With great thanks to wonderful friends, Smita and Shailendra, who provided the driver, lush accommodations, and a police escort to the hotel and the Taj Mahal, I was able to see Agra for the first time. Agra is the city on the banks of the Yamuna River and was the capitol of Mugal emperors in the 1500s. It is known for the site of the Taj Mahal and Fatehpur Sikri.
One of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal was built as the resting place of Emperor Shah Jahan's wife, Mumatz Mahal. It took twenty years to build.
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| In front of the gate with Praval, who accompanied me as my travel guide. |
The gate itself is a beautiful piece of artwork made of brick. Looking toward the gate's opening from the center line, one has a beautiful view of the Taj Mahal. As you continue walking toward the gate, it appears as if you don't come an closer to the Taj Mahal, the result of an optical illusion.
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| first glimpse of the Taj Mahal and the great throng of tourists |
The hired tour guide who showed Praval and me around gave us a wonderful description of the history and architecure of this site. He also found some famous places for me to pose for pictures in front of this world wonder.
The architectural wonder is made of white marble with the dome and minarets pointing toward heaven. Inside the mausoleum, marble is inlaid with gemstones that come to life when one shines a flashlight onto the translucent marble.
I am so thankful that I had this wonderful opportunity to view the beauty and learn about the history that surrounds the Taj Mahal.
Outside of the Taj Mahal, I learned more about the craftsmanship that went into the making of the Taj Mahal. In front of one shop, two men were demonstrating the craft of cutting gemstone pieces and carving marble for the inlay.
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| in front of a shop just outside the Taj Mahal |
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| exquisitely cut stone roses |
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| carving around a chess/checker board |
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| this will soon be inlaid with beautiful gemstones |
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