EVERYTHING TO SEE in Agra BEYOND the Taj Mahal | Agra, India
During my second day in Agra we headed out to see everything beyond the Taj Mahal. From the Baby Taj to Agra Fort, there is so much more to see in Agra!
TRAVEL HUSTLE REPEAT GEAR ►
MY FILM MAKING KIT ►
Our first stop of the day was the Baby Taj also known as the Tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah. The tomb of I'timād-ud-Daulah is often regarded as a draft of the Tāj Mahal. It is a beautiful building and place most people skip when visiting Agra.
Next we headed to the Mehtab Bagh which is also known as the royal gardens. From here you get some of the best views of the Taj Mahal. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to visit the gardens.
The last site on our tour was Agra Fort, it was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty till 1638, when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. The Agra fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Agra Fort is a wall city with many palaces within it.
To end our tour we headed to The Master Chef restaurant to try some Petha. This sweet is famous in Agra. It's a translucent soft candy. usually rectangular or cylindrical, it is made from the ash gourd vegetable. It's extremely hard and sweet!
This is really everything you must see beyond the Taj Mahal. Most people only visit Agra for a day but I recommend you spend two nights to be able to see all the main sites and the Taj Mahal.
If your looking for the best guides in Agra check out Kaimur Holidays:
I hope you loved this video! Have you ever been to Agra, see the Taj Mahal or any of these sites?
☆ CONTACT ☆
► Business: david@godandbeauty.com
BOOK YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE: ►
Subscribe Here!
Check out my top videos!
Follow Me:
+ INSTAGRAM ►
+ FACEBOOK ►
+ TWITTER ►
+ MY BLOG! ►
Contact Me:
+BUSINESS EMAIL ► david@godandbeauty.com
SEND ME STUFF:
5858 SW 81 ST
Miami, FL 33143
USA
#India #Davidsbeenhere
About Me:
My name is David Hoffmann and for the last decade I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food and history! Since starting Davidsbeenhere in 2008, I have traveled to 71 countries and over 1,000 destinations, which I welcome you to check out on my YouTube Channel, blog and social medias.
I focus a great deal on food and historic sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, whether it’s casual Street food or gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning the local history and culture.
EVERYTHING TO SEE in Agra BEYOND the Taj Mahal | Agra, India
Davidsbeenhere
Visiting the TAJ MAHAL a WORLD WONDER + Day Trip to Fatehpur Sikri | Agra, India
On my fourth day in India I teamed up with Tours by Locals to explore the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri. Tours by Locals in Agra:
TRAVEL HUSTLE REPEAT GEAR ►
MY FILM MAKING KIT ►
The best way to get to Agra from Delhi is to take the high speed train which is called the Gatiman Express. It take's only 90 minutes to get to Agra. The train runs everyday (except Friday) at 8:10 am.
When I arrived Shanoo my Tours by Locals guide picked me up and took me straight to the Taj Mahal. This is the most beautiful building in the world! It is my 4th wonder and it was truly amazing!
After that we went to Handicraft Marble Industries to see how the same families that made the Taj Mahal still put inlays in to marble. This is definitely a must visit after seeing the Taj Mahal.
Lastly we headed to Fatehpur Sikri a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is located around a 45 minute drive South West of Agra. Fatehpur Sikri was founded as the capital of Mughal Empire in 1571 by Emperor Akbar, serving this role from 1571 to 1585. It was abandoned in 1610. If you have two days in Agra then you have to go visit Fatehpur Sikri!
I hope you loved this video! Have you ever been to the Taj Mahal or any other of the seven wonders of the world or Fatehpur Sikri?
☆ CONTACT ☆
► Business: david@godandbeauty.com
BOOK YOUR NEXT ADVENTURE: ►
Subscribe Here!
Check out my top videos!
Follow Me:
+ INSTAGRAM ►
+ FACEBOOK ►
+ TWITTER ►
+ MY BLOG! ►
Contact Me:
+BUSINESS EMAIL ► david@godandbeauty.com
SEND ME STUFF:
5858 SW 81 ST
Miami, FL 33143
USA
#India #Davidsbeenhere
About Me:
My name is David Hoffmann and for the last decade I have been traveling around the world in search of unique culture, food and history! Since starting Davidsbeenhere in 2008, I have traveled to 71 countries and over 1,000 destinations, which I welcome you to check out on my YouTube Channel, blog and social medias.
