by Robert.
The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic structures in the world, and arguably the most famous building in India. When I found out we were going to visit the Taj Mahal during our recent trip to Agra, India, I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait to go. Then I found out that before we would see it during the day, we would be visiting the Taj at night.
A night tour to the Taj Mahal is rare. First of all, it is only open for night visits during the full moon. Next, there are myriad hoops that one must navigate ahead of time. We had to send copies of our passports a couple weeks ahead of time in order to get tickets. Then, once you arrive at the Taj, there’s no guarantee you’ll actually get in. If you do not have your ticket (obtained ahead of time) then you don’t go; the place is literally under armed guard. Oh, and be careful what you bring with you because there is a HUGE list of prohibited items. When we all arrived at the check-in building, the leaders of our group called out, “No phones, no lipstick, no pens!” as they collected these items. We gave up our chapstick just in case. I thought it was an odd request, but it only got stranger as we moved through the next series of checks.
Oh, I have to tell you this part first: we had a huge group, easily forty people. All the tickets had been collected by the one family ahead of time, but somehow, the Watsons’ tickets were missing? We were told that we couldn’t go in, even though our name was on the list. No ticket, no entry. The tickets have very specific information on them too, besides the name even – birthdate, age, and nationality as well. Well, don’t tell anyone, but there were a few people who didn’t make it for whatever reason, so there were extra tickets. Each person in our family was given a ticket and we went on our way. The ticket is checked first by a guard (with a long rifle slung over his shoulder) as we exit the check-in building to the transfer buses. He doesn’t look twice. Then we ride the buses (about 5 minutes) up to the gate to the Taj (driver and two gun-wielding guards in each bus as well). Exiting the bus we find ourselves queuing for a metal detector and x-ray scanner, like at the airport. That’s when the next guard looks at our tickets. This time, the guard paused, looked at me, looked back at the ticket, looked back at me, back at the ticket, a few more times. I’m trying not to sweat. I’m waiting for him to call over more friends with rifles and then he tears off the ticket stub and hands the rest back to me. I’m in. Then the rest of the family is let in too. Why the hesitation from the guard? The tickets (even the kids) all had the nationalities as ‘Indian’ and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation thrust upon him.
We weren’t done yet, though. We had to clear bag check. And let me tell you they checked everything. We ended up giving them some crayons, Alex’s little binoculars and our video camera (we got it back on the way out). They don’t mess around with the Taj, especially at night. During the day, they are not nearly as strict, but still tough.
Finally, we made it to the last gate, where they checked (quickly thankfully) the ticket once more. That was the last ticket check, but we still had to be very careful. Guards were everywhere, and several walked behind us, making sure we didn’t linger too long or step on the grass. I kept stopping to take photos (didn’t get very many) and ending up at the back of the group, and the guard would urge me along, to keep up with the others.
Night visitors are not allowed to go all the way to the Taj Mahal; they are only permitted to go to the steps leading to the gardens. The view is still spectacular though, especially because there are no other people to block your view. The full moon that night was completely shrouded by the smog, but we were lucky enough to still see the Taj clearly. I’ve heard stories of people who couldn’t see it at all because the smog was too thick.
The wedding party had a professional photographer take pictures of each family with the Taj in the background. We haven’t seen those photos yet, but I’m sure they are fantastic. In the meantime, browse through the few that I took. With the lighting (and the pressure from the armed guards) they were the best I could get.
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The Taj Mahal is one of the most iconic structures in the world, and arguably the most famous building in India. When I found out we were going to visit the Taj Mahal during our recent trip to Agra, India, I was thrilled. I couldn’t wait to go. Then I found out that before we would see it during the day, we would be visiting the Taj at night.
