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05:43 AM

15 August 2009

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Around the Taj

Posted By bharath

The Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, is not an easy monument to access. Numerous security checks, loads of guides hassling you, and if you manage to dodge the first wave, you then have to face the music from the hawkers. Both Radhika and I have seen the Taj before and we were keen on experiencing the Taj from the point of view of a brilliant photographer we both admire, Raghu Rai. His images of the Taj from where the Yamuna flows are absolutely unique and breathtaking. We went around the back to escape the crowds but to also discover what drew Raghu Rai to this location.

Following a parallel track across the river, we arrived and walked the last two hundred meters by foot and when the tree cover broke, we were faced with a view of the Taj that very few people get to see…. The unhindered view of the Taj with the river Yamuna flowing beside it.

The Taj is much more than just a monument. The tourist who comes there might view it as such but the locals realize that the city of Agra is built around it. Agra exists because of the Taj. Life around the Taj is just as interesting as the Taj itself. Lives still depend on this monument that was built so many centuries ago. It has a power that cannot be comprehended and an economy that runs around it. Apart from the obvious, there is the unusual. Looking at the life that slowly appeared before our eyes- the cow herd bringing the buffalos back home, the boa that was sliding through, locals sitting by the banks enjoying the view without all the chaos that accompanies the regular entrance, a group of water birds that were using the river as a feeding ground- we found this invisible thread that connects all of the life around the Taj.

Did we manage to reach the spot where Raghu Rai had photographed the monument? Times have changed, visitors are no longer allowed near the banks of the Yamuna. The ripple effect of the Mumbai terror attacks 26/11 can be felt through out the country and this place is no different. But the next time anyone travels to the Taj take time out to travel to the back, away from the madness and you’ll get a feel of what it is to see the Taj free of the chaos and get a sense of how it nurtures the city of Agra.

Points to remember when visiting: Only a basic camera is allowed in. No extra batteries, no food or water bottles, no music players and other electronic gadgets, no books. Especially no books. 

