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Agra-vation...is an inappropriate pun.
The next step was to take the train to Agra, about 3 hours by train from Delhi. It was to be a brief stop, mainly to see the Taj Mahal. On arriving, we headed to the Sheela hotel, just beside the East Gate of the Taj Mahal. This was on the advice of someone we met who had been there. The East Gate has a lot of advantages over the West and South Gates (North Gate is inside the compound, and so is not used for entry). Firstly, it is much less busy than the other gates; the queues are less terrifying. Many places allow foreign tourists in before Indians (as we pay higher rates)...not the Taj. Secondly, if you don't mind an early start, you can buy your ticket down the road at 5am and be in well before 6. There is practically nobody there at that time, and it's nice and cool. For my money, definitely the best way to visit the Taj Mahal. The Sheela is also a pretty nice spot, with clean rooms and decent rates. The restaurant is no good though - tiny portions, overpriced, and not such tasty food. On
the day we arrived, we visited Agra fort; it was ok, in reasonable shape, but nothing compared with Jodhpur fort - or Agra's main attraction.
Shah Jawan met and fell in love with a young girl, who became known as Mumtaz Mehal. She was to be the only woman he would marry for love; Mughal rulers frequently had many political marriages. Mumtaz Mehal bore Shah Jewan 16 children in 19 years, dying while giving birth to the last. I normally doubt the veracity of many of the legends about these rulers and their pure, true love, but there can be no doubt of the greatness of Shah Jewan's love for this woman. Nobody could stand in the Taj Mahal and see anything but devotion in architectural form. The Taj took 23 years to complete, the monument and its grounds. Tens of thousands of workers were employed, from basic labourers to master craftsmen. No expense was spared. It is a testament to their workmanship that a 360 year old building - constructed in white materials - looks so good as it does. It is a testament to the love of Shah Jawan that it exists at all.
From the
moment you enter the complex, you can see the intent. It is a peaceful world within the world, a land for the dead to rest. It's symmetry and layout allow the mind to follow instinctually, focussing less on where it is going and more on where it is. And the more you look, the more you see. First, red sandstone buildings to the left and right of the magnificent white marble, with a sea of green grass and trees below. As you draw closer, the Taj dominates your perspective. Its four towers are plainly visible, not obstructing one another at all. In fact, the towers lean slightly outward; some say this is so that they look straight, as they would actually look as though they leaned in if they were perfectly upright. Others say it is so that the towers will never fall in on the centre, in an earthquake for example. The dome and porches on the roof begin to slip from your vision as you draw even closer, though they never completely disappear. The inscription and artistry get clearer; the writings around the entry are Koranic verses. There are several wall faces with Koranic verses here, ranging from
Shah Jewan's last home
Imprisoned by his son, at least he could see the monument to his love from here. invitations to enter paradise to threats to unbelievers on judgement day. One reads: "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you." The script gets larger the higher it is, so it all looks the same size to the observer. Master artists inlaid the white marble of the Taj with floral patterns and geometric shapes. In some examples of the finer work, more than 60 stones were cut to create a single flower, simply to ensure that the colour was uniform.
All of this, for no purpose other than to show eternal love for Mumtaz Mehal. With this in mind, you enter the inner chamber of of the mausoleum. All you can see is the cenotaphs; the bodies are buried further down. Mumtaz Mehal was buried in the centre, maintaining the symmetry of the monument. She lies facing Mecca, so that on the day of judgement, she will rise again and be reunited with Shah Jawan. When he died, over 30 years later, he was laid to rest beside here, his larger cenotaph the only object upsetting the symmetry of the monument.
It is overwhelming standing in
this place. Not only is it beautiful, to the tiniest detail, but the sentiment with which is was created would melt even the stoniest of hearts. Most people share a desire for a long life with a person they love, and this place resonates with that desire.
After the visit, I hung around the grounds, writing in my diary and taking in the calm. The only down point to the visit was that we chose to go on a Saturday - the water is switched off on Saturdays, so we did not get to see the famous reflections in the pool. The lush gardens and the monument were more than enough to fulfil any sightseer, however. Robert and I took the evening train to Delhi afterwards; two German girls we had met in Goa had contacted us and said they had found a good place to stay. We joined them in the Satyam hotel, on Main Bazaar in Pahar Ganj, and got our first glimpse of Delhi.
I must recommend a visit to the Taj Mahal to everyone. It is one of the 7 wonders of the world for a reason, and certainly one of the most beautiful
places in India. It is well run and well maintained, and the kind of a place you could never tire of visiting.
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