The next morning, we woke up bright and early to see... what else? The Taj Mahal during sunrise.
Mat (my friend) recommended Joney's Place for breakfast, but breakfast can wait:
'Where sia? Lost...':
'Looks like we are on the right track':
I was told by the ticketing people that I could pass off as an Indian and could just buy the cheaper ticket but nah... 750 rupees for entry to the Taj Mahal for tourists (includes some 'discount' to other places of visit in Agra). Believe or not, that is the ticketing booth:
After security checks, we went through the West Gate:
South Gate:
The Darwaza gate leading to the Taj:
Tease you a bit more... look sunrise!:
Read first...:
Finally... Mission accomplished. The Taj Mahal.
You heard about the Taj being described as 'a teardrop on the cheek of time'? Well, that describes the Taj beautifully...
Cliche shot!:
Yes lah!:
The white pure Taj... sigh... it was such a perfect day too...:
Okay story goes (like you wouldn't have already known), the Taj is a mausoleum built (1632-53) by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal who died during the birth of their 14th child (no wonder lah)!
Everything in the Taj Mahal compound is perfectly symmetrical (that is, except for the tombs in the Taj Mahal itself - the Emperor's is added on beside his wife's tombstone in the centre). So you have two red stoned buildings flanking the two sides of the Taj, the one to the west is a mosque and the east, a 'jawab' or guest house for the visitors to the tomb years ago...
Gorgeous marble carvings, stucco and stone inlays cover the whole entire Taj:
Shoes need to be taken off at a certain point. You can carry it around in a bag (bag and bottled water provided at the ticketing booth).
The mosque:
Yamuna river to the north of the Taj (behind it):
Okay, there is a myth about the Black Taj Mahal, supposedly to be built across the river from the original Taj by Emperor Shah Jahan for his own tomb. There would then be a bridge linking the two mausoleums together. But alas, he had to be imprisoned by his own son and he died before he could realise the black Taj. All that is visible now is the foundation for the unbuilt black Taj. How true is the myth? Who knows...
More of the Taj Mahal... The sky is bluer now... and the tourists were starting to throng in.
One of the four minarets:
Quranic verses around the main 'iwan' and the side 'pishtaqs'.
Video cameras are not allowed in the Taj Mahal compound at all. Cameras are allowed into the compound but not the mausoleum itself. I managed to sneak a few shots. Check out the detail:
More!!!!:
From the 'Jawab' (building to the east):
The Taj was starting to glow a beautiful golden hue with the rising sun:
We finally got to take our picture at the 'Princess Diana' bench:
Goodbye Taj... You were truly the most purest and breathtaking piece of architecture I have ever seen:
Oh... That was our hotel.. Saii (not 'shit' hor) Palace. Nice staff. Great food on the rooftop. Not bad rooms.
F*cking great view of the Taj from the rooftop:
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