A monumental romance

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Waking up on the train arriving in Agra we were delayed and feeling a little groggy, when an Indian man we were sharing the carriage with asked me if I had ever seen the Taj Mahal before.
"No", I said, "but I'm very excited about seeing it".
He then pointed out the window where the outline could be seen through the haze over the river. This was followed by lots of squeals from me and the Belgian girls also sharing our carriage. For me, this was why we had come to India.

Agra itself is not the most appealing of towns and unfortunately the pollution it causes is the reason for the haze that constantly surrounds the Taj Mahal. But even that cannot mask its beauty.
We had booked a room in the Shanti guest house which promised rooftop views. Not expecting much for such a cheap price we were blown away by the view from the rooftop restaurant. I had never realised you can stay so close to it.
We set off the next day for sunrise hoping to see the sun come up over the monument but as always, things in India just dont work like they do elsewhere. The Taj Mahal is the busiest tourist site in India, therefore probably the world, and they only have one ticket booth. The gates open for sunrise at 6am and we were still queing to get in an hour after we got there. A little tip if you are going as you have to queue twice, once for the tickets and again to get in, if there are two of you split up or you will be there all day.

Sunrise aside the morning light is still the best time to see it as the colours change with the light.
Seeing the Taj Mahal up close is one of those times where you understand the meaning behind such cliches as awe-inspiring and breathtaking. Every time I turned around to look at it, it literally took my breath away. The fact that it was built as a monument to love just makes it all the more special.

It was built by emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his wife (who died in 1631 giving birth to their fourteenth child, poor woman!). He was so heartbroken by her death that he built the Taj Mahal as her final resting place. The harsh thing is that when he was overthrown by his son he was locked up in Agra Fort, where he spent his final days gazing out at the Taj. At least when he died his son was nice enough to lay him to rest next to her.
Being a bit of a romantic I am blown away by this story and seeing it really gives you a sense of how much he loved her. The detail on the building is as beautiful as the overall view with semiprecious stones inlaid in intricate patterns and verses from the Quaran.
The symmetrical mosques on either side could stand alone as monumental buildings but next to the Taj work as acompliments to it.
I can rave on and on about how much I loved it but the truth is you have to come and see it.

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Comments

[laney52]

taj mahal
Great pictures! I wish I didnt have to wait until March to see it. Enjoy your trip. Laney