agra fort (agra, uttar pradesh, india)

Just before we went to see the Taj, shortly after arriving in Agra, we visited the Agra Fort.

Driving in to Agra, things just gradually became denser until you realized that you couldn’t see fields any longer, only shops. The roads were narrow, much narrower than Delhi, and the shops much smaller and less modern.

We drove over the river which separates the Taj Mahal from Agra Fort, and got our first glimpse of the Taj along with the sight of a few men bathing in the river, and a group of cows cooling off in the water. My classmate Karthik explained how dirty the water was. I could see bits of trash near the shoreline and could see that the water was nowhere near clear.

We visited Agra Fort, and I enjoyed seeing the palaces. Our tour guide pointed out brass roofs on the tops of white marble structures, and explained that they had been gold roofs, but the British came and took the gold and replaced it with brass. It was a good example of the sorts of pillaging that Karthik had been describing to me earlier in the day when I asked how he thought of the British. 

The pillaged roofs. These were originally gold, but the British took the gold and replaced it with brass.

Shah Jehan's rooms - the emperor who built the Taj Mahal.

My classmates! From left, Adrian (Romanian, lives in Switzerland), Rob (American, lives in Taiwan), Karthik (Indian, lives in US), Chris (American), Tony (Chinese), Kishor (American, travels to East Africa for work).