Installment # four of our trip to India last November. We arrived in the "town" of Agra, home of the Taj Majal. It is only a town because the population is only three million! To be classified as a city, you must have a population in excess of five million!! Unbelievable numbers of souls. Once again we stayed at the opulent and beautiful Oberei Amervilas. There is an awesome view of the Taj from the huge windows in the lobby. Our room was on the second floor with a huge balcony facing the Taj from about 600 yds distance. We visited the Taj twice; once in the morning before the heat of the day, and again for sunset, which was incredible. The Taj Mahal is the mausoleum of Empress Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1630. Her husband built this "monument to love", which took 22 years to complete. The marble was quarried 250 miles away and was brought to the site by elephants. The complex comprises a forecourt, a lofty entrance, a formal Mughal garden with canals, and a central tank with a series of fountains, the tomb proper, and an attached mosque to the west, and a symmetrical counterpart to the east, which is not used. As the location is East of Mecca, the western mosque which faces Mecca is the one used. The Taj is remarkable for its perfect proportions and details of inlaid black marble executed with great skill by the craftsmen who constructed the complex.

We returned again at sunset to watch the colors change to a rosy pink as the sun went down. A very beautiful sight and Ellie got some great pictures. We traveled from the hotel to the gates via small electric buses. The purpose is to cut down on the air pollution which is quite bad in Agra and Delhi.

Agra is also home of the Agra Fort, which lies almost in the heart of the town on the River Yamuna. the Fort was built by Emperor Akbar as his citadel over the years 1565-1573. The fort has imposing gates, walls of red sandstone and a moat, and some lovely views of the Taj Mahal in the distance.

Next installment; Delhi and overall observations and the Mumbai terrorist attack.