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Published: January 9th 2008
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The Taj
The classic post card shot looking down the garden with the morning light creating a stunning reflection. Blogger Bec You know the places or destinations you have secretly locked away in your heart and soul, ever hopeful that it will live up to your overblown fantastical expectations but knowing that they probably won't?
For me, that place is the Taj Mahal. I have dreamed of this building for as long as I have known of it's existence. As a dreamy teenager, I had always hoped of a proposal in front of it. As a eager but amateur photographer I have always dreamed of taking the perfect, never before taken shot. As a prolific reader and fairly adventurous traveller, I have always tried to wrangle a trip to the Romantic's Mecca.
Finally, with the arrival of Mum and Dad's 30th wedding anniversary, the trip was planned and paid for. As the day crept up at a snail's pace, I built all sorts of wonderful expectations of what I would see and feel. I remembered back to all the Nat Geo and friends' photos I'd seen, mentally composed all the shots I was going to line up. Battery charged, photo tips assimilated into the brain; everything was ready for a great visit.
Did it
Different angle, same beauty
Another view of the Taj - no matter where or how you looked, this building is absolutely breathtaking meet expectations?
No.
IT BLEW THEM OUT OF THE WATER!!
The Taj is the most beautiful building I have ever seen. Maybe not purely aesthetic beauty, more spiritual than that - it was the "vibe of the thing".
(I just spent 10 minutes searching an online theasuraus for a suitable word; had to resort to a "Castle" quote.)
I was breathless, speechless, stunned. I wanted to absorb EVERY inch of it's power and beauty into my pores so I could relive it over and over again. I could've just sat and watched it for hours. I'm no architect (obviously) but curved marble?? C'mon, that's SPECIAL. It emanated soulfulness, calm, exquisiteness.
I'm not going to go into blow by blow descriptions of what we saw but here are the 'snapshots' that have seared themselves onto my memory:
Arriving at dawn and leaving around 9am meant we saw the Taj change colours about 4 or 5 times - as marble is translucent, the building takes on the colour of the surrounding atmosphere.
Each of the engravings and inlays are made of semi precious stones which are all set out symmetrically - I'm pretty sure
each pair originated from the same rock that was simply cut in half - the detail is mind blowing.
We were hunted down by a 'professional' tourist photographer who showed us all the 'good' places to take pics depending on the light: he was spot on! We got some lovely shots that perhaps we would never have thought of.
As foreigners, we paid approximately 14 times the price of a local for the entrance fee. Interesting system - I understand and respect it but still find it amusing and ever so slightly insultingly presumptuous.
Being harrased by a bunch of young men who ALL wanted their photo taken with me - go Bec the token white girl! At least I got a pic of them in return 😉
Standing with my husband in front of the world's most well recognised monument to lurrvvee and realising how lucky I am to have such a legend of a best friend/hubbie- aww shucks 😊
The history behind the Taj is enthralling and convuleted, and best left to another blogger I think.
Really, I feel that the photos say and show a lot more than my words.
To
Good moon rising!
Thought the moon between two of the Taj turrets made for an interesting shot top off one of the best mornings I have ever had in my entire life, we went back to our 5 star hotel (ha ha - weren't we on a good wicket?!) and ate ourselves stupid at the buffet breakfast. Bircher muesli, fresh coffee, make your own salads, your pick of tropical fruit, pastries, MULTIGRAIN toast (oh yes, the things you miss when away from home) and lots and lots of eggs, bacon and beans.
Damn fine food and a bit of romantic architecture - what more can a girl ask for?
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Dad
non-member comment
Nice one Bec!