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Published: April 26th 2014
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Evening everyone
Well as promised here is today's update all about the Taj Mahal. Well we were up at the crack of dawn this morning to head out to Indians most famous monument. So at 5.10am we left the hotel and drove the short distance to the car park. They don't let petrol and diesel vehicles near so we had to park up and then took the electric bus to near the gates. We got there about 05.20am and were very near the front, only beaten by a small group of Germans. Top tip for those visiting in the near future,get there early, don't take any food etc in. You can take cameras but not iPods etc. Getting in early pays dividends. The gates opened at 05.45am. You do get your bags checked and a body search so this is what delays things so pack light to help speed things up. Ladies in one queue and gents in another.
We quickly headed to the main monument and we're not disappointed. Out guide for the day showed us the best spots for photo opportunities and we manage to get plenty of shots in with no one
else somit looks like the place was deserted. However the crowds soon flocked in and spoiled the natural beauty.
The monument was built by one of the mogul rulers to honour the memoray of his 3rd wife. He saw her at the lady only market when he dressed up and disguised himself as a woman and when he saw her he fell In love. So they married and she gave him 14 children. On their wedding night he lifted her veil and named her Mumtaz and so hence forth that is what she was called. They were deeply in love and rarely separated and married for 19 years I think.
Whilst he was away fighting a war she was carrying his 14th child. Sadly spshe suffered from internal bleeding and died. However bfore he went off to battle he ensured that he had regular messenger updates as to her health. one such messenger advised him she had given birth to a boy and all was wells. He thought he was doing the riget thing and did it not want to distract the king from the battle. However Mumtaz sent one of her daughters to
fetch the king back and when he arrived she died indies arms. However before he died shemade him promise 3 things. One was that he would never marry, two that he would look after all her children and thirdly to show how much he loved her he should build something to honour her memory So he built the Taj Mahal which is based in the design from a Persian architect.
I have been told that soon thy may stop visitors entering the inner tomb simply duemto the volume of visitors, at its peak around 99k visitors a day can view the monument. It's taking it's toll on the flooring. The tombs you can see are replicas as the original on pets are in a vault. You used to be able to see them but again due to the volume of visitors the areas was closed.
I also need to point out that its was vary hot even at 7.30am in the morning and during the day it probably got up,to about 45 degrees!
So we had breakfast at a local cafe, an egg wrap which was rather rubbery and tated like a Cornish
pasty if I'm honest. We then headed to Agra fort where the mogul king and Mumtaz. Another amazing building.
Somother rest of the dabyways spent chilling and I popped over the road for a macdonlads but it wasnt the same as the ones back in the UK.
This evening we visited the baby Taj although it was built before the big one. Then it was off for tea at Pizza Hut! Yeas I have an American themed food day today lol. Complete with dancing waiters at 8pm - very blizzare but entertaining.
On our way to get the tuk tucks we passed an Indian wedding so we popped inside to see the groom and have our photos taken with him. Very random to gate crash a wedding but in indian everyone is seen to belong to one family so everyone is welcome, so no gatecrashing involved really.
Now it's off to bed as we are heading off by train to Orcha.
Hopefully an update tomorrow evening pending wifi.
Night All. X
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