'Be it tourist guides, hotels, rickshaw drivers, all have a livelihood thanks to Shah Jahan.'
When I checked Google Maps at 7.30 am it showed that it would take us three hours to reach the Taj Mahal from our hotel in Connaught Place in Delhi.
Sorry, not Connaught Place, but Rajiv Chowk named after former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi by a Congress government.
Why should the BJP take all the blame for changing the names of places?
Google Maps assured me that we would arrive at the most famous monument to a man's love for his wife by 10.30 am.
But our driver had different ideas.
I discovered this only after we had driven for an hour.
When I checked Google Maps at 8.30 am it showed that it would take 3.5 hours to reach the Taj.
What???!!
"How is that possible?" I asked the driver.
"I am taking you by the Faridabad-Mathura route and not the Yamuna Expressway which is why it is taking long."
"Why?" I asked in exasperation.
"It will save Rs 127 on tolls if I take the Faridabad-Mathura road to reach the Taj."
"You will spend more money on fuel by taking a longer route."
"Now there is no way you can go back to the Yamuna Expressway," the driver shrugged.
The Mumbaikar in me realised you can't argue with a Delhiwallah or make sense of their complicated capital logic.
***
Which is why we crossed Haryana to reach Uttar Pradesh.
What struck me was the number of billboards advertising cow hospitals and cow shelters.
Not to forget the number of cows one saw roaming on highways, slowing down one's journey when the cattle refuse to move out of traffic's way.
One has to be careful while driving in UP, the driver informs us, because if you drive into a cow then gaurakshaks could come after you.
A Google search led me to a report in The Hindu newspaper which stated that the Uttar Pradesh government provided protection to 1,157,204 destitute cattle and spent Rs 1,681.61 crore (Rs 16.81 billion) for this under the Mukhyamantri Nirasrit Govansh Sahbhagita Yojana.
***
The Haryana-Uttar Pradesh road that leads to the Taj Mahal is said to be frequented by Gau Rakshak Dals who patrol the area to ensure that no cow smuggling takes place.
Hindutva on wheels is the motto and everyone knows the rule.
Respect Gau Mata or else.
Stray cattle have been reported to create problems for UP's farmers who complain about the cattle destroying their crops.
But as Sameer Singh, a spokesperson for the BJP's UP unit, told the BBC, 'Cows should not be called stray cows as the animal is part of Hindu culture. We never leave our elders to die when they grow old, how can we leave our cows to die on the roads?'
***
The tourist guide at the Taj is peeved that the state and central governments have neglected in promoting the Taj as a destination, leading to a decline in the inflow of tourists.
"The government promotes Ayodhya and Varanasi but not the Taj Mahal as it was built by a Mughal emperor," says the guide.
Around 7 to 8 million domestic and foreign visitors visit the Taj annually, but the tourist guide estimates it could easily double if the government promotes the Taj more vigorously.
"The BJP has contempt for the Mughals as a result of which Agra tourism is suffering," the guide complains.
"80 percent of Agra's population is dependent on the Taj Mahal. Be it tourist guides, hotels, rickshaw drivers, all have a livelihood thanks to Shah Jahan."
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
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