An eternal beauty- TAJ MAHAL

Another weekend getaway, a holiday well spent with easy on pocket and soul satisfying trip to Agra. Thanks to the new Mathura expressway that takes you to Agra in just 3.5 hrs from what used to take 5.5 hrs about 10 yrs ago. 
The road is good, the weather was pleasant and the timing perfect . We initially planned to see the Taj in a full moon night but realized that the tickets have to be purchased in advance from the counter. Nevertheless, it doesn't make Taj any less beautiful during the day. So while the evening went in driving, we decided to wake up early morning and see the monument to avoid the rush and crowd. 
We started at 6.30 am next day with Taj Mahal
Only 2 kms from our hotel. I remember visiting this place when I was in school and things have changed so much in these years. No more dirty complex, bad roads, everything spic and span and more organized. 
We hired a local guide to help us know more about it. The Taj looked breathtakingly beautiful in the light of dawn with a tinge of pink. 

entrance from east gate

 The engravings are semi precious stones

The mosaue

The scripture from Quran in Persian

The Taj is symmetrical snd gives the same view from any direction 

Managed to catch the shine from semi precious gems glistening in the sunlight.

Although I have visited Taj twice before, but this was the first time I experienced the beauty of the monument. It could be because of the early morning mist that made this look mystical and magical, it could be the sense of understanding that comes with age. It sure is a masterpiece and the intricate detailing and precision in the design explains why it took 22 yrs to build this monument. 

I would rate this one as 5/5 and not to miss seeing this in early dawn. 

Trip to Mysore

So here comes my companion and travel buddy who is all excited to go on a long drive from Bangalore to Mysore. A journey of around 3 to 3.5 hrs. Vicky's first solo trip to Bangalore on 27 th October 2019. Lately we have been sharing a common interest for exploring places so the first day was spent in visiting the local areas like the Indira NAgar and ulsoor lake. I had Mysore on my mind since a very long time so I convinced vicks for a one day trip to Mysore. 

We booked a pre-paid taxi to Mysore at 12am midnight, still unsure about the fare from BAngalore. Nevertheless, this did not deter us from travel. We woke up late than the scheduled
Time but thankfully it was a Sunday and a holiday. 

We started at around 730 am and being driven through the city watching the rarely visited places. On the way we crossed RAmgarh famous for the Sholay movie location.  First stoppage was chamundeswari temple followed by Mysore palace. 

 Look at the detailing of these pillars

KRS dam, a man made hydro project.

We headed back to Bangalore at 3pm as it was Diwali and we had to reach by 6.30pm.In between we experienced flash rain and spotted a rainbow. 

Overall a one time visit and a rating of 3 /5.