Fatehpur Sikri is a palace that was abandoned due to lack of water. The guy who built it was extremely happy with his creation, but no one else was. As a result, everyone left shortly after he passed away. Luckily, since no one lived there since there was no water, the palace is in extremely good condition. There were a variety of interesting sites including a building with a giant column in the middle and four walkways extending toward it. Allegedly, he used to have conversations and debates with four of his advisors while atop the pillar. Also, in the courtyard of the palace is a Pachisi area where he allegedly played the game with slave girls as pieces.
There was also a striking white mosque which really stood out against the red brick. We had to cover our heads in the mosque, so we borrowed plastic basket like hats. Emma also made friends with a guy who was trying to practice his English. On a side note, I pretended not to speak in English whenever we were approached by annoying potential tour guides, salesmen, etc. It worked extraordinarily well, except poor Emma couldn't get away with it as I could.
After another hour long drive, we arrived in Agra and checked into our hotel (not at all as interesting as the first one. In fact, our first hotel was by far the best). Darshan advised us to catch the Taj at sunrise the next day, so we visited Agra Fort that afternoon. This fort was different from Amber Fort in that it was mostly open space.
The guy who built the Taj Mahal was extremely rich (obviously). However, he didn't have infinite amounts of money and his son was worried that he'd spend all of it before he died. The Taj was built as a memorial to the guy's wife, and he only wanted the absolute best for her. The son felt differently, overthrew his father, and locked him in Agra Fort where he could only gaze at the Taj from afar. Sad, no? Emma and I sat on his throne, which was a huge black table with a crack in it that reminded me an awful lot like the table Aslan was sacrificed on in The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.
After the fort, we went back to the hotel, had dinner, and fell asleep early.
The next morning we left the hotel at 6am to catch the sunrise at the Taj. It was amazing! It's definitely something everyone should see once in their lives. The detail in the stone work was incredible. Each piece was shaped by hand by a craftsman, and these are not even the most detailed. The smallest, most intricate designs were inside where photography was not permitted.
It was especially amazing to watch it change from gray to orange to white as the sun rose. Note the difference between these two photos. These were taken only 10 minutes apart. I highly recommend the sunrise viewing of the Taj if you have a chance.
After the Taj, we went back to the hotel, grabbed some breakfast (and I fed a monkey!), and then were off again for another long car ride back to Delhi. I slept. We got into Delhi in the afternoon and said bye to Darshan.
We checked into the hotel, relaxed for an hour, then went off to see the Baha'i Lotus Temple. Simply stunning. It was pretty amazing to visit both the Taj and the Lotus Temple in the the same day since they were both spectacular buildings made of white marble, but for entirely different purposes and with entirely different stories. Emma and I were incredibly lucky to catch a 5-minute service. Baha'i is a fascinating religion with a universal message of acceptance, and the steady stream of visitors from all over seemed to be an interesting literalization of their belief. The temple was surrounded by 9 reflecting pools which are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also keep temperatures down.
On our way back to the hotel, we also drove past a Sikh temple. Both our drivers were Sikh, so we learned a little about the religion during our time in India (Emma learned more than me since I slept through most of the car rides). What I remember most was how Darshan was always insistent that Sikhism was the best because women were treated equally, they were hard workers without being mindless followers, and were incredibly dedicated to India.
Finally we got back to the hotel and had dinner. Among the dishes we ordered were a harakebab and the rice of death. Seriously, the spiciest food of the entire trip (although I think that was mostly mental since I expect rice to be safe). It was presented nicely in a clay pot which only added to the rice of death name (sneaky rice!).
Next: Gummallapadu Village!
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