Have arrived in Agra, and am still trying to decode the jumbled impressions of a first-time visit. Things are different here from southern India, very different. I am reminded that the concept of India as a single country is a relatively recent historical occurance – one created by the British during their colonial expansion. There are layers to unpeel in trying to understand what I am seeing. Behind the veneer of “western” surfaces is something else, but it is a very different something from what lies behind those surfaces in Mumbai or Kalkuta or Bangalore.
I’m still thinking it over, and tomorrow I may have a more clear impression. Perhaps a visit to the Taj Mahal will help… 🙂