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Published: April 7th 2006
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The Taj Mahal
The reason I came to India. A sight I will never forget. For some reasons airports fascinate me, and I don’t think I am alone in this feeling either. For me, airports are usually associated with adventure, however when I went to the airport to leave for Croatia that adventure was greatly overcome by sadness. Saying goodbye to my life in Australia was a lot harder than I thought and very different from when I had to say goodbye to home. The thing is, in North Carolina, I knew that whatever happened I would always come back, and things would most likely return to normal. However, this is not the case in Australia, and I think that is what made it so hard. I was very blessed that in such a short time to have made so many close friends, and I know they have been what has made this experience so memorable and worthwhile. I am really going to miss them.
I am currently in Delhi, India, as most of you know I have a 4-day stopover. India is one place I have always wanted to go, and I decided to stop because I thought if I didn’t do it now I would probably never get around to it. I
The Gates of the Taj
This was taken from the gardens leading into the main grounds. am glad I did decide to stop, as it has been a very interesting experience so far. One thing I have to comment on though is the driving habits over here. Delhi has a reputation for its bad driving but it does not do them justice. I thought the New Zealanders were bad but these guys drive crazy. For one, common rules that we take for granted such as driving in lanes, stopping at stoplights are more suggestions here. A two lane road in Delhi can easily become a three or even four lane road, sometimes they just drive down the center, and I was even on a couple of roads that had no lanes what so ever! They also don’t use signals they use their horn instead. Also besides the cars you also have auto-rickshaws fighting for space along with horse and cow carts, camels, elephants, and all sorts of stray livestock just hanging out in the middle of the road. The funny thing is that even though I call them bad drivers I have yet to see an accident so maybe they are just really good drivers?
The reason I wanted to come to India was
First Glimpse
The view when you first walk in... the Taj Mahal, and let me assure you it did not disappoint. The Taj Mahal is actually in Agra, a little under 200 ks from Delhi. On the way there I took the express train, which took just about 2 hours. The Indian Government is quite good at protecting its feature attraction. First of all you are not allowed to park near the building because of the fear of pollution. We parked about one and a half kilometers from the actual entrance and took a rickshaw down to the gate. They are also strict about what they allow in, which means no food, electronics, cell phones, etc. All that is allowed is basically you and your camera. The entrance is quite beautiful unto its self, a red fort like wall that leads into a garden. Then there is another archway you go through which leads the actual grounds of the Taj. From a distance it is an impressive sight, but the craftsmanship that goes into the detail is absolutely amazing.
The Taj Mahal is said to be the biggest monument to eternal love. Shah Jehan built it in 1630 as a mausoleum to his second and favorite wife
Close up
This was taken from the first set of step leading up...look at the design. Mumtaz Mahal. And if you consider that she bore him 14 children you could say that she deserved it. All in all it took 20,000 men to build and 22 years to do it in.
Like I said before the craftsmanship is amazing. Not only is the marble smooth as can be but the intricate designs and the symmetry is mind blowing when you consider that it was done before machines, computers, and electricity. All the designs are engraved; the flowers on the entrance are semi-precious stones that were cuts to fill the design of the engraved marble. And the black marble is actually in-laid into the white marble. You can actually go into the Taj and see the tombs of both the Shah and his wife. Though you have to either take off your shoes or wear foot covers (which look like shower caps for your feet!) in order to walk on the actual Taj Mahal. It is also interesting to note that The Shah also started building a black marble Taj Mahal, but his son imprisoned him before he could finish it, so he is buried along side his wife. You can actually see where they
Extreme Close up
The details are amazing, the flowers are semi-precious stones, while the black line is black marble. started construction from the back of the Taj Mahal, next to the Yamuna River.
After the Taj Mahal we went to the Agra Fort, which was used as the headquarters of the Mughal Empire. Once again the design and architecture is amazing considering when it was built. The building of Agra Fort actually began in 1156 and was not finished until 1605. You can only tour a little bit of the Fort because the Indian Army still uses part of it as barracks. Most people visit Agra Fort because it is seen as a precursor to the Taj Mahal in an architectural and design sense.
My last stop in Agra was the Mausoleum of Akbar the Great. Here I was investigated by some very curious baboons that were hanging out in the courtyard. The gardens and the courtyard of the Mausoleum were beautiful as not only were there the baboons but deer grazing around the main building.
The one thing about India is that is does (at least for me anyway) pull you out of your comfort-zone. There is a lot of poverty here, and while it is one thing to read about it, it
From the side
The grounds of the Taj Mahal are quite big this was taken from one of the gardens. is completely different to see it firsthand. It is like seeing it transports you into someone else’s reality for a while. In the US or Australia, our perception of poverty may be government housing or maybe a homeless person wandering the streets, but here is it on such a larger scale that it is quite confronting. There are certain parts of the city that are quite nice, and you can tell there is a growing middle class…with lots of Hondas on the roads, several shopping malls being built and advertising for the newest cell phones and ipods. Their business district looks like any other major international city and they have some very beautiful parks and landscapes. But it is the other parts that you remember the most and just breaks your heart.
Next trip is to Jaipur, also known, as the “Pink City” will post pictures soon.
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Kennedy
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Ok, I'm jealous! Wish I was there w/ you!