is cacophonous, people chattering about how to frame their photographs and police reminding them photography is prohibited. The people watching here too is something to behold. The Indians visiting are not dressed in street clothes, they are in their Sunday(?) best and buzzing with excitement to see this jewel of their history.

Also the Taj

Back to the hotel for a rest before dinner. Binu takes us to a nice restaurant. Honor, Kristen, and myself head for a round at another nearby cocktail bar. Lots of trading stories and chatting about what we’ve seen.