I know I am starting in the middle of this journey into India but the Taj Mahal is a definable place to begin. I went into major sensory overload. I still can’t process all we saw and experienced so I am trying to cover it a bit at a time. After a 4 am wakeup call on Tuesday, it was finally time to lay eyes on the Taj. At the railway station in Delhi, we boarded the “Shatabdi Express” for Agra. What a mass of humanity – with accompanying sights, sounds and smells. It was a two hour “first class” train ride to Agra (meaning a guaranteed seat and a/c). We were there by 8:30 am. Good plan – we avoided the worst of the heat and the crowds. I am not saying we had a private showing but the massive crowds didn’t move in until about noon as we were leaving. I just wish my photos could come closer to doing the Taj justice. Everyone recognizes the front shot of the Taj. In fact, it impossible to take a shot that hasn’t been done 157,000 times before. I guess that happens when it is one of the seven manmade wonders of the world. It deserves it – it is more majestic and more exquisite than I expected. Since I couldn’t capture how breath taking and imposing it was, I tried for some close up details of the handsome marble work. The inlaid work it absolutely amazing. I took some pictures of the gates and outbuilding too – who knew? I didn’t know the Taj was made up of huge complex of buildings. There is more than the white marble wonder you always see pictured. Everything around it is made of red sandstone as not to detract from the mausoleum. The mausoleum itself is an interesting design. The four spires around it aren’t lined up so that you are able to view all four of them at once from every side. I suspect most know the story behind the Taj so I will give the micro mini version. The Taj Mahal was built for Shah Jahan’s favorite wife who died in 1631 giving birth to their 14th child. While on her deathbed, he promised her that he would never remarry and that he would build her the richest mausoleum ever built. After her death, he ordered the court into mourning for 2 years then it took 22 years and 22,000 workers to construct this marble mausoleum. He had everything perfectly symmetrical, centered around her tomb. The only thing not symmetrical now - they buried him next to his wife. The tombs inside are ornate inlaid marble – quite stunning. Most of the time when something has been so built up over the years, when you finally lay eyes on it, it is somewhat of a disappointment. I can truly say that it is as spectacular as advertised. I am pretty sure no matter how picky his wife was she would have approved of the monument he constructed for her. Now, I don’t know how to attack the rest of the trip – I took 798 pictures if that tells you anything. I truthfully don’t know how to describe my time in India. I may do more pictures and less verbiage – and let you just see for yourself.
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