A night tour to the Taj Mahal is rare. First of all, it is only open for night visits during the full moon. Next, there are myriad hoops that one must navigate ahead of time. We had to send copies of our passports a couple weeks ahead of time in order to get tickets. Then, once you arrive at the Taj, there’s no guarantee you’ll actually get in. If you do not have your ticket (obtained ahead of time) then you don’t go; the place is literally under armed guard. Oh, and be careful what you bring with you because there is a HUGE list of prohibited items. When we all arrived at the check-in building, the leaders of our group called out, “No phones, no lipstick, no pens!” as they collected these items. We gave up our chapstick just in case. I thought it was an odd request, but it only got stranger as we moved through the next series of checks.
Oh, I have to tell you this part first: we had a huge group, easily forty people. All the tickets had been collected by the one family ahead of time, but somehow, the Watsons’ tickets were missing? We were told that we couldn’t go in, even though our name was on the list. No ticket, no entry. The tickets have very specific information on them too, besides the name even – birthdate, age, and nationality as well. Well, don’t tell anyone, but there were a few people who didn’t make it for whatever reason, so there were extra tickets. Each person in our family was given a ticket and we went on our way. The ticket is checked first by a guard (with a long rifle slung over his shoulder) as we exit the check-in building to the transfer buses. He doesn’t look twice. Then we ride the buses (about 5 minutes) up to the gate to the Taj (driver and two gun-wielding guards in each bus as well). Exiting the bus we find ourselves queuing for a metal detector and x-ray scanner, like at the airport. That’s when the next guard looks at our tickets. This time, the guard paused, looked at me, looked back at the ticket, looked back at me, back at the ticket, a few more times. I’m trying not to sweat. I’m waiting for him to call over more friends with rifles and then he tears off the ticket stub and hands the rest back to me. I’m in. Then the rest of the family is let in too. Why the hesitation from the guard? The tickets (even the kids) all had the nationalities as ‘Indian’ and I’m pretty sure he wasn’t quite sure what to make of the situation thrust upon him.
We weren’t done yet, though. We had to clear bag check. And let me tell you they checked everything. We ended up giving them some crayons, Alex’s little binoculars and our video camera (we got it back on the way out). They don’t mess around with the Taj, especially at night. During the day, they are not nearly as strict, but still tough.
Finally, we made it to the last gate, where they checked (quickly thankfully) the ticket once more. That was the last ticket check, but we still had to be very careful. Guards were everywhere, and several walked behind us, making sure we didn’t linger too long or step on the grass. I kept stopping to take photos (didn’t get very many) and ending up at the back of the group, and the guard would urge me along, to keep up with the others.
Night visitors are not allowed to go all the way to the Taj Mahal; they are only permitted to go to the steps leading to the gardens. The view is still spectacular though, especially because there are no other people to block your view. The full moon that night was completely shrouded by the smog, but we were lucky enough to still see the Taj clearly. I’ve heard stories of people who couldn’t see it at all because the smog was too thick.
The wedding party had a professional photographer take pictures of each family with the Taj in the background. We haven’t seen those photos yet, but I’m sure they are fantastic. In the meantime, browse through the few that I took. With the lighting (and the pressure from the armed guards) they were the best I could get.
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Here we are getting set to leave the hotel. Frantically looking for our tickets.
At the first stop where our phones, lipstick and pens are confiscated.
I’m pretty sure this was not an exhaustive list, but pretty close. I think I figured out most of them – no food, no touching, no smoking, no display of national pride (we wore our Ukrainian shirts, I hope that was ok), no incense, no animals, no crayons, no toys, no video cameras, no picking/touching the plants, no explosives, no alcohol, no littering, no books, no flammables, no flashlights, no hairdryers, no curling irons (no joke), no flower necklaces (leis), no newspapers or advertisements, no shopping bags or selling of wares, no candy. There are a couple of pictures I couldn’t make out, maybe you can tell.
This is the building on the border of the gardens surrounding the Taj.
This was the best photo I was able to capture that night. I’m pretty happy with it.
These were the little buses we traveled in.
And that’s it (I know, a record for fewest pictures in the Watsons’ blog).
Rob
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