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 15 August 2009	Happy Independence day to both of you. Your brilliant photos compliment the ones taken by Joseph and complete an all round view of the Taj. Your other photo essays since day 1 of the driving have been very informative.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 15 August 2009	Guys .. buck up !! Don’t let us down .. Joseph and Namrata’ Taj coverage was better .. its the last 100 mtr dash now so go for it and produce the out of the world stuff which you usually produce PS Where are the Varanasi Dashchund’s photographs
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 15 August 2009	Bharath, when I knew you were heading towards Agra I was hoping you would get to this Taj by the Yamuna and…......you Did it!.....Oh! Boy!! YOU DID It!! It Is Beautiful.
Posted by Dilip D'Souza 15 August 2009	Reminds me of the sudden view you get of the Taj from a spot on (if I remember right) the Agra-Gwalior road. It made us stop in our tracks so quickly that the truck behind nearly hit us. But it was a marvellous view across bushes and past kids playing and an odd bullock-cart or three. Like your shots here, it was a more interesting vista than what you get from inside the complex, beautiful as those are. It’s good to hear you say that the Taj “nurtures” the city. Such an interesting thought on so many lines. so long, dilip.
Posted by Gaurav Deshmukh 15 August 2009	Guys, I am really happy that you have portrayed the Taj as it is viewed by the Locals. Being a monument of Love is part of the Folklore, but the reality of how lives of the locals revolves around it, is something that we have to acknowledge. a brilliant post once again. cheers
Posted by Gaurav Deshmukh 15 August 2009	Radhika and Bharath, The 4th image, with barbed wire in the foreground, speaks volumes! Had me transfixed the moment I saw it! Makes me stop and wonder, Why? Why all this blood-shed, this nonsensical violence? Will peace ever prevail? I long for that day, when all those barriers are removed and we can spend hours together on the other side of the fence, soak in the aura of the Taj.. without a care in the World! Stop all this blood-shed! Peace!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 15 August 2009	Unique view of Taj !! I have spent one decade at Agra and had been to Taj countless times but never ever had a chance to see this beauty across Yamuna !! @Mahesh - This Coverage is definitely better than IIMOD’S….that was routine which we all generally cover ! May be “OFW” was lucky as Taj was closed on Friday !!....blessing in disguise !! I still feel sad that they too also missed a visit to Dayalbagh Temple….That would have been a photographers delight !
Posted by Gaurav Deshmukh 15 August 2009	@Mahesh: Hey.. lets not be unfair to the teams. Both the teams have done a good job of covering the Taj. One presented the Taj all wrapped up in folklore, while the other put it across in its stark reality. It would be very unfair to the teams and unethical on our part to compare the two. Lets just put an end to the comparisons here, sit back and bask in the glory of the Taj. Gaurav
Posted by Arvind Passey 15 August 2009	Following raghu rai is a brilliant idea… and you have managed to get some really good shots from a non-touristy perspective, However, Agra isn’t JUST the TAJ! No one seems to be bothered about blogging about the leather industry there…or the famous ‘petha’ of Agra… the known ‘panchiwala’ who sells this delicacy… the crowded bazaars… the fleecing photographers…. It appears that the makers of “Bunty Aur Babli” explored Agra more surgically than the TGDC finalists!
Posted by Praveen 15 August 2009	Guyz…another fine example of “lateral / parallel thinking”... the first shot displays a possible historic interpretation of what the taj was expected to be sighted.. a jewel on the sandy banks of the yamuna… as compared to the “commercialized” side that we are accustomed to! I do believe the differences in opinion of this blog.. on the expectations of your agra / taj coverage can only be coined into a quote made by Yanni when he was asked about what he thought of the objections against him playing in front of the taj… “India has a population of over one billion… you cannot expect them all to have the same opinion”... which I thought was a brilliantly diplomatic statement that displays the multi-cultural society that is India.. I guess it does take more then 3000 kms and 10 days to discover every corner of India.. or for that matter every corner of your route.. but its a start.. and accolades to TGDC for taking the first steps..and for you guyz.. for these unique blogs..
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 15 August 2009	Wish you a very happy Independance day!! hope your journey through parts of India is enlightening for both of you. keep writing, clicking, smiling!! You have provided a wonderfull alternate experience of taj. thanks for sharing
Posted by Amit Sharma 15 August 2009	Wow! This is what I was waiting for!
Posted by Imtiaz A Khan 15 August 2009	This is what I would’ve done or atleast liked to do had I been there…. btw what’s with you playing with that snake? Don’t tell us you also know Parseltongue!! Off the beaten track away from the maddening crowds…. everyone sees the “love” angle of the Taj only a few intellectually smart ones see the other side…. good one Bharath very good….
Posted by William Chang 15 August 2009	Hey you guys are doing an exceptional job… I never read blogs…. but this has got me hooked…. Needless to say ... the photography is amazing…. good on you guys… keep it up.
Posted by shefali arya 15 August 2009	brilliant idea that was to follow RAghu RA’s footsteps guys ....i am sure there r just a handful of people who have been there and this was a totally diffrent version of taj mahal ..........as love is bounded in boundaries in our country….so is the monument of love now…............
Posted by Shilpy 15 August 2009	Bharath, love the image of the Taj that you have taken! Absolutely stunning.
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 15 August 2009	Bharat! This was excellent. You have shown us a Taj we haven’t seen before. Really liked this whole different perspective. And that snake…you sure have one foot in the wild!!
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 16 August 2009	woW!!! i KNEW THIS WAS COMING !!!! tAJ Mahal has to be like this in your post ..for sure !!! amazing shots !!! lovely environ captured !!! rocking post! Peace n joy gAURAV
Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) 16 August 2009	The fact you were able to go and shoot the boys and the buffalows is a fact in itself that the security is not as you intend to show through your photographs. I agree that times have changed, but Raghu Rai did not make all his pictures from the banks. Geography has changed too.
Posted by Harish Kukrejaha 16 August 2009	Radhika & Bharath, I was wondering what you would do differently here and you have proved once again that you can excel. Amazing pictures with The taj just in the background with interesting subjects in the foreground too. Keep it up!
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