I focus a great deal on food and historic sites, as you probably have seen! I love to experience the different flavors that each destination has to offer, whether it’s casual Street food or gourmet restaurant dining. I’m also passionate about learning the local history and culture.
Visiting the TAJ MAHAL a WORLD WONDER + Day Trip to Fatehpur Sikri | Agra, India
Davidsbeenhere
Dilwalonke Delhi city to Agra-The Taj City!!!
We explored the capital city of India- Delhi and the place which symbolises the epitome of love- Tajmahal! In Delhi we covered Cyber city, kingdom of dreams, Qutub Minar, Lotus temple, Humayun's Tomb. We traveled to Agra from Delhi and covered the wonder of the world- Taj Mahal and Agra fort.
India's Golden Triangle 1981 - Agra, Jaipur & Delhi - 8mm - ताज महल
India's Golden Triangle is a tourist circuit which includes: Delhi, Agra (Taj Mahal), and Jaipur. This footage was shot in 1981 by an unknown English traveler, it was purchased like everything else I have from an on-line estate sale. Scenes included: Taj Mahal, The Amber Fort in Jaipur, Delhi streets, The Red Fort and finally the grave of Ghandi.
When I traveled in India, we took the same route more or less. Much of the audio used was recorded on that trip. Although the Taj Mahal is vertainly grand, The Amber Fort was my favorite. You could explore all day if you want. It is a must-see in Jaipur.
ताज महल
Audio is an approximation using modern recordings. Film converted with my Sony a77 and Chinon Dual8.
Thanks to the following FreeSound.org users for sharing such great audio:
freesound.org/people/anton
freesound.org/people/volivieri
freesound.org/people/xserra
freesound.org/people/qubodup
freesound.org/people/megapenquin13
Lost & Found on Social Networks:
GO India || Rajasthan, Varanasi, New Delhi and Agra
We traveled across Rajasthan, Agra and Varanasi areas finding amazing colours, people and spirituality. India has opened my eyes to a different world. Everything is busy, different and captivating. It was hard to turn the camera off so I never did. :)
GO India!
???? Subscribe here ►►
✅ Share this video with a friend:
✅ Watch next – GO Taiwan
✅ GO TRAVEL SERIES
✅ Let’s connect:
Instagram –
Facebook -
LinkedIn -
Vimeo -
#GoSeries #NOMOFilms #India
Music by Adham Shaikh
This is the setup that I used for this video and the current setup is listed below: Camera: Sony A7s
Lenses: Canon FD 28mm f2, 50mm 1.4
Current Setup -------------------------------
Gear
---
Zhiyun Crane Gimbal -
Zhiuyn Crane M Gimbal -
Sony A7sii -
Sony FE 28mm F2 -
Sony 16-35mm f4 -
Sony Rx100m4 -
Manfrotto quick release -
Dakine Sequence Backpack
Indian Street Food at AGRA: TAJ MAHAL VISIT (FINALLY!)
Subscribe Now for MORE Videos:
New T Shirts are here:
Help me keep making videos:
My dreams came true. I had a great time in India. Thank you everyone for coming along with me! The Taj Mahal was breath taking.
Sign Up for Exclusive Content and to Keep in touch with me!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About Me: I'm Kyle Le and I live, travel, and eat in Vietnam and many Asian countries. I'm passionate about making videos and sharing modern Asia to the world. I've traveled everywhere in Vietnam, from Hanoi to Saigon - Far North, Central Highlands, Islands, and Deep Mekong Delta - I've visited there. In addition to 15+ countries from Indonesia to Thailand to Singapore, you'll find all of my food, tourist attractions, and daily life experiences discovering my roots in the motherland on this amazing journey right on this channel. So be sure to subscribe- there's new videos all the time and connect with me on social media below so you don't miss any adventures.
---------------------------------------------------------------
More Info:
Like: Facebook:
Follow: Instagram and Snapchat @KyleLeDotNet
Help me make more videos:
Buy a T shirt:
Paypal Donation:
Original Music by Antti Luode.
Filmed with a Panasonic G7 14-140mm. 15mm
Audio from a Shure VP38F
I produce, film, and edit all videos myself, so I welcome any help Visit:
to see how you can ensure more videos to come.
OVERLAND THROUGH INDIA dehli agra taj mahal ganges kasmir lake dahl shringar goa
DOM departed for a five month overland trip with Exodus Expeditions in a Bedford truck to teach in Australia in Sept., 1975.
