A Whole New World

Walking up to the Taj Mahal is much like a step into Aladdin's world, where you have to dodge camels, holy cows, rikshaw drivers and people selling their goods. The sun beats down and you bless the hot breeze ruffling your cloth prison.

If you are able to make it through the maze of people and animals to the welcome gates (and security screening), then you are able to observe the magnificent gleaming white mausoleum; the Taj Mahal. If the camels trotting along beside you to the arched entry did not transport you into a different time, the architecture will (as long as you can ignore the cameras sung around every neck).

While never a student of architecture, I can appreciate the beauty and grandeur of one of the seven wonders of the world. The “how” of such buildings boggles my mind. How were people, so long ago, able to build these majestic buildings with rudimentary tools and an army of elephants? I wonder what we leave behind to inspire the future?

To some, the Taj (as I like to call it) may be just a big white marble building, but to the Mughal emperor Shan Jahan it was a mausoleum to his third wife, who died during child birth. Jahan's love and grief for his wife, it is said,were so strong that he felt compelled to commemorate his love her.

Construction began in 1632 and ended in 1648. They were both laid to rest in separate tombs, which sit squarely in the center of the Taj. The size and presence of the building is commendable, but even more stunning is the intricate marble work famed in this area of India. It is called Jali.

The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia and over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble (thank you wikipedia).

Enough of the history lets get to the photos where you can see the true beauty!

Sikandra

We spent a brief moment at the Tomb of Akbar the Great the third Mughal emperor.

Fatehpur Sikri

Jaipur nicknamed the pink city (as the old town is still an organized framework of pink on pink)

Amer Fort (where Amy famously lost her new Thai sunglasses while posing for a picture... see previous post)

City Palace

This is a place of kings and queens. In fact, Amy and I managed to be in town the day of a coronation for Japiur's new king. Last week, Maharaja Bhawani Singh passed away. The king had only had a daughter, and she had had a son, who is a 12 year old named Padmanabh Singh. They have no real power, and haven't since the 70's when entitlements were taken away- but it's still fun.

Katie in her first Saree

I think we're turning Japanese, turning Japanese, I really think so!

The most amazing Kebabs in Delhi!! Tundey!!

blah blah blah blah …. travel … blah blah … hot sun, slight breeze, forts, palaces, kings, wifes, architecture, building, meaning, air con, tour guide, religions, no water, naan, dal, Jaipur, Taj Mahal, Mughal history, fans, rikshaws, taxi, tourist, galub jamun, cannons, City Palace, water, camels, locals, hotel, Hindu, more dal, elephants, heat wave, Agra, Sikandra, pistols, fortress, honks. You get the drift. -unitl next time... Amy