Atithi Devo Bhavha

I arrived at Rao travel agency at 6a.m. in New Delhi to depart by mini van to the town of Agra. There, I embarked on a four hour journey to the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, and Lord Krishna Temple along with four complete strangers. While driving we passed auto rickshaws crammed with people and camels pulling carts. At a truck stop an old man stopped by my window to entertain me with his music and dancing cobra.Once we arrived we visited the Agra Fort, a walled palatial city. The great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was governed from the Fort. It once contained the largest state treasury and mint. It was visited by foreign ambassadors, travellers and the highest dignitaries who participated in making the history of India.
After visiting the Fort, the group and I were carried by camels to the Taj Mahal. My first reaction when I saw the famous World Heritage Site was, "Huh... It's not that big... But it sure is beautiful, peaceful, and serene!" The Taj Mahal was built under Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj is considered as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian, Turkish, Indian, and Islamic architectural styles. It took 20,000 workers and 22 years to build. Once the building was completed in 1643, the workers had their hands cut off so they could never again replicate its beauty.

Here's a pic of me kissing the Taj :0)Throughout the day the group of four strangers and I became the very best of friends. They treated me like a “Rani”, a princess. They made sure I was always accompanied to the bathroom, meals, and the monuments and translated everything to English. It was important to them that I was cared for since I was a foreigner and alone. When I came home I told Nandini, my Indian friend, about my tour group and their warm hospitality. She said, “You see Heidi; Indians believe in atithi devo bhavha. Guests who come to visit us are given the status of God. They may come at the most inconvenient hour, or show up without prior notice, yet they are given due respect and honor. They will be served in a manner that makes them feel immensely special”. I couldn’t believe how well the members of the tour group treated me, I felt special indeed.