A train to the Taj

Traveling by train in India is a unique experience. I sit on a hardwood bench, looking out of barred window while sipping on my first chai of the day. Many people sit around me on the floor or on the berths in the carriage. I feel slightly out of place but enjoy the culture shock that third class offers. Although, it would have been nicer to get a seat far away from the pungent smell coming from the bathroom.

The four-hours journey from Delhi is necessary to get to Agra: home of the Taj Mahal. Once we enter the station, I quickly step off the train, find a rickshaw and give the driver my instructions in an approximate Hindi. Moments later, he stops in front of an archway and points at where to go.

There is a palpable tension from everyone around as I wait to get my ticket. The kind of excitement that comes with apprehension for something I have long awaited to see yet fear it will not live up to my expectations.

Finally, I make my way through the Eastern gate and towards the world’s most famous tomb which appears in the distance. From this far, it looks like a mirage in the hazy morning sun. Sunlight is always covered by a thick layer of pollution in Indian cities. Agra is no different and it makes the minarets of the Taj look even more spectacular. White marble would reflect light and make it impossible to look at the splendour of the monument or notice the intricate details carved on the stone. It is the kind of monument that makes me feel small. Not in the way the Eiffel Tower does. This is a mausoleum. It is humbling. The Taj Mahal was first and foremost built from sadness. Its magnificence only matching the grief of the husband who commissioned it to honour his departed wife.

For a few minutes, I forget the waves of people elbowing me to get a glimpse. I must share this with thousands of people too.

I choose a stone bench far from the crowd and the cameras. I probably appear on more pictures taken by strangers than I’d like, given the lack of personal space and the utter chaos. I just sit in silence and stare ahead thinking that the four-hour train journey spent near the bathroom to get here was somewhat worth it.