On my recent trip to India, we took a day trip down to Agra from Delhi renting a car and driver for under $100. It was my first time visiting Agra in over 10 years and it’s always a breath-taking experience. To see the Taj Mahal up close is truly an incredible experience that leaves you in awe at the skilled craftsmanship of these 17th century builders and architects. Makes you wonder if we can even reproduce something like this with all the technological and scientific progress in the past 400 years.

The one thing that has changed since I last visited is the sheer number of people that come visit this city. Thousands of tourists from around the world and the country seemed to have flocked to the city the day we were there. Perhaps being a Saturday and a couple days before Holi might have explained the large number of Indian tourists. I was also very shocked and dismayed by the dirty, crowded streets leading up to the Taj – street peddlars and store clerks harassing you, anorexically thin camels and horses used to transport tourists to the entrance gates and the smell of camel and horse feces that permeates the air.

Ignoring this rather unwelcoming aspect, a visit to Agra is an absolute must for anyone visiting North India and will leave you spell bounded at the culture, history and architecture of the city.

9AM: Sikander Fort

Built in the early 17th century, this is also known as the Tomb of Akbar the Great, where the great Mughal king was buried. It’s architecture is typical of the tombs built during this period with an elaborate gateway leading into a long wide path up to the monument. Built with marble and sandstones (rocks common at this time) it is amazing in its intricacy and detail – form the minute carvings on pillars and walls to the macroscopic symmetry and beauty of the entire structure.

11AM: Taj Mahal

There isn’t much to add to this man made wonder as words and pictures can’t describe the how breath taking this monument is. Built in nothing but snow white marble, this awesome structure stands out as the jewel of architecture during the Mughal period. The microscopic and macroscopic beauty is astounding and to think that this was built more around 400 years ago with none of the tools, machines and technology available today. To quote a witty T-shirt found all over India: “Via Agra – Man’s greatest erection for a woman”.

3PM: Red Fort

This massive fort, originally the built by the Rajputs in the 11th century, was made the capital of the Mughal Empire by Akbar during the 16th century. You can spend an entire day walking through the various “wings” of this fort in awe of the architecture and layout. It has been well preserved by the Indian government and provides a beautiful glimpse into life during these golden years of India.

Continued from Day 1.

Day 2

10:30 PM

The Spice Box offers a great introductory Indian cooking class (also featured in the Lonely Planet) where the cooking instructor, Shakti Singh, explains the basics of curries used in most Indian dishes in a very lively and amusing manner. He makes up for his grammatically incorrect English in the jokes and amusing delivery of the class. I am psyched to try what I’ve learned in this class so expect to see some recipes on this blog soon as I experiment with these new techniques. Call in advance in order to reserve a space on for his class as they tend to sell out quickly. Towards the end of the class you also get to eat your creations (for better or worse) and enjoy other dishes prepared by the class staff.

2 PM

After lunch head over to the Bagore Ki Haveli which is an old mansion in the Rajasthani sense. Haveli’s are mini-palaces or mansions built by the wealthy that have some amazing architecture. Bagore Ki Haveli sits on the banks of the Pichola lake and has been converted into a museum that gives you a glimpse of the lives the rich and famous led in the eighteenth century. Do not miss the world’s largest turban on display here in a glass case. After taking a tour of the haveli, you can walk down to the banks of the lake and see how life in this city centers around this lake; from local fishermen fishing, to people bathing, to women doing their laundry by the lake bank.

Rajasthan is known for its miniature paintings – finely detailed water based paintings or illustrations developed during the mughal empire. You will see these paintings for sale at virtually any store in Udaipur as they are popular souvenirs for tourists. In Udaipur, there are a few places where you can even take miniature painting classes and create your own little illustrations on silk. Classes are usually an hour long and it is recommended to call in advance to select a time.

6 PM

Relax at the Sunset View Cafe in the City Palace. Here you can enjoy a chilled Kingfisher beer while taking in a beautiful serene sunset over the Aravali Hills and Pichola lake. A splendid way to unwind after a somewhat educational day.

