Day 5: Bollywood comes to life...sort of (posted by Shayna Mooney)

Agra is absolutely amazing! The town is full of rich history and culture, and I am in love with it. We traveled from Delhi to Agra on a train- the Taj Express.  It was my first time on a train and surprisingly I very much enjoyed the ride.  It was a nice change to view the country side and other parts of India.  Agra is strikingly different from Delhi.  The hustle and bustle of metropolitan city life is practically non-existent.  The streets are full of horse drawn carriages, wild pigs and goats, and extremely friendly shop owners. I also thought I was a pro at handling the heat of the Indian sun, but Agra proved me wrong.  The weather is brutally hot for a large portion of the day.  However, that is a small price to pay in order to view this beautiful city.  Agra has a relaxed atmosphere with a population proud of their historic origins.

All of the historic sites we saw today were part of the Mughal Dynasty, which ruled India using Agra as its capital for over 100 years.  The first place we toured today was the Agra Fort. This structure, built by the Mughal emperor Akbar the Great, was massive.  The fort stretched for 94 acres with walls towering over 70 feet high.  We spent over three hours touring the fort and only saw the main features.  One can easily spend a day exploring this beautiful structure.  Every inch of the fort was covered with intricate detailing and architecture combining Hindu, Muslim, and Persian architectural styles.  No words can describe how exquisite the fort was.  I loved the Agra Fort, because it was the setting of one of my favorite Bollywood movies, Jodhaa Akbar, a love story of Mughal emperor Akbar marrying the Hindu princess Jodha Bai.  I recognized many parts of the fort that the movie replicated, which made the fort more meaningful. It was a wonderful experience. I cannot wait to what’s in store for the rest of the trip!