What comes to your mind when you hear the word India? What is that one monument/place that instantly takes its place in the cognitive minds of everyone as soon as India is being discussed? Yes, we are talking about Taj Mahal!
Now everyone dreams of seeing Taj Mahal at least once in their lifetime, which is reflected clearly in the average no. of people visiting Taj Mahal everyday i.e; 15,000!! Most of us are working and get time only for those 2-3 days of weekends to chill and explore.
So, what should be an effective weekend itinerary so as to get the most of Agra and see beyond Taj?
Let us discuss everything in detail :
1. BEST TIME TO VISIT:
The best time to visit and see Agra is just after the extreme winters i.e; from January end to March.
2. HOW TO REACH:
Agra is well connected with all the modes of transportation. You can easily choose the best suited option for you, depending on your budget, comfort requirements and time constraints.
I went to Agra via railways and reached Agra on a misty winter morning (Agra Fort Railway Station).
My personal itinerary:
DAY 1 (Friday): AGRA FORT & MEHTAB BAGH
I reached Agra on Friday morning and straight away decided to roam around and see the city. But, you gotta respect human body at some point since it has its own limits. I went to my hotel (which I had pre-booked from OYO) and got fresh.
Straight away, I decided to go to the magnificent Taj Mahal! But but but. There is a huge catch here! The Taj Mahal is closed every Friday for the Jumma Namaz! I thought of that day to be of complete waste. I then decided to look for other places that I can visit so that I can utilise my time. I got to know about Agra Fort and Mehtab Bagh. I decided to visit both of them, starting from the Agra Fort.
Agra Fort is a magnificent historical fort, also called as Red Fort. You can enjoy the first half of your day here since it is humongous and it takes time to enjoy every detail it showcases. The best part about Agra Fort is the view of Taj Mahal it offers! Its simply awe-inspiring.
If you're a photographer, you must visit the places other than Taj Mahal so that you can get different shots of Taj since many monuments and places in Agra are designed for a unique view of Taj Mahal!
As the evening approached, I decided to go directly to Mehtab Bagh and took an auto-rickshaw (INR 70) since it is on the other side of River Yamuna.
As you reach Mehtab Bagh, you realise how perfectly located it is to get a front shot of Taj Mahal (as it looks exactly the same from all sides). It turned out to be a blooming flower for my photography bug and I got great photographs of Taj from Mehtab Bagh which were later published in magazines including History TV18.
Pro Tip: If you are a photographer, plan to go to Mehtab Bagh on Fridays because Fridays are best to get shots of Taj Mahal as there is literally no crowd at the Taj Mahal and your photos come out relatively clean.
DAY 2 : TAJ ITSELF!
Second day started off a little late as I wanted some rest as I didn't get any. I stayed in the hotel till afternoon and went to visit the Taj Mahal straight as it approached evening.
As soon as I got first glimpse, I was awe-struck, seeing the magnificence and scale of this beaut.
I roamed around the whole built up area, including gardens and stuff but it was a bit crowded, being Saturday evening. I decided to come back again the next morning.
DAY 3 : TAJ REVISIT!
Alarm rang as soon as the clock showed 4:30 AM. I got up without second thought (for the first time ever) and straight up got ready to leave for Taj. I reached the ticket counter before sunrise and got my tickets and started waiting in line for sunrise (the gates open only after sunrise). There was a huge crowd in the morning also and I couldn't believe my eyes. But, this time I already knew the places and straight way went for the main dome when majority of people spend their time at the entry gates itself. I got almost empty grounds. Again, I got great pictures. And summed up my Taj experience on a high note.
Thus, to sum up, Always plan your Agra trip in such a way that you have got one day for other monuments and at least two visits for Taj Mahal, morning as well as evening; with latter coming first. Go to Mehtab Bagh and Agra Fort for brilliant perspectives of Taj Mahal, go straight up to the main dome area in the morning time to get best misty shots of Taj Mahal and always check your money since people of Agra (specially auto rickshaw drivers) try and make extra bucks.
Oh oh. One most important thing that I almost missed. 'AGRA ka PETHA'!
Whichever shop you go to buy the world famous Pethas of Agra, you will see a board of 'Pancchi Petha', which happens to be the oldest and most reputed names when it comes to Petha. And there is a lot of piracy on its name. I got to know that there are a total of 7 original outlets of Panchi Petha (you will see a unique hologram and ISI certification on these outlets) in and around Agra and you must buy petha from these 7 places for the best taste and quality!
Do drop me a message here or on Instagram if you need any further information. And if you liked any of the photos above, do visit my work on Instagram @alphayaatri.
https://www.instagram.com/alphayaatri/
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