Agra-vate ! ?

Last time we visited Agra our memories were that the Taj Mahal was absolutely incredible. However that experience was slightly affected by the pushy rickshaw and tuk tuk drivers along with never ending stream of ‘official guides’ pressuring to show you the sights.

My how things change !!! It is almost like Tourism India has been running training camps in our absence.

Sure, its still a tourist destination, India is still India but by and large everybody was really friendly, respectful and overwhelmingly helpful.

 

Passing through Agra without seeing the Taj would be unthinkable, that is unless of course you had seen it before!

Having visited The Taj Mahal twice on previous trips we visited the stunning Agra Fort instead.  (That’s why our image of the Taj is a photo off an India tourism poster!) Some may say fraudulent at best !!

Agra fort is great and generally accepted as one of the best Mughal forts in India, situated strategically on the banks of the Yamuna  river.

 

Construction began in 1565 by Emperor Akbar and many alterations and additions have been made by successive rulers. It is an interesting place to visit and spend an hour or two.

Once done at the fort we walked back down towards the Taj Mahal. We did find a little path along the river that looked a little less travelled so we went for a look. As it turned out it was great option as it passed by the cremation ‘ghats’  on the banks of the river. The ghats are where people bring their deceased family members to be cremated in the traditional Hindu way. We passed by respectfully and appreciated that it was a privilege to be able to witness up close this important part of Indian culture.

The path popped out at the Taj Western gates and this area was jam packed with people, horses, camels and carts, and of course those “official guides “. As we skirted around the edge of the Taj we made our way towards the Eastern gate via the bustling area of Taj Ganj.

 A little old restaurant with “The best roof top Taj view “ grabbed our attention so we went up for a look and a coke and a  Vegie Pokora (deep fried vegetable pattie). They did have a view however slightly obscured by several power poles and other rooftops.  The climb up the dark and steep stairwell was worth the effort anyway.

Through the maze of small and winding streets we made our way back to our hotel.

After a bit of a breather and regroup we drove down to the main market in Agra, called Sadar Bazar.

It was a funky  with lots of interesting shops, food stalls etc lining the streets. Shoes are a big thing here, as Agra has a thriving leather industry.

Not being in the market for shoes (we might have had trouble getting a size 13 for Thommo) we went in search of a snack. We found a very busy little street stall selling a variety of dishes and after watching the locals for a few minutes we settled on what was suggested to us was an ‘Aloo Tikki’

I’m sure we have the name slightly wrong but it doesn’t matter! It was a fried (mashed) potato cake/pattie served in a small bowl and topped with a coriander sauce, yoghurt, tamarind sauce, shredded ginger and a squeeze of lime. Absolutely delicious and less than $1!

 

We decided that we could call that snack dinner. Having spent most of the day on foot we decided that it was well and truly time for a beer so headed for the ‘Wine shop’ where we bought a couple of cans of takeaway Kingfisher beer.
It was another great day! We are now looking forward to tomorrow!