We arrived in Agra after our bus ride from Jaipur, checked into the hotel, refreshed ourselves and then headed to the back side of the Taj Mahal. The back side of the Taj Mahal is a little known spot, accessible via road, by driving around and through a very interesting Muslim neighborhood, or by hiring a boat just below the wall on the east side of the Taj Mahal. Unfortunately, when we arrived at our usual spot at the backside of the Taj Mahal we were greeted by several armed Indian army soldiers who informed us that we could not approach the Yamuna river to shoot sunset reflection shots. When DV, our guide asked them why access had been blocked, they said that the Indian Supreme Court had ordered that the back side of the Taj be sealed off for security reasons. The guards also explained that the boat, which one can hire, has been restricted to an area well to the east of the Taj Mahal, a position which doesn’t offer good opportunities for photography. With no other option, we spent an hour or so making images from the riverbank, near the army encampment. Here’s a shot of the Taj Mahal, looking through the razor wire at the point that we were stopped. Tonight we’re going to try to hire the boat and get a bit closer, but for the time being, it looks like no one will be getting those amazing reflection shots that were once a key part of many savvy photographer’s Taj Mahal experience.
