#Agra India PT 8 Nov 2015

I have had an interesting and successful couple of days in Agra. Agra is the most popular tourist destination in India because of the Taj Mahal of course. But there is more to Argra than than the Taj Mahal. The Agra Fort is a massive place - very impressive indeed and is World Heritage Site. I visited today and also spent some time at the Tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah (referred to as the little Taj) and at the garden directly across the Yamuna river from the Taj Mahal and called Mehtab Bagh. I will attach some photographs and some commentary later.

I have just got on the train at Agra Fort station for a 5 hour hop to Jaipur.

I am just going to write some random notes/thoughts in no coherent order - ha!

• Tuk Tuks are everywhere. They are the principal taxi in most places. They are 3 wheelers - small and highly mobile because they only have one front wheel and steered like a motor bike. I have only ever ridden with me in the back but there is a bench seat for 2. Driver takes up the front but there is an anti seat either side. You see some incredible tuk tuk sights. The loads they carry. Maybe  7 or 8 people. I was interested in the economics and probed a bit. Petrol is 80 IR per litre - say 80p. A Tuk Tuk costs £5000 to buy new and last for about 10 years but maintenance must be high - certainly on tyres! Most drivers rent them. I was told 500IR per day so not easy to make decent money.
• India does have its own oil but also has to import. It uses a lot evidenced by the traffic!
• I am not sure if I am repeating myself but it was explained to me that the average young Indian wants western culture. It is very noticeable in their aspirational TV adverts that they choose to use Indians with as near to white skin and western features as possible. What a shame. I witnessed the same sort of phenomenon years ago in Japan. There they went the whole hog and actually used western woman dubbed with Japanese speaking to sell on TV. I wonder if we do anything similar. Maybe dumming down to appeal to the white van man. I find it highly irritating that some politicians have been coached to drop their T’s to appear more working class!
• So far I have not found a hot curry in terms a U K Indian curry even if I say yes to " spicy sir". Not complaining. There is more to curry than just chilli!
• 75% of Hindu's are still married by the arranged marriage system. I chatted to a guy called Khan. He was very open. Dumped by his future wife after 6 years of courtship. He said his only hope of finding a wife was down to his mother. He is 27. Talked to another. Married for 7 months. Wife by family arrangement set up 7 years ago.
• Over 30 million Indian citizens are working abroad.
• I had a lovely conversation with a deeply conservative Indian family. Father, mother and daughter were all professors lecturing in English.They talked about two big problems in India. The break down of the traditional family because many children move away to work. The one that really worries them is population growth. India is very evidently overcrowded. It is creating so many problems for them.
• This year the monsoon which is so important to Indian life did not arrive properly. It has affected agriculture here very badly and particularly has given anti government complaint regarding food prices apparently going through the roof as a result of lack of water or cost of water. The monsoon season is July to September/October normally. The rains stop and it is cool November December - the most popular months to visit. Summer is March to May. I think that is right. There are seasonal variations because it is such a big country.
• The acting on Indian soaps is madly ham. Act thinking - index finger pointing vertically to the chin and head moving side to side. Surprised - eyes and mouth wide open. You don't need words.
• Yes there is real poverty here. Rows of families sleeping on the road side under old tarpaulin makeshift tents. There are always so many little children around.
• I visited a small hill top Hindu shrine today. When I came out I was play shot by two little girls playing with cap guns. It seemed incongruous - certainly not politically correct.
• The government language in India is English.
• Like most other countries I have been to you cannot trust the tap water for drinking - something we take for granted in the UK. As a consequence the amount of disguarded plastic bottles is upsetting to see.
• I think India in the height of summer would be a brutal place to function in.
• As you probably know cows are sacred to Hindu's. Massive cattle just wander where they want. Literally anywhere - across the busiest round about in the city. It doesn't matter - they have right of way and they know it. Apparently they are all owned. They go out to graze on the rubbish tips or market leftovers and make there way home to be milked. Incongruous again is the right word I think!
• Enough for now!

Back to my other visits today.

The baby Taj. Smaller but older. 

Inlay into the marble with other stones create wonderful designs

Across the river and directly behind the Taj Mahal. The photo does not do the location justice. The plan was to build a matching black Taj Mahal on this site but it never happened. A very quiet spot.

Various shots of the massive Agra Fort complex which is totally enclosed by massive red stone walls and moat.

Standing under the platform where the Sultan would address his court in public assembly.