Agra, India

Hi, This post covers our visit to Agra, location of the Taj Mahal.  Once again, we were privileged to stay in a 5 star hotel.  The next two photos are of the main entrance.

These 2 views are of the pool and sundeck at the back of the hotel.  The Taj Mahal can be seen at the top right of the first photo.

Traffic in Agra, as everywhere else in India, was congested.

We visited the Taj Mahal very early in the morning.  This is the main entry.

And this is the first view of the Taj Mahal from the entry gate shown above.

There were a number of other buildings on the property.

This building was a Mosque, understandable since the Muhgal kings were Muslim.

A stork was looking for food along the river.

Here the Taj is reflected in Ruthe's sun glasses.

After visiting the Taj Mahal we returned to the hotel for breakfast and then visited the Agra Fort.  Most of the fort is still used by the military, however, a number of the various rooms and apartments are open to visitors.

This is a view of the Taj Mahal from the Agara Fort.

In the afternoon we visited a craft shop where semi precious stones are imbedded into marble.  The marble comes from the same source as the blocks used to construct the Taj Mahal.  The stones are shaped on the abrasive wheels shown below.

A pattern is then cut into the marble.

Here is a finished product.

In the evening I returned to the Taj Mahal.  I was hoping for a spectacular sunset but it was not to be.

Agra has a population of monkeys that live in the city.  We saw them as we left town in the bus the next day.

Wash is done in the river and then set out on the sandy river bank to dry.

Thanks for looking.