Don visited Istanbul and enjoyed the Blue Mosque, Santa Sophia and the Tokapi Palace and the gold and silver bazaar at Hasht Behesht
Esfahan, Iran. Don traveled through northern Afghanistan to Mazar-i-Sharif, Bamiyon and Kabul. Don went trekking for a week in Nepal in November, 1975. Sherpa's carried his pack, erected his tent, and awoke him with coffee and breakfast in the morning. A plentiful supply of chung, a local corn beer added spice to the trekking up and down steep hills.
Don spent a month in India around Christmas, 1975.
DON PUGH
TAJ MAHAL / AGRA / SUNRISE / BACKPACKING INDIA / SIGHTSEEING
I traveled around India and visited the Taj Mahal in Agra for the sunrise. It was AMAZING!
camera: Iphone 7
music:
____________________________________________________________________
I gift you 35 Euros for Air bnb :
airbnb.de/c/tristanh895
____________________________________________________________________
FOREIGNER TRIES The BEST STREET FOOD IN AGRA! - India
I really think I found the best street food, not just in Agra, but on my whole trip so far in India. There was so much to choose from and everything that I bought was delicious. I started off my day haggling with some rickshaw drivers, in a light hearted way. I got dropped off at Agra fort, spent some time exploring, before later on indulging in tasty street food at Sadar Bazar, which I believe is one of the best, if not the best places to eat in Agra. I have to say that, the street food in India has been the best I have come across in any country!!! MAMA CHICKEN, MAMA FRANKY & MAMA MOMO'S... YOU ROCK!!!
LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS BELOW =)
ELECTRONICS:
Laptop
Phone
Canon 750D
Spare Battery
Sony HDR-CX 405
Joby Gorillapod SLR ZOOM
Filmora editing software
iMuto Battery Pack
San Disk Memory Card
Sony Handycam
Hard Drive
Power Cube
Power Bank
Torch
Cordless Hair Clippers
OTHER:
Backpack
Water Purification Tablets
Mosquito repellent with Deet 50+
Antiseptic Cream
Vicks
Money Belt
Garlic Capsules
Centrum Advanced
Spork
Earplugs
2 TSA APRROVED TRAVEL PADLOCKS
MY OTHER CHANNEL
Sign up for Airbnb and get £25 off your first adventure. Here’s my invitation link:
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
SIGN UP FOR BLACKBOX
CREDIT MUSIC
●Danny Evo - Lost [Bass Rebels Release]
●Song -
●Download/Stream -
●Julian Avila - The City
●Twitter -
●Soundcloud -
#Agra #Food #StreetFood
INDIA! The Land of Beauty | Tourism India | Drone Video | Aerial View | TTraveller
India is a vibrant land of startling contrasts where both the traditional and modern worlds meet. The world's seventh largest nation by area and the second largest in terms of population, India boasts a rich heritage - the result of centuries of different cultures and religions leaving their mark. Highlights for travelers include the opportunity to experience an array of sacred sites and spiritual encounters, while nature lovers will enjoy its sun-washed beaches, lush national parks, and exciting wildlife sanctuaries. From the magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra to the holy sites of Harmandir Sahib (formerly the Golden Temple) in Amritsar and the Mecca Masjid mosque in Hyderabad, visitors to this exotic country will discover a trove of spiritual, cultural, and historical treasures.
Tourism in India is economically important and is growing rapidly. The World Travel & Tourism Council calculated that tourism generated ₹15.24 lakh crore (US$220 billion) or 9.4% of the nation's GDP in 2017 and supported 41.622 million jobs, 8% of its total employment. The sector is predicted to grow at an annual rate of 6.9% to ₹32.05 lakh crore (US$470 billion) by 2028 (9.9% of GDP). In October 2015, India's medical tourism sector was estimated to be worth US$3 billion. It is projected to grow to $7–8 billion by 2020. In 2014, 184,298 foreign patients traveled to India to seek medical treatment.
Over 10 million foreign tourists arrived in India in 2017 compared to 8.89 million in 2016, recording a growth of 15.6%. Domestic tourist visits to all states and Union Territories numbered 1,036.35 million in 2012, an increase of 16.5% from 2011. In 2014, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were the most popular states for tourists. Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Agra and Jaipur have been the five most visited cities of India by foreign tourists during the year 2015. Worldwide, Delhi is ranked at 28 by the number of foreign tourist arrivals, while Mumbai is ranked at 30, Chennai at 43, Agra at 45, Jaipur at 52 and Kolkata at 90.
