We depart for Agra. En route, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted sandstone city, which was the glorious but short-lived imperial capital of Akbar, the greatest of Mughal emperors. Lying on a rocky ridge, it is today a haunting complex of empty palaces, forts and mosques. A variety of architectural styles are found, since craftsmen representing many schools were employed.

The highlight of your trip will be a visit to the Taj Mahal, the greatest monument to love and one of the wonders of the modern world, constructed by Emperor Shah Jehan as a mausoleum for his beloved queen Mumtaz Mahal. Completed in 1652, skilled craftsmen from Persia, Turkey, France and Italy and some 20,000 labourers worked for 17 years to build this edifice. You have time to explore the bazaars and craftsmen’s ateliers, where you can watch the ancient art of marble in-lay work.

No words can describe the feeling as you approach the Taj Mahal and catch a series of glimpses of the mausoleum through the openings above the walled area.The anticipation made me want to rush forward from the group to experience the full breathtaking structure. Sometimes anticipation is more than the actual site and you become underwhelmed as the real is dewarfed by the mental impression but not this time. It is spectacular!

Afterwards  we visited Agra Fort and observed the various structures, one of which faced the Taj Mahal. There is the rooms where Sham Jehan spent his last days under house arrest. He could still look across the river and see his magnificent creation.