Without a doubt the Taj Mahal has to be the most beautiful building I have ever seen in my life! Wow did it live up to the hype. There is this unbelievable moment when you walk through the gate and lay your eyes on it and there in the distance is this breathtaking marble white building practically suspended in the bright blue sky. With the sun just having risen and with the love of my life beside me, it was really quite romantic. Words allude me as to how to describe it and a photo could never do it justice. Absolutely stunning.
The story is undeniably romantic and that alone entices me. A Mughal emperor's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died giving birth to their 14th child and he was so heartbroken it is said that his hair turned grey overnight. He immediately decided to have the Taj Mahal built as a tomb for his wife and a symbol of his love. More than 20 000 people from Northern India and 1000 elephants were enlisted to participate in the building process in 1632. Shortly after its completion in 1653, his son overthrew the Mughal emperor and imprisoned him for the rest of his days. All he could see from his prison window was his memorial for his wife and after his death, he was entombed beside her.
The intricacies of the workmanship on the Taj Mahal are incredible and you really need to take care to appreciate the finer details which contribute to the overall beauty. Every surface is decorated in some way with floral marble carvings, Qur'an calligraphy which is written in smaller letters that consistently get larger to trick your eye into believing the uniformity, and painted designs that were once encrusted with jewels. There is latticework cut from a single slab of marble that allows a strategic amount of light into the structure. Although there is a mosque there now, the minarets were originally built just for the design. The designers were obsessed with the symmetry of the Taj Mahal but made a concession to have the minarets point slightly outward so that in case of an earthquake, they would fall away from their prized building. The Taj Mahal has everything from a romantic story, ingenuity in design, and it could ultimately be argued to be the most beautiful building in the world.
For whatever reason I has such a restless sleep and it was difficult to wake up early to see the Taj Mahal even though I was excited. The problem was that I just had so many thoughts and feelings running through my head and I literally could not turn my brain off. I would try to count sheep and end up at seven before my mind reeled on again. It's only been six days and I think I needed the time to decompress (blogging helps too!). I think I will use some pharmaceutical help tonight to ensure a good sleep!
At the Taj Mahal we met a nice single traveller named Simon and we helped each other get some classic photos. Again, it was great to talk to a fellow traveller and first timer to India. We related our experiences and it was almost a relief to hear someone else having the same difficulties regarding the smells, the grottiness, and just the day to day struggles India can bring. As our last host said, "India works, but it just doesn't work the way you or I want it to work." Traveling in India challenges your perception of yourself and I was curious to know how I was faring. I was relieved to feel like I was not indeed high maintenance but that mine and Josh's difficulties were shared with another person (oh the smells- you cannot imagine!). It's not that we are being negative, it is just that it's not exactly like having a piña colada on a beach and of course that is exactly why we signed up for it! For example, while walking around Agra you literally have to step through piles and piles of garbage and side step cows, monkeys, and dogs foraging for food and creating more waste to side step as you do so. Your nose smells smells that you have never smelt before, your eyes take in scenes that you thought not possible in your wildest imagination, you taste the pollution in the back of your throat, and your ears hear honking, honking, and more never ending honking. It is truly surreal.
Since all the trains were booked we ended up taking a bus from Agra to Jaipur and it was actually fairly nice! We were warned that we must get off at the last stop only and that people would come onto the bus and convince us to get off earlier. Even with this knowledge, we were tricked by the bus driver (we wouldn't have suspected him but even he can score a commission) who insisted genuinely that this was our stop and for whatever reason, we believed him. It wasn't a big deal really, we just had to call our hotel and have someone explain where to come (thank goodness for our Indian mobile!) but we were prey to endless touts for about a half hour. The most common thing here is that they all want to be your driver for one full day or more and we have literally been asked by over ten men tonight alone! They are all very friendly though as a result and for about 300 rupees (~ $6) you can have someone drive you to every sight and wait for you all day so no doubt we will do that.
