There's a first time for everything and as far as I can remember, today was the first time that something man-made was able to make me cry from sheer awesomeness. The Taj Mahal. Wow wow wow wow wow. I had seen it from my hotel's rooftop restaurant yesterday and thought "yep, that's the Taj." But it wasn't til this morning (being the 5th person into the gate at 7 am) that it really just STRUCK me. It was a very foggy morning but it made the atmosphere around it so mysterious...the Taj just rose right out of the fog before me and I got to see the sun rise with it as a foreground.
The Taj took 11 years to build and was completed in 1653. You might think it's a religious monument (well in fact there ARE mosques here) but the Taj itself is not. It was built by Shah Jahan, the emperor at that time, as a resting place for his wife, Mumtaz (Taj) Mahal when she died giving birth to their 14th child. Shah lays beside her now. Most emperors and noblemen at that time had several wives, as did Shah Jahan, but he only truly loved Mumtaz and grieved for months when she died. The Taj (at least the main roof) is supposed to look like a teardrop from God for the loss of Mumtaz. If anybody's looking for some holiday reading, check out the novel "Under a Marble Sky" it's about the making of the Taj Mahal as told by the point of view of the daughter of Shah and Mumtaz (Jahanara) and is great because you learn the history but the book is an easy read and brings all the characters to life. I'm still not done but plan to finish on the train ride to Amritsar tomorrow then I'm going on a yoga retreat...I need some R&R desperately!
I think this monument is the most beautiful the world has ever or will ever see. I could stare at it endlessly, and as my last day in Agra spent what remained of my afternoon/evening just sipping Chai tea gazing at the Taj from the rooftop patio. It's just immaculate. I had the place nearly to myself to begin with but Indians also have vacation right now so it got busy...quite fast. Others there at first light were mainly photographers, there was one Slavic dude getting supper pissed off that people kept getting in his photos, he was yelling at one of the locals at the top of his lungs at one point!
I also got to see the many other sights of Agra (for $7 I had my own personal driver all day long!) and amazing as they were, they paled in comparison to the Taj. Should have taken an extra day and done the Taj on it's own on the last day. Agra Fort was also very impressive and was where Shah Jahan was eventually imprisoned by his own son (the bloodthursty Aurangzeb). His son afforded him views of the Taj from his prison, however.
I am still a local celebrity and I think I could actually make a living in India charging for my photo. Even Agra that sees so many tourists...I'm surprised by the number of people that want a picture with me!
Pictures at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/ErinSzumsky/Agra
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2 comments:
Great trip so far, Erin. I'm enjoying your blogs and pics. Climbed the big one and saw the Taj -- what's next?
Happy Indian New Year! Looking forward to your safe return in 2009 and hearing more stories from the blonde Indian celeb. ;-)
Thanks Mark! I may see an Indian ski hill yet, I just returned to Shimla at 2000 m and we got snow this morning. There is a ski hill within 2 hours of here I think...we'll see...the snow won't last here though, still too warm in the day.
Now it's time for relaxation...reading, yoga, tv, etc. Then in 2 weeks the marathon and home! Looking forward to skiing though...I must admit!!
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