2014 02 Agra

February 15, 2014 Angela and Lila arrived from Muscat.

February 16 we drove to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.  They were kind enough to arrive Saturday so John could join us on our trip to see the Taj.  

  A very Foggy Morning.

Shah Jahan 1 married Mumtaz Muhal, she was his third wife and his favourite. She died in Burhanpur 1631 giving birth to their 13th child.  Her body was carried in a golden casket to Agra. It was interred in a small building on the banks of the river Yamuna. 

Shah Jahan began planning the design and construction of a suitable mausoleum and funerary garden in Agra for his wife, it would take more than 22 years to complete the Taj Mahal.

There is so much more to write about, I hope to share its beauty with more friends and family.

The Agra Fort or Red Fort took eight years to build and was completed in 1873.

John and Kathy, Angela and Lila

Soon We had clear blue skies.

After our wonderful day, John left with our driver to go back to Gurgaon.  Myself, Angela and Lila stayed over night in Agra and continued onto Jaipur.
We enjoyed sunset across the river with a another look at the Taj.

First Guests 2014

February, 2014

I was delighted to receive an email from Angela, a wonderful friend from Houston, who lives in Muscat.
After a bit of difficulty, Angela and Lila received their visas and arrived in Delhi.

True to my past history, the girls hit the ground running.

Our first stop after airport pickup at 9:30 am was the Qutab Minar   73 m high tower, built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak.  The first three storeys are red sandstone; the fourth and fifth storeys are marble and sandstone.

The Quwwat-ul-Islam Mosque was the first mosque built in India.

Construction started in 1200 AD and continued with more additions til 1315

Amazing what can be carried on a bicycle ...

We also wondered through a Mela, or market that was at a village close to Gurgaon.

Angela found shoes..

The Market was full of colour, music, buyers, sellers, families.

The next day we were up and on the road to Agra before 6 am. I am thrilled that John could also join us to see the Taj Mahal.  Our drive was 3 hours.

A very foggy morning