I am somewhat excited and relieved to see that Jaipur has more infrastructure and seems more organized than Delhi. The population is much less (only 3 million people!) for one thing, but there are also obvious community programs like "green Jaipur" written on garbage cans all around the city (wait-did I just say I saw garbage cans?). Jaipur is known as the pink city and the Paris of India and has many sights to see including forts and palaces. I am excited to discover them tomorrow!
The story is undeniably romantic and that alone entices me. A Mughal emperor's wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died giving birth to their 14th child and he was so heartbroken it is said that his hair turned grey overnight. He immediately decided to have the Taj Mahal built as a tomb for his wife and a symbol of his love. More than 20 000 people from Northern India and 1000 elephants were enlisted to participate in the building process in 1632. Shortly after its completion in 1653, his son overthrew the Mughal emperor and imprisoned him for the rest of his days. All he could see from his prison window was his memorial for his wife and after his death, he was entombed beside her.
The intricacies of the workmanship on the Taj Mahal are incredible and you really need to take care to appreciate the finer details which contribute to the overall beauty. Every surface is decorated in some way with floral marble carvings, Qur'an calligraphy which is written in smaller letters that consistently get larger to trick your eye into believing the uniformity, and painted designs that were once encrusted with jewels. There is latticework cut from a single slab of marble that allows a strategic amount of light into the structure. Although there is a mosque there now, the minarets were originally built just for the design. The designers were obsessed with the symmetry of the Taj Mahal but made a concession to have the minarets point slightly outward so that in case of an earthquake, they would fall away from their prized building. The Taj Mahal has everything from a romantic story, ingenuity in design, and it could ultimately be argued to be the most beautiful building in the world.
For whatever reason I has such a restless sleep and it was difficult to wake up early to see the Taj Mahal even though I was excited. The problem was that I just had so many thoughts and feelings running through my head and I literally could not turn my brain off. I would try to count sheep and end up at seven before my mind reeled on again. It's only been six days and I think I needed the time to decompress (blogging helps too!). I think I will use some pharmaceutical help tonight to ensure a good sleep!
At the Taj Mahal we met a nice single traveller named Simon and we helped each other get some classic photos. Again, it was great to talk to a fellow traveller and first timer to India. We related our experiences and it was almost a relief to hear someone else having the same difficulties regarding the smells, the grottiness, and just the day to day struggles India can bring. As our last host said, "India works, but it just doesn't work the way you or I want it to work." Traveling in India challenges your perception of yourself and I was curious to know how I was faring. I was relieved to feel like I was not indeed high maintenance but that mine and Josh's difficulties were shared with another person (oh the smells- you cannot imagine!). It's not that we are being negative, it is just that it's not exactly like having a piña colada on a beach and of course that is exactly why we signed up for it! For example, while walking around Agra you literally have to step through piles and piles of garbage and side step cows, monkeys, and dogs foraging for food and creating more waste to side step as you do so. Your nose smells smells that you have never smelt before, your eyes take in scenes that you thought not possible in your wildest imagination, you taste the pollution in the back of your throat, and your ears hear honking, honking, and more never ending honking. It is truly surreal.
Since all the trains were booked we ended up taking a bus from Agra to Jaipur and it was actually fairly nice! We were warned that we must get off at the last stop only and that people would come onto the bus and convince us to get off earlier. Even with this knowledge, we were tricked by the bus driver (we wouldn't have suspected him but even he can score a commission) who insisted genuinely that this was our stop and for whatever reason, we believed him. It wasn't a big deal really, we just had to call our hotel and have someone explain where to come (thank goodness for our Indian mobile!) but we were prey to endless touts for about a half hour. The most common thing here is that they all want to be your driver for one full day or more and we have literally been asked by over ten men tonight alone! They are all very friendly though as a result and for about 300 rupees (~ $6) you can have someone drive you to every sight and wait for you all day so no doubt we will do that.
I am somewhat excited and relieved to see that Jaipur has more infrastructure and seems more organized than Delhi. The population is much less (only 3 million people!) for one thing, but there are also obvious community programs like "green Jaipur" written on garbage cans all around the city (wait-did I just say I saw garbage cans?). Jaipur is known as the pink city and the Paris of India and has many sights to see including forts and palaces. I am excited to discover them tomorrow!
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