A teardrop on the face of eternity

Namaste :)

Interesting days in Rajasthan went by way too fast so we had to pack our »easy« backpacks and moved again. Again a lot of interesting places and people...and after every corner a new thing to discover :)
In 16,4 million Mumbai/Bombay we visited the most gothic building in the city! The building is an impressive Victoria terminus or CST railway station which is the busiest train station in whole Asia and listed on Unesco Worlds heritage list since 2004. And how busy is this railway station? Let me put it this way...More than 2 million people pass by this station in only one day. That is as if the population of Slovenia would pass by in only one day. Incredible. They really have astonishing informational system.

About indian capital - Delhi with 13 million people - I won't waste to many words on it. Huge, dirty city with trying riksha men and even more obvious poverty. The only bright thing in Delhi was visit to Mahathma Gandhi museum. Mahatma Gandhi, was a major political and spiritual leader of India and the Indian independence movement. He was the pioneer of Satyagraha—a philosophy that is largely concerned with truth and "resistance to evil through active, non-violent resistance"—which led India to independence and inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Gandhi practiced and advocated non-violence and truth in all situations. He lived simply, organizing an ashram that was self-sufficient in its needs. Making his own clothes—the traditional Indian dhoti and shawl, woven with the hand spun yarn he spun on a charkha—he lived on a simple vegetarian diet. Really an inspiring man.

In Delhi we spent only a couple of days and then continued to Agra which is well known for its extravagant TAJ MAHAL - » a teardrop on the face of eternity« according to one Indian poet.

It did't disappoint us. Without a doubt this VERY impressive monument with interesting history represents a tribute to beauty. Its stunning architectural beauty is beyond adequate description. The Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage. Of course - like you all probably know (I hope so) - it is listed on Unesco Worlds heritage list and one of the 7 World wonders.

Taj Mahal (meaning Crown Palace) stands on the bank of river Yamuna and is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals, the Muslim rulers of India. Construction began in 1631 and was completed in 22 years when more than 20.000 people were working all the time. The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1000 elephants to transport it to the site.

I have to write a little bit more of its impressive history. It was built in the memory of Mumtaz Mahal, a Muslim Persian princess, by her beloved husband. The death of his wife (when she was giving birth to their 14th child) left emperor so heartbroken that he was determined to build a monument in his consort's loving memory that the world had never seen.

The central Taj structure is made of white marble, carved with flowers and inlaid with thousands of semiprecious stones (like agate and jasper) and beautiful patterns.

The architectural design uses the arabesque concept, in which each element stands on its own and perfectly integrates with the main structure. It uses the principles of self-replicating geometry and a symmetry of architectural elements. It really represents an expression of a "dream."

It is said, that after the completion of the construction, when emperor Shah Jahan viewed the Taj, he ordered his men to cut off the right hand of the master architect, so the later may not be able to erect such a magnificient and imposing edifice ever again in his life.

There's another legend that says that he was planning to build yet another Taj Mahal across the river in black marble - for his own mausoleum. That would be even better. Imagine two Taj Mahals in a perfect symmetry :)

This contribution to love astonished us so much that we spent there ½ of a day...it definitely has »something in the air« . Imagine this endless love...when a man loves a woman :) like that love song ...

So guys...if you don't know what to give to your girlfriend for her next birthday and you want to be really original...here is a great idea - build her something similar !!!! :)


Have fun and enjoy in these lovely sunny days,

JANA

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