I’ll admit it – I wasn’t overly anxious to wake up early enough to walk to the Taj Mahal by sunrise. I am so glad that Ali dragged me there to witness one of the Seven Wonders during a magical time of day! The fact that I was able to share these moments (and all the moments on our journey) with Ali and Oliver is what is truly priceless to me.
A short walk from our hotel, we raced the sunrise on our way to the Taj. Monkeys greeted us as we entered the grounds, as well as the first of many hawkers. The view was majestic to say the least. Ali and I took turns performing our best jumps for joy. Oliver was either unimpressed or still sleepy and tolerated us as only a 7-month old can.
Veni vidi vici...I came, I saw, I conquered.
Geometry, beautiful tesla-like geometric patterns, surrounded us on all sides, combined with interwining florals and elegant Arabic calligraphy. Faceted domes, 6-sided stars, inlaid marblework, graceful arches – all crafted without CAD, laser, but with sophisticated knowledge and master artisans. (Unfortunately, they were removed of their hands by the illustrious Mumtaz after the monument’s completion – not exactly what I would call a bonus from a benevolent boss).
So much beauty, but after learning about the fate of the master architect and artisans, the tale of the incredible love that led Mumtaz to have this built to memorialize his beloved wife lost its luster for me. Instead it made me wonder what the heck that woman had to put up with during her life. Tale aside, I still was mesmerized by the perfection of the geometry…
We met people from Korea, Seattle, and Spain – all wanting to take our photos. Of course, I know that was all Oliver’s doing. It’s rough being adorably cute.
I did shoot a few photos from within the Taj – you aren’t supposed to, but that only made it more tempting. But really, I came all this way, and you’re not going to let me take photos? Right. How about no flash? No answer. I’ll take that as a “yes”.
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Inside the Taj... |
Along one side of the Taj hung a rope ladder, which I called the “Stairway to Heaven”. I like that shot. Not sure I would climb up it, but it probably is safe - like traffic in India is safe…
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Stairway to Heaven... |
On our way out, we stopped and watched men working up on scaffolding within the gateway building. No boards to stand on, just the poles – they were like monkeys working up there.
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Gymnastics anyone?... |
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More Mughal helmet shapes... |
When we returned to our hotel, we enjoyed breakfast with Oliver performing his new trick: baby Tarzan noises while I tapped his lips. He was hilarious! We’re also easily entertained, which is a delightful combination…
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Bawawa...abbaubu... |
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Old men the same the world over... |
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