The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report for the year 2017, ranked India 40th out of 136 countries overall. The report ranks the price competitiveness of India's tourism sector 10th out of 136 countries. It mentions that India has quite good air transport (ranked 32nd), particularly given the country's stage of development, and reasonable ground transport infrastructure (ranked 29th). The country also scores high on natural and cultural resources (ranked 9th). Some other aspects of its tourism infrastructure remain somewhat underdeveloped however. The nation has very few hotel rooms per capita by international comparison and low ATM penetration. The World Tourism Organization reported that India's receipts from tourism during 2012 ranked 16th in the world, and 7th among Asian and Pacific countries.
The Ministry of Tourism designs national policies for the development and promotion of tourism. In the process, the Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries/agencies, state governments, Union Territories and the representatives of the private sector. Concerted efforts are being made to promote new forms of tourism such as rural, cruise, medical and eco-tourism. The Ministry maintains the Incredible India campaign focused on promoting tourism.
INDIA! The Land of Beauty | Tourism India | Drone Video | Aerial View | TTraveller
Bull Cart Agra India
Bull cart Agra India
India: Agra | Kanha | Bandhavgarh
Here is a video from 2015 when we went on an incredible adventure in India. It was Jaclyn, Josh, Jaclyn's mother--Shelli, and our colleague--Ray. Had an incredible experience seeing tigers, the Taj Mahal, and so much more. We went to Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks. We had 10 sightings in just 4 days.
चार दिनों में, हमने दस बाघों को देखा
We try to post every week. Keep coming back for more travel ideas, exploration videos, and travel adventures.
We love traveling and teaching! Our channel combines our greatest passions and adds in a few others, such as our love of animals, adventure, and photography. We will try to deliver videos every week to invite you along on our adventures.
Subscribe:
Instagram: traveling.teachrz
Facebook:
Official Website:
Twitter:
How do we do this travel thing? We work for QSI--
Where are we from? Washington State-- All places we've traveled:
Austria:
Belarus:
Bulgaria:
Canada:
Cayman Islands:
Costa Rica:
Cyprus:
Estonia:
Ethiopia:
Finland:
France:
Hungary:
India:
Indonesia:
Kazakhstan:
Kyrgyzstan:
Kenya:
Latvia:
Lithuania:
Malaysia:
Malta:
Massachusetts:
Poland:
Romania:
Russia:
Sicily:
Singapore:
South Africa:
Spain:
Sri Lanka:
Sweden:
Tanzania:
Ukraine:
United Arab Emirates:
United Kingdom:
Uzbekistan:
Zanzibar:
United States:
Alaska:
Arizona:
Hawaii:
Maine:
Massachusetts:
Missouri:
Oregon:
Washington:
Washington DC:
No photos/video for: Mexico, Panama, California, South Dakota, Iowa, Montana, Idaho, Florida, Texas, Alaska, Virginia
#travelingteachrz #worldtravel #videooftheday #travelingteachrz #travelvideos #travelvideos #travelvlog #travelingteachers #teacherlife #travelphotography #travelblogger #travelfamily
Travelling in India: New Dehli,Yigtsang, Amritsar, Agra, Jaipur, Khajuraho: Music Mozart In Egypt
The family traveled in India for over a month taking public transportation.
Holi Festival India | New Delhi & Taj Mahal Travel Guide
The Holi Festival is India's colorful celebration of spring. In this video, Marko travels to Agra and Delhi to capture the beauty of the celebrations on the OnePlus 6T cell phone's built-in camera. This video is sponsored by OnePlus.
---
LEARN MORE about the OnePlus 6T HERE:
#India #Holi #Festival #Travel #ShotOnOnePlus
SUBSCRIBE ►
Sponsored by OnePlus ►
SHOP OUR MERCH ►
---
WHAT WE VLOG WITH ►
---
FOLLOW US:
+ INSTAGRAM ►
+ FACEBOOK ►
+ TWITTER ►
+ SNAPCHAT ►@Vagabrothers
---
Personal Accounts:
+ Alex ►
YT:
IG:
+ Marko ►
YT:
IG:
---
Contribute to Vagabrothers #TranslationTeam:
---
SEND US STUFF:
2633 Lincoln Blvd #921 Santa Monica, CA 90405
---
BOOK YOUR TRAVELS HERE:
+ Hotels:
+ Flights:
+ Eurail Tickets:
+ Insurance:
---
HOW WE GET AROUND:
Get your first free ride with Uber by using the code UberVagabrothersUE or clicking here:
---
P.S. We love the Vagabuddies... Subscribe and join the squad!
