Dreams do come true

Well, it was even more impressive than I imagined. For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to see the Taj Mahal, but I never thought that I would. I was never drawn to India, so I figured it would be one of those things I just never did. Looking back, I believe I wanted to experience the Taj because of its beauty. I think of all those pictures I’ve seen with the stark white marble set against the cloudless blue sky; the minarets jutting upward; and the large dome dominating the surroundings. And it was that and more. We arrived early and walked down a road to the West Gate. We had the experience of being segregated by gender, as the entrance line was divided for men and women. I have no comments on that process right now. Anyway, we entered the West Gate that opened into a courtyard. There are red sandstone gates on the east, west, and south that all open to the same area. The Taj is squared by the river on the north side. You still can’t see the Taj Mahal after entering the gate, but parts are visible from the courtyard. My first impression was the enormity of the structure. Although I couldn’t see the entire building, what I could see was enormous. We quickly passed through the next gate, which opens into the garden of the Taj Mahal. It’s the location where every picture you have probably seen has been taken. We snapped a number of pictures, then walked to the mosque, which is located to the west of the building. We then passed by the back of the building to the east side, where another building mirrors the mosque, balancing the space on both sides of the Taj Mahal. From here, we swung around to the front and got in line to view the inside. I took hundreds of pictures and didn’t stop until be crossed the threshold into the mausoleum; no photography allowed inside.

Inside the Taj is cool and dark. A single chandelier drops down over the queen’s tomb, which sits exactly on center. Her king was placed there later and rests to the west of her. The inside, just like the outside, is highlighted by inlays of stone and carved marble. It is beautiful because of its simplicity. We finished our time at the Taj Mahal by walking the grounds and enjoying the landscape and the presence that the Taj commands. It is an amazing feat of man.

The Taj Mahal was built by the king, Shah Jahan, to honor his wife who died in childbirth with their 14th child. It took over 22 years to build and is a monument to the king’s love for his wife. The building is actually a mausoleum, although the mosque on grounds is still active and in use.

We returned to the hotel for lunch before venturing out again. We were scheduled to see the "baby taj" (the Itmad-ud-Daula) which is another mausoleum that was actually built before the Taj Mahal, and we were to see the Agra Fort. Unfortunately, we spent about an hour in traffic. We moved nowhere, as water buffalo and cows brought the vehicles to a standstill. Because of the traffic delay, we were only able to see the “baby taj” and will do the Agra Fort tomorrow before we leave.

The “baby taj” is much more intricate in its carvings and stone inlays, though the structure itself is a lot smaller. It reminded me of the Persian art we had from Iran. The inlays were more geometric and the carvings felt more delicate. It too had buildings on three directions with its back up against the river bank. The grounds were similar, but there were less people and more monkeys here.

We finished the evening over dinner at a local restaurant, where we got to watch a magic show and take in some dancing.Baca lagi