The Road to Agra and the Taj Mahal

Here we were upon our first weekend in India and it was proposed that we go to the Taj Mahal.  As this is a place that I have always wanted to see, you bet I wanted to go and see what it was all about.  At the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, we set out to the airport to catch a flight to New Delhi, and then rode in a car for 5 hours to go to Agra, the city where the Taj Mahal is located.  The roads are bumpy, the driving in India baffles me, and the sides of the roads are littered with waste, but you can find beauty in here, you just have to look a little harder for it that you would in other places.

This is essentially a corner store along the roads of India.

When you go from state to state within India, you must pay a tax.  This guy had these monkeys that you can take a picture with...but if he catches you taking a picture of the monkey, he expects to be paid.  I snuck one in!

By the time we got to Agra, I was giddy with excitement.  After all, it is not every day that you get the chance to check something off of your bucket list of things you want to do in this life.  And I did. 

The outer gate to the Taj Mahal--even it is just beautiful.

The Taj Mahal is magnificent.  Not only is it this huge white marble building kind of in the middle of nowhere, but it was all built by hand back in the 1600.  No computers, no modern tools, just a brain, and the hard work, by hand, of thousands and thousands of people.  There are just not words to describe the experience. 

In all it's glory.

Of course, I had to have my picture taken in front of it!

Do you see the reflection in the pool of water?

And was it crowded.  We had a guide who walked us through the tour and gave us facts about the mausoleum and the other two surrounding structures.  As we were foreigners, we were able to bypass the really long line to get in and view the tombs and the inside architecture of the rooms.  But they do not let you linger at all.  You are in and out and before you know it, on the outside of the Taj Mahal again.  The intricate detail that is paid to every last bit of this building is beyond comprehension.  There is anything from the first book of the Koran on the outside of the doorway arc, to this gorgeous flowers made of minerals that were literally cultivated from other places in the world.  There were single slabs of white marble that were intricately carved all over the structure.  I can not say  enough of it’s beauty and it’s story that you can find here.

The mosque on the left of the Taj Mahal.

The "guest house" from when the Taj Mahal was built.

The bottom row is actually on the other side, but it just goes to show you the detail and thought process that went into the design of this beautiful place.

Aren't the flowers gorgeous?  They are all hand made and of stone--not painted.

Shoe coverings as to not stain the marble.  At least I did not have to take my shoes off like others did.

The request long arm shot for the girls!

The script is from the first book of the  Koran...again, not painted, but stone.

These are the minarets...and I can not help but thinking of Dave Matthews Band singing "Screaming from the Minarets."

This is a single slab of marble that has been carved.

Me with my team--Curt, Renata, and Teneka.

The city of Agra itself is a very crowded city, full of people, small cars, and taxis…and pollution. We didn’t realize how polluted the city was till we left the Taj Mahal and re-entered the city. Most of us were coughing, dry throats, and yucky dry eyes as we are just not use to it and it was sadly, miserable. The pollution is so bad, they do not let anything that could cause pollution (cars, buses, ect) come too close to the Taj Mahal any longer and have even instituted a ban on factories and other industries within a 40 kilometer radius of the Taj Mahal is it is starting to turn a little yellow from the pollution. What makes me sad is that it may be a little too late as we were feeling the pains of pollution on our bodies and we were there for not even 12 hours.

One day, I may go back to see it, and I promise you, I would still marvel at it. Check.