Whether you’re looking for travel vlogs, travel tips and inspiration or want to know how to travel like a professional, then Vagabrothers is the travel vlog you’ve been searching for. With our in-depth destination guides and travel vlog series you get the trip specific information you need to know before you go. If you want to know the top 10 things to do in cities around the world then we are the travel vloggers you’ve been looking for.
We’re Alex and Marko the Vagabrothers, we are brothers and vagabonds from San Diego, California but now live in Venice Beach in Los Angeles. We’ve traveled all over Europe by train, bicycle and road trips, we’ve backpacked through South America and South East Asia and explored the wilderness of Africa. From Machu Picchu Peru to Cape Town, Ireland, The Basque Country in Spain to South Korea and all the way back to Thailand or Helsinki, Finland - we’ve haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on our list.
We will help you find affordable destinations to visit right now, show you how to get cheap airfare and tickets, and share insider travel hacks that will make your trip as smooth as butter.
Take a moment, look around the channel, but don’t forget to subscribe and turn on notifications, because we are taking YOU AROUND THE WORLD! #travelvlog #vlog #traveltips #India #travelguide
First General Class Train | Ep2 Agra - feat. Kara and Nate | Travel India on $1000
Join the Budgeteers Crew here -
This is the BEST way to support us to make more series like this AND you get lots of cool perks! Episode 2 - The Budgeteers arrive in Agra town via the local train, no first class for us! Instead we traveled general class which as you can see has it’s perks and downfalls. Soon after arriving we make some more friends in the form of fellow YouTubers Kara and Nate, where we all share epic sunsets and good times around the legendary and stunningly beautiful Taj Mahal.
We hope you enjoy this documentary series and our travels in India. Don't forget to Subscribe and share this series with your travel buddies if you do.
Don’t forget to Subscribe to our celebrity YouTuber pals Kara and Nate -
Special Thanks to -
❤️Wandergo -
Download it for free and book your hostels, flights, and find awesome things to do whilst on your travels.
Download URL's
Play Store- -
App Store -
❤️Do you like our music?
We use a professional copywrite free service and so can you! - Sign up for a FREE 30 Day Trial with Epidemic Sound Here -
There is no obligation to sign up and after your trial ends you will NEVER receive copywrite claims for the music used. FOREVER !!! So it's a perfect service to at least try out for 30 days!
❤️Do you need TRAVEL INSURANCE? - It's super important and we recommend Wallach&co
❤️Like our Logo?
It was drawn by our very own Thijs and animated by -
Get your logo animated professionally and for a great price!
❤️Thanks to Zostel for the nice hostel. Follow: Instagram.com/zostel, Facebook.com/Zostel, and website: bit.ly/checkoutzostel
❤️Thanks ‘Agra by Bike’ for the awesome boat tour and showing us around the sights of Agra.
Website -
Also for booking you can use the link agrabybike.com
❤️Want to Support This Channel?
This series was made possible by our viewers and if you want to help us make series 4 and beyond you can by doing any of the following...
1. SUBSCRIBE, LIKE AND SHARE WITH FRIENDS
Take one episode you like and share it on your Facebook or Instagram. The more people who watch our channel, the bigger we get, the more series we can make. This is free too!!!
2. Buy a T-Shirt here -
We make $10 - $20 per sale and all profits go back into the channel. Cheap shipping to the USA, Canada, and EU countries.
3. Send us a Tip! - PayPal us a small amount directly and fund the future series -
Our direct PayPal Link is perfect for those who don't want a T-Shirt but want to support us.
4. Sign Up for an Epidemic Sound Trial. It's 30 days of free music for your videos with no obligation to sign up after. We receive $30 per sign up and all $$$ funds future series. A great way to donate with no cost to you! Click Here -
Behind the Scenes and all the GOOD stuff follow us here -
▶ Facebook:
▶ Instagram:
▶ YouTube:
Title Music is Kerouac by HeavyHeads -
More HeavyHeads here -
India - Agra Fort - Travel - Jim Rogers World Adventure
Leading economic expert Jim Rogers traveled to 150 countries over 150,000 miles in three years - follow his adventures here on FentonReport.
In this video Jim and Paige visit Agra Fort in India.
Copyright Jim Rogers - provided as a special contribution to The Fenton Report.
Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage site located in Agra, India. The fort is also known as Lal Qila, Fort Rouge and Red Fort of Agra. It is about 2.5 km northwest of its much more famous sister monument, the Taj Mahal. The fort can be more accurately described as a walled palatial city.
