A Tryst With The Taj

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Today is the 11th of January 2006. Our driver had arrived with a Toyota Qualis for our drive to Agra.. The road was good and had a wide median landscaped with flowering plants like the Nerium Oleander, which is a commonly grown plant here. It was a comfortable ride and by the time we reached Sikandra it was 2 30 pm. Sikandra, being the place where Emperor Akbar was laid to rest. The monument was beautiful and impressive - left one thinking about the legacy of the great secular statesman. He was indeed a man born before his times, a true leader and a clever strategist, its no wonder the kingdom flourished during his reign, when the subjects were happy with their king.

From Sikandra, we moved on towards Agra and the Taj. In order to keep pollution in check the government had banned all motorized vehicles within a 5km radius of the monument. We got off at a designated parking lot only to be swamped by a melee of peddlers. We had the option of taking a battery operated car at the cost of Rs 10 or a camel driven buggy for Rs 20, a horse driven buggy for Rs 10 or a man propelled cycle rickshaw for Rs 5. It was a sorry state of affairs and a stark reminder of the umpteen different strata of society that still exist in this modern world. Here was this man who was willing to take us for a ride for a paltry sum of Rs5. Had we chosen him, it would have been us taking him for a ride… With all the foreign investment and the emergence of India as a vital player in the global economy, there is still this pathetic side to the story and this man is not the only one, he is one among the million by products of the modern world. Our guide had advised us to leave our mobile phones behind as they were not allowed inside the Taj. However there is also a cloak room where you can put it away if you so wish.. It was almost 3 30 when we walked towards the red sandstone entrance gate with the 22 small domes representing the 22 long years it took to complete the Taj and the immediate structures like the mosque and a Jamaat khana, including the famous Taj gardens.

On a nippy January evening, the Taj Mahal had a gentle glow and left the viewer spellbound. Majestic and imperial no doubt but it also had a pervasive sublime aura that touched your sense and sensibilities. Having visited the Taj twice before with my parents and sister, I was pleasantly surprised with this feeling that comes with age.

The Taj with its beautiful precious stones inlay work(Pietra Dura) was an architectural wonder and a perfectionist’ delight. Our guide pointed out the line of symmetry to us that leads up to the tomb of Arjumand Bano Begum better known as Mumtaz Mahal. What I didn’t know however was that Emperor ShahJahan wanted to build a Taj in black marble(across the Jumuna river from Mumtaz’s Taj) as his final resting place and connect the two with a silver bridge. His son Aurangzeb, however had other plans and so the foundation of the black Taj remains as such. It was almost sunset when we were ready to leave and I turned around to steal another quick glance trying to contain the image in my memory bank forever! It was an anniversary gift from my husband and possibly the best one yet!

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Photos

Taj Mahal
in all its glory...

Taj Mahal
a reflection...

Taj Mahal
from close quarters, Quranic inscriptions and stone inlay work(pietra dura)

Entrance gate to the Taj
Two rows of eleven domes represent the twenty-two years it took to complete the taj Mahal complex

Comments

[Hana]

Bien Beaucoup
Magnifique!