A winter road trip to Agra

My first trip to the Taj Mahal happened some years back when on a weekend my daughter and I ventured out on a road trip to Agra. It was during winter vacation and Noni’s school was closed. It was a cold winter and the sun shone meekly through an overcast sky. Jaipur city’s resident peacocks huddled silently in their nooks and entire north India was crippled with severe cold waves. Temperatures dipped below 1 degree Celsius at night and frost split stones into some parts of the city. We left Jaipur in a silvery haze and since we had some days on our hands, our little getaway itinerary was filled with interesting places that fell on our route. Agra for Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary were all parts of our plan and we decided to do them on a reverse pattern. Noni was most excited about the Taj Mahal and we decided to head to the world’s most iconic monument of love first.

A subtle winter morning in Jaipur

The highway to Agra is a real circus

It was an uneventful drive to Agra: not the prettiest one we had done yet but then Indian highways are very entertaining. These burdened roadways showcase the perfect glimpse of the financial paradox called India. People plastered makeshift vehicles putter next to cyclists, bullock and camel carts and expensive luxury cars like Bentleys honk rudely to lorries, auto-rickshaws, and tractors loaded with even more people. Tourists gawk at the brightly clothed common Indian humanity from comfortable cars and small highway eateries called dhabas buzz with activity. Best known for their fragrant, masala (spiced) tea and stuffed, fried Indian bread called parathas they are open 24/7, 365 days a year and can be found in every corner of the country. Although anyone visiting India from abroad would find them shabby, justifiably unhygienic even, the food however which they usually toss-up are made from locally grown products and are freshly made. While most of them along the Agra highway are vegetarians, a few of them serve some of India’s best chicken and mutton dishes. Again the fresh meat is all procured locally and most of the time, the in house butcher runs after a scuttling chicken after you have placed your order. Their clientele includes movie stars, ministers, industrialists and everyone on the move.

Recommended Read: ITIMAD-UD-DAULAH’S TOMB: THE JEWEL BOX OF AGRA

The circus called traffic on Indian roads

The photogenic motley of Jaipur-Agra highway

We drove along the Agra highway complacently, comfortably cocooned in our cozy car. Music played on the radio and we kept our eyes open for destiny believing, traffic rule ignoring drivers, cows, and scampering children. Indian highways are notoriously crowded with them. The morning was sublime and the scenery outside was unmemorable at best. Tangly banyan trees glistened and villagers moved about slowly in the soft winter sun. Fluffy Kaas flowers bordered the highway in patches and masses of shocking pink bougainvillea dividing the roads hurt the eyes. The highway was smooth as glass and we passed through wooded patches, harvested farmlands, and scrubby hills. Disinterested camels looked away but colourful travelers clinging on lorries, makeshift ramshackle rickshaws and tractors smiled curiously. Huge stretches of yellow continued as mustard bloomed riotously. Remnants of ancient kingdoms propped at places in form of walls, temples, and crumbling forts.

You may also like: MOSAIC LOVE IN AGRA: CHINI KA RAUZA

The photogenic highway to Agra

Crossing over from Rajasthan to Uttar Pradesh

After crossing Bharatpur (famous for a bird sanctuary) we stopped for tea at a highway dhaba and stretched our legs. The scenery became dreadfully flat as we neared Fatehpur Sikri (an old royal abandoned city) and noisy, squalid human settlements made driving difficult. The princely state of Rajasthan was left behind and we were officially in Uttar Pradesh. The highway became busier, nastier and a huge signboard soon welcomed us to Agra. One of India’s most iconic cities was dreadful at first sight. We stared at squalid pigs rolling on piles of garbage and open sewer and all my romantic ideas of Taj Mahal went for a toss. We got badly lost in the dusty busy streets of Agra, took too many wrong turns before being able to be on the right track. Agra was teeming with hotels, restaurants, travel agencies and money exchanges and every other building and business catered to travelers. Crowded, busy and dirty, it seemed like just another tourist trap. We passed through too many decrepit places before arriving in the nicer part of the town.

Suggested for You: VARANASI, A CITY OF LIFE AND DEATH: MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Agra is a city best enjoyed in luxury

Agra is best enjoyed in luxury

Roads broadened; got comparatively cleaner than the rest of Agra and tree-lined the sidewalks prettily. Thankfully our hotel, The Oberoi Amarvilas was a very nice one and we got a room that faced the Taj Mahal. Noni was ecstatic and since it was just early noon, we went for a swim, lunched and took a nap before heading towards the Taj Mahal. It turned out to be a mind-blowing experience for both of us because nothing had prepared us for the epitome of beauty called the Taj Mahal.

The best stops on the Jaipur-Agra highway

The Agra-Jaipur road trip is remarkable and picturesque. Though this trip covers 449 kilometers, it is packed with historic sites and photogenic moments. Start early and make stops at the Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary and Fatehpur Sikri on the way.

On one winter morning,

Noni and I decided to

To explore the Jaipur-Agra highway.

Our destination was Agra

And the Taj Mahal was on our mind.

It was a beautiful, yet uneventful

240 kilometers drive to Agra

Through mustard fields,

Intrepid temple towns of Rajasthan,

Vast blooming poppy fields,

And lush forests.

India is best enjoyed by a road trip

And there is no better highway

Than the photogenic Jaipur-Agra highway.

Follow the rest of the Uttar Pradesh series

• FROM KASHI TO VARANASI: AWESOME STREET PHOTOGRAPHY AND TIPS
• LIFE ALONG THE VARANASI GHATS
• A GUIDE TO THE MOST PHOTOGENIC VARANASI MARKETS

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELING-BECAUSE I CARE