Agra - Taj Mahal

A wise old man told me 'get into Agra, go and see the Taj Mahal, then get out of there' (Thanks Jon). Luckily thats exactly what we did.  Agra is really spaced out (in size) compared to most other cities we have been to. The rickshaw drive to the Taj was some distance. Entering from the South gate, relaxed knowing we had all day just to gaze, we strolled into the first courtyard where we caught our first glimpse of the Taj through the gate, already quite inspiring with the thought of seeing the whole thing. There were crowds of people, i think i got up to 23 then gave up counting, but my estimates were in the couple of thousands.

Going through the gates we were struck at the sheer beauty of the monument. The four towers that form a perfect square created perfect harmony with the central tomb. The gardens were well kept and made the whole panorama so symetric. The story goes; the Raj at the time lost his favourite wife, who died giving birth to their 14th child.  As she lay dying he promised to create an unforgettable monument for her.  A year later started to build the tomb for her, 22 years later it was complete and she was placed in the centre.  On his death he was laid next to her - the only non symetrical piece on the whole plot.  Inside the chambers' elaborate marbel carvings were inlayed with semi precious stones such as emeralds and rubies. A really perfect building.  It has such balance as a whole.  "A teardrop on the face of eternity." - Rabindranath Tagore.