India: Taj Mahal

So, I must say, one of the nice things about traveling around the world from the comfort of my couch is that I don't have to worry about logistics. If we were traveling around the world for real, we would have to carefully plan out where we were going to go when, and make sure we travel in order to make efficient use of our time and money. We would not, for example, travel from Iceland to India without stopping at other nations along the way. After all, we wouldn't want to backtrack. But, since we are doing this from the comforts of our homes, that's exactly what we are going to do. Our next stop is going to be India!

India is a country in South Asia. The capital of India is New Delhi. At the 2011 census, the population of India was 1,210,193,422, and it continues to grow at a fast rate. Right now, India is the second most populated country in the world, behind China. It is believed, however, that India will pass China by the year 2025. India and its culture were long ago affected by many of the trade routs that went through it. It is an extremely diverse country with a lot to see and learn about. There are numerous different religions practiced in this country and a number of languages spoken. The two official and most widely spoken languages are Hindi and English. However, there are many regional languages that are also recognized, and it is believed that there are several hundred different languages spoken in different parts of the country.

I am extremely excited for this trip! India has so much rich culture and so many wonderful things to see. It is, however, a little overwhelming too. We could spend months in India just traveling, and we still probably wouldn't be able to see everything.

We should start our journey with one of the most well known attractions in India, the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is a large mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. It was completed in 1653 after 21 years of construction by thousands of people. The Taj Mahal was built by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal after her death. After his death, Shah Jahan was also buried there next to his wife.

The Taj Mahal attracts several million tourists a year, so we should expected it to be rather crowded when we visit. It is especially busy in October and November as it gets cooler in India, so the "busy season" is probably starting. The grounds are open from 6am to 7pm Monday-Thursday, so it's a good thing were visiting today! It is also open on Fridays from 12-2 so that Muslims can visit the mosque to pray. Please keep in mind that there are strict rules on what can be brought into the the Taj Mahal. The only things allowed are water in a clear bottle, small video cameras, regular cameras and cell phones. Women are also allowed to carry small purses. Please make sure to pack light for this trip, so we don't have any problems getting in!