February
6-9, 2014
Agra,
India
The
streets of Agra teem with people, cars, cycles, lots of honking
horns, animals, and trash, but within the entrance gate and the walls
surrounding the Taj, there is sheer beauty and calm (were it not for
all the tourists). The sheer size of the tomb (a testament to the
love of Royal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal), the sculptured
flowers, the absolute beauty of the marble inlays, the perfect
symmetry...it is a wonder to behold. We arrived in a cool morning
mist, but the sun came out an hour later, illuminating this
indescribably beautiful monument in a golden glow.
Agra
became prominent during the 16th century reign of Akbar,
builder of the Agra Fort, who made the city one of the mightiest and
richest kingdoms. It was in the 17th century, however,
during the reign of his grandson, Shah Jahan, that Agra reached its
architectural peak...it was an age of marble and splendor.
After the death of his beloved wife in 1631 A.D., Shah Jahan began a two year period of intense mourning losing all interest in pleasure and the functions of his office. Legend has it that on her deathbed, Mumtaz Mahal expressed the wish that her husband build a monument over her grave that would be a testament to their inseparable love. It took twenty years to build and required twenty thousand laborers plus an additional two years was spent constructing surrounding buildings and the gardens. A fusion of Indian and Persian architecture, the Taj Mahal is at once dreamy, dazzling, and enchanting...it is magic, it is emotion, it is unlike anything else...
After the death of his beloved wife in 1631 A.D., Shah Jahan began a two year period of intense mourning losing all interest in pleasure and the functions of his office. Legend has it that on her deathbed, Mumtaz Mahal expressed the wish that her husband build a monument over her grave that would be a testament to their inseparable love. It took twenty years to build and required twenty thousand laborers plus an additional two years was spent constructing surrounding buildings and the gardens. A fusion of Indian and Persian architecture, the Taj Mahal is at once dreamy, dazzling, and enchanting...it is magic, it is emotion, it is unlike anything else...
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