8 PM

After enjoying a Rajasthani sunset, head over to Udaivillas for dinner. This lavish hotel, built on land leased from the king, does an oustanding job of making you believe you have been transported back in time as royalty in this land of kings. The outdoor restaurant here is right on the banks of the lake with a beautiful view of the City Palace and Lake Palace. Enjoy a great Rajasthani and Mughlai feast under the stars as you are entertained by live Rajasthani music and dance.

For more pictures of this trip check out my flickr set.

Udaipur is a beautiful little city tucked away in the southern part of Rajasthan, India. The state of Rajasthan is well known for its exquisite architecture, abundant forts and palaces, unique history and brilliant colors. The historical old city of Udaipur, often referred to as the City of Lakes due to the predominance of a few large lakes in its landscape, has a pastel palette that contrasts nicely with the immensely colorful dresses and accessories worn by the locals. Due to a drought that has lasted for 2 years now, the lakes aren’t at the same levels they used to be but still add a lot of character and beauty to this picturesque city.

Day 1

10:00 AM

The City Palace: This enormous pastel yellow palace is the city’s primary palace that was inhabited by the many kings who ruled here for centuries and a section of it is still used as a residence for the current King (now just a figure head). A large part of the palace has been converted into a museum allowing visitors to examine closely the insides of the palace and its beautiful architecture. The exquisite detail that you see in every pillar, courtyard and baclony is jaw dropping and to know that it was all built by hand centuries ago is unfthomable. You can catch amazing views of the entire city of Udaipur from parts of the palace. This can be a crowded destination so I recommend visiting the palace on a weekday if possible.

Just outside the City Palace is a beautiful marble temple called the Jagdish temple. This temple erected in honor of the hindu god Vishnu, has intricate carvings all around its outer walls and soars 79 feet high. Inside the main structure is a large paryer area with idols of the Gods in the front (common to all hindu temples) and if you are lucky you can catch a puja or prayer in progress. During the puja, many elderly women from the city gather here in beautifully colored saris, singing bhajans or religious songs.

1:00 PM

Get a bite to eat at any of the roof top restaurants in the old city. Enjoy some traditional Mughlai or Rajasthani food while taking in a view of the city from above. A few places to check out are Ambrani and Savage Garden.

3:00 PM

Once you’re done with lunch, head on over to the maze of streets in this ancient city and get lost shopping the colorful stores that line them. Here you will find anything from beautiful hand-made wall tapestries to Rajasthani miniature paintings (intricate hand made paintings made on silk), from ornate jewelery to bright and vibrant shoes. You can spend a whole day enjoying all that these little stores have to offer. A tip to the inexperienced – make sure to bargain everything as store owners usually quote a starting price of 2-3x what they might be willing to sell at.

9:00 PM

After resting for a couple of hours, head over to Jagat Niwas Palace for a romantic dining experience under the stars, enjoying a view of the Lake Palace and its surroundings. Be sure to call in advance and make reservations as this restaurant can get crowded. The fish here is known to be excellent and is caught locally from the lake.

Click here for Day 2.

• Twitter growth: To follow up an twitter’s growth chart from a couple weeks ago, it has now surpassed New York Times in terms of pageviews (although still lagging behind CNN at the moment, but catching up rapidly).

• WordPress now has post-by-email:  I guess it was just a matter of time before WordPress added this (but I must say it took them a while). They say imitation is the best form of flattery, so hats off to Gary and Sachin.

• Indian elections: With the month-long general elections going on in India, its amazing to see how fragmented the political landscape is there. We often complain that the 2 party system is not enough, so its interesting to follow whats going on in a country that’s facing a completely different problem. There are more parties than you can keep track of creating a the need for multi-party coalitions just to make up a majority to win. As a result, you have volatile governments that are as stable as the coalitions that comprise them.