It is the most important fort in India. The great Mughals Babur, Humayun, Akbar, Jehangir, Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb lived here, and the country was governed from here. It contained the largest state treasury and mint. It was visited by foreign ambassadors, travellers and the highest dignitaries who participated in the making of history in India.
India trip 2019/ Tripura/Delhi/Kashmir/Agra/ Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Srinagar, Pehelgao, Tajmahal.
Finally I made it possible. Me with my family went for a family trip in india this April, 2019.
Its a dream comes true trip for me as we traveled 4 stats in 10 days, that includes, Tripura, New Delhi, Kashmir, Uttar pradesh.
This video is just capture the essence of the beauty we felt in those days. Hope it will liked by others also.
If you liked it, please subscribe the channel. :)
120 Hours in India ; Delhi , Agra , Jaipur
India's golden triangle is a tourist circuit which connects the national capital Delhi, Agra and Jaipur. The Golden Triangle is so called because of the triangular shape formed by the locations of New Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan on a map. The trips usually start in Delhi moving south to the site of Taj Mahal at Agra, then west, to the desert landscapes of Rajasthan. It is normally possible to do the trip by coach or private journey through most tour operators. The Golden Triangle is now a well traveled route providing a good spectrum of the country's different landscapes. The circuit is about 720 km by road. Each leg is about 4 to 6 hours of drive. The Shatabdi express train also connects Delhi with Agra and Jaipur.
BOOK YOUR VACATION WITH US !!!
Website : jwvnow.com
Facebook :
instagram :
Fatehpur Sikri Agra - Buland Darwaza, Dargah, Panch Mahal
#Travel #Food #Destinations -
On our trip to Agra, we had planned three places. We traveled from Delhi early in the morning. We started at 5:30 am and took the Yamuna express way. We went to Fatehpur Sikri First, then we traveled to Agra
1. Fatehpur Sikri
2. Agra Forte
3. Taj Mahal
It was a festival day on our visit so was very crowded.
Fatehpur Sikri is famous for its architecture in India.
In this Video, you will find the below details
1. Fatehpur Sikri history in english
2. Tomb of Salim Chishti
Fatehpur Sikri is a must visit destination if you are traveling to Agra
How An Indian Servant Became Queen Victoria’s Closest Friend
Queen Victoria’s closest friend in her final years… was actually a young servant from India. In 1887, the newly-minted Empress of India celebrated her Golden Jubilee. As a “gift from India”, she received two waiters. One of them was Abdul Karim, a 24-year-old clerk from Agra. He’s had a crash course in English language and manners shortly before arriving in Britain. He served the Queen and helped her interact with Indian dignitaries at the banquet. Victoria was fascinated by her new attendant from the very start. She described him as dutiful, “tall, and with a fine serious countenance”. One day Karim treated her to chicken curry with dal and pilau. The Queen loved the dish so much that it was added to her regular menu. The communication between them was stiff, and she asked him to teach her Urdu. Karim’s English lessons were also doubled. Soon they were able to correspond without any intermediaries. Though the Queen treated him well, Karim was not used to menial work. Far from home, he felt like “a sojourner in a strange land and among a strange people”. He wanted to return to India, so Victoria had to come up with something to keep him. Just a year after his arrival, he was promoted to “Munshi”, the Queen’s personal teacher. The court was angry and terrified by such a rapid career advancement. Not only Karim was of the lower class, but he was also of a different race. He traveled with Victoria and was allowed to leave for India a couple of times. His father got a pension and his former employer a promotion upon his request. The Munshi was given residences at the main royal estates in the UK and back in Agra. His wife joined him in Britain and regularly had tea with the Queen herself. He enjoyed the best opera seats and was even moved to John Brown’s bedchamber. Brown was the Queen’s previous servant and favorite who died in 1883. In 1895, Karim was decorated as a Companion of the Order of the Indian Empire. Victoria commissioned numerous portraits of her confidant. She signed her letters to him with kisses and as “your closest friend” and “your loving mother”. Though they did spend a night alone at a Scottish cottage, they were never lovers. When the Queen died in 1901, he was the last to see her body before her casket was closed. After that, Karim was expelled from the court and returned to India. Victoria’s letters to him were burnt in front of him by the new king’s order. Her heirs made sure no trace of the Munshi could be found. But his diary survived. His story became widely known nearly a century after his death in 1909.
Subscribe to The Story Behind
Music by Epidemic Sound: