BudgetTravel

There is a feeling of calm security here, a feeling I imagine was shared by the fort's long ago residents, as it must have seemed impossible for anyone to breach the fort's formidable defenses. For me this feeling was comically accentuated by the fort's monkeys who patrol the high walks like sentinels.

The palace was built by Akbar as a residence for his son Jehangir. It is the largest private residence in the fort, elegantly blending Hindu and Central Asian architectural styles. Pass the white marble Khas Mahal, or Private Palace, and laze around, savoring a moment in the cool shade. Then keep walking and climb the tower called the Musamman Burj. A white marble gazebo gleams beneath the sun. This is where Shah Jahan was imprisoned for the last seven years of his life and where, from the intricately carved opening, you can share the same view as he had across the Yamuna River to his architectural masterpiece, the Taj Mahal.

One quick detour before you're done that is well worth it . . . if not imperative. Leave the fort through the main gate and circle around the massive wall to the south. Duck under the bobbed wired fence surrounding the fort and cross the street to the river. It will only take a few moments of kicking through the white sands along the river before you see it. There, behind the water buffalo bathing their massive shanks in green swirling pools, and shimmering in the distance like a mirage, is the backside Taj Mahal. This is a view most visitors to Agra never see.

Akabar's mausoleum

So with Agra Fort under your belt, now it's time to people watch and grab a delicious vegetarian puri-thali ($1) at the Chiman Lai Puri Wallah, just outside the fort's gates. The touts will descend on you here (as everywhere), but the best strategy is to completely ignore them. Merely making eye contact can induce them to hang around.

Next, hop in a motor rickshaw ($2-3) and head out a few miles northwest of town to the Sikandra, or Akbar's Tomb. Remember Akbar, the Mughal ruler who started construction of the Agra Fort? When he died in 1605, he'd already started construction of his tomb . . . but barely. However, his son, Jahangir, finished the tomb and moved his dad's body there for good.

The tomb is a marvel of Mughal architecture that blends Islamic, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Christian motifs into a poly-religious pleasing whole. The soaring minarets and luminous domes sit astride a broad green courtyard populated by troops of curious grey langur monkeys and spotted deer. As soon as you get to the tomb and enter the grounds through the aptly-named Gateway of Magnificence, you'll see why this is a requisite stop in Agra. Not only is the complex remarkable for its beauty and architecture, but as an escape from the bustle and the bleating taxis of Agra, this is a slice of heaven.

The key here is to find a spot in the shade, take out a book or magazine, and make like a Mughal five centuries ago, admiring the intricate mosaic work around you and indulging in the delicious breezes that waft through over the grass.

Then continue across the palm-lined courtyard towards the tomb building itself. Take off your shoes and stoop through dark entryway into the high-ceilinged chamber where Akbar's sarcophagus sits in the middle of the cold stone floor. Chances are a turbaned mullah will demonstrate the unusual acoustics of the tomb with a sonorous chant that will make you swear you've just gone back five hundred years.

Ending the day with a view

Chances are, it's late in the afternoon by now. So as the sun creeps behind the horizon, make a bee-line for the bar in the Oberoi Hotel. Located near the East Gate of the Taj Mahal, this is one of the best places in Agra to hang out, have a drink and see the Taj in all its dusky splendor. You might have to act like you belong, so leave your Tevas back in your hotel, but it's the way to go because the view of the Taj Mahal from here in the best in the city. It will be the perfect way to cap off a full day in Agra that should leave you feeling more fulfilled, more certain that despite the bad rep the city has, you've just done it right.

Getting there

The Taj Mahal is located in the city of Agra, in the Indian state of Utter Pradesh, about 125 miles southeast of Delhi, the Indian capitol, the city from which many visitors to India often arrive. While there are daily half-hour flights to Agra from Delhi (as well as from most other large Indian cities such as Mumbai and Bangalore), probably the best, or at least most interesting, way to arrive is by train. Train travel in India is remarkably cheap. Arriving from Delhi by air-conditioned car on the Taj Express (2-3 hours) will run you only about $10 a person. Not only is the scenery gorgeous, as the train chugs through miles of breathtaking Indian farmland where you will see more shades of green than seems earthly possible, but the train ride itself is one of the most comfortable in India. To do it right, leave Delhi early in the morning, secure a window seat, and be sure to grab a cup of hot chai from the ever-present Chai-wallahs who ply the train with their metal canisters (oh, when you notice the absence of trash bins and wonder to yourself where you're supposed to throw the empty plastic cup . . . well, you toss it out the window, otherwise one of the wallahs will pick it up and reuse it . . . the ultimate choice between public health and the environment).