At Last!

It was a little before 6:00 A.M. Saturday when we walked through the gates and got our first "real" look at the Taj Mahal. I got a little teary; it was another one of those I-can't-believe-I'm-really-here moments! Most of you probably know the story, but just in case.... the Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his favorite queen, Mumtaz. She was married to him for 19 years, during which time she accompanied him on his military campaigns and shared his confidence on matters of state. She had 13 children, 7 of whom survived until adulthood. In 1631, she died in childbirth. Shah Jahan was desolate and built the Taj Mahal in her honor.

The monument is perfectly symmetrical and took 22 years of hard labor, and 20,000 workers to build it. The white marble was brought from Makrana, 186 miles away. You can see in the pictures some close ups of the beautiful marble inlay of floral designs and Arabic writing (verses of the Koran), as well as some of the sculpted marble. In the last picture, if you look to the left, you see a mosque which is still used for Friday services. On the opposite side of the Taj is an identical building (remember the symmetry) that is not used for prayer, as its central arch does not face Mecca.

As you walk around and look at the buildings, every angle has something beautiful to see. Behind the Taj Mahal is the Yamuna River; you can also stand and see Agra Fort, where Shah Jahan died (more about that in the next blog). Inside the Taj are the tombs of Shah Jahan and his wife. I didn't know that their actual tombs are under the main floor, so they have replicas on the main entrance floor for visitors to see.

I had heard horror stories about the crowds and heat. We had a cool breeze blowing and very small numbers---maybe that comes from going during monsoon season and early in the morning! This was truly a memorable experience and certainly lived up to the grand expectations we all had for it.