Today, (April 24) our Global Leadership Executive MBA (GLEMBA) class took a tour of the Taj Mahal and Agra Red Fort in the city of Agra, India. The Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world, means “Crown Place.” To protect the Taj Mahal, there are no industries in the city of Agra. The traffic and economic health of the City of Agra and of the City of New Delhi is an immediate contrast. Our tour guide, Mr. Arun, explained that the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum on the bank of the Yamuna River, was constructed by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for the tomb of his third wife. After going through security check, we toured the Taj inside and outside, and took photos with the GLEMBA class.
Dr. David Springate, the GLEMBA academic director, and Rhonda Bush, the assistant program director, welcomed the GLEMBA class during the lunch reception at beautiful Jaypee Palace Hotel before heading to the Agra Fort. The tour guide, Mr. Arun, explained that the name “red fort” comes from the red sandstone exterior walls, which Shah Jahan had constructed as the main residence of the emperors. Shah Jahan was placed under house arrest in the Agra Fort by his son after his son took control of the throne. After Shah Jahan died, his body was moved to the Taj Mahal and interred beside his wife’s tomb.
On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at Kalakriti to enjoy handcrafted Indian original artwork in Agra. We were shown the process of inlay artwork on marble, a technique known by the name pietra dura.
During the bus ride, we learned from Mr. Arun a few tips on how to handle pushy street vendors spotting outsiders and following them until they sell something. We also learned a few Hindi words to use while staying in India. Namaste is a respectful form of greeting that can take place at any time of the day. Dhabyabad is thank you, and phir milenge means “see you soon.” Today was full of adventure and a kickoff to start our international tour in India.
