An Afternoon at the Taj Mahal
This summer, I spent three weeks in India and Nepal; and as a bonus, I convinced my good friend Danielle to join me. Here’s the experience…
Driving to Agra
From Jaipur, we loaded into the van and drove five hours to the city of Agra. Along the way, we saw large statues of Shiva and the Hanuman, the monkey-faced Hindu God.
The highlight of the drive was passing a herd of camels. Two men walked a group of 25 camels down the highway. We saw several different species and even a few adorable youngins.
Learning about India’s Caste System
While we were on the road, CP, our guide, took some time to explain about the caste system, a common topic of curiosity from his tourist groups.
Back many centuries and generations, a system of castes developed in India. The divisions were defined by a person’s rank and position in society and were, and still are, intertwined with the system for arranged marriages.
India’s caste system was divided into four main castes with hundreds of subcastes. The highest group is called Braman, and includes the priests and other most highly educated and respected. Next is the Kshtriyas composed of the warriors and soldiers. The next is the Vaishya caste which includes the merchants, landowners, farmers and carpenters. The lowest caste is the Shudras whose members are farmworkers, servants and unskilled laborers. Even lower were the Dalits, or “untouchables” and are considered outside of the caste system.
Today, the government claims that the caste system has been dismantled. Now, all children can attend public schools and affirmative action intends to balance the positions in government and seats in the legislature. My assumption is that despite the caste structure being “dismantled,” the effects of systematic inequality will be apparent for many generations to come.
CP explained that he belongs to the Warrior Caste. When he was going up, his parents didn’t heavily focus on caste and he grew up with friends from different groups. He explained, caste is a human creation, not a stamp on a baby’s bum.
The Love Story of the Taj Mahal
Our love story begins in the early 1600s. Mumtaz Mahal was the beloved wife of Shah Jahan, the fifth Mughal emperor. The beautiful empress came from Iran, of Persian nobility.
The two were engaged from the ages of 14 and 15, and married five years later. Although Shah Jahan had two other wives for political alliances, his marriage to Mumtaz was a true love marriage. She was his trusted confidant and participated in war and political discussions. He adored her for her beauty, wit and intelligence.
The couple had thirteen children together when Mumtaz died in childbirth with their 14th child in 1631. Shah Jahan arrived from the front lines of battle to her deathbed. Mumtaz made him promise three things before she passed; never marry again, look after the family and love the children equally, and build a monument of his love for her. And from this promise, comes the Taj Mahal.
While perhaps their story has been romanticized over the centuries, we’ll indulge in the fantasy during our admiration of this impressive site.
Building the Taj Mahal
Shah Jahan started the project in 1632. The designs included both Persian and Mughal architecture.
The team of architects and 20,000 workers took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal. Given the time, they had limited machinery for such a large project. Over 1,000 elephants hauled the materials from all over India and Central Asia. Semiprecious stones were brought from China, Tibet and Sri Lanka; each gem known for its significance in love and emotion.
In planning the gardens, the reflection pool and of course, the main mausoleum, Shah Jahan insisted that everything be symmetrical; symbolizing balance, power and perfection.
Visiting the Taj Mahal
Outside of the complex, the bus driver dropped us off and we met Saif Ali, our guide for the afternoon. We took a cart to get through the parking area and closer to the site. The whole entry area was lined with souvenir shops and hawking salesmen urging, “come visit my shop, after, after.” Even monkeys chased after visitors to see what treats hid in their bags.
After scanning our tickets, we inched through the security line. Men and women passed through security in two separate lines. The women’s line crawled forward as each person entered the private screening booth. Security tried to keep everyone orderly; including bopping a monkey on the head that tried to sneak into the booth. After, our bags were carefully checked for anything that could mark the white marble of the monument; such as pens or food.
Entering the East Gate
Everyone grabbed their cameras for their first glance at the Taj Mahal. I couldn’t help but take a billion photos, even though we’d be walking closer soon.
After ten minutes of staring in awe and taking pictures, Saif Ali gave us the history. Clearly this was not his first tour group; he knew no one would listen to him until they first snapped a few pictures.
Our group sat on the walkway facing the Taj Mahal, listening to the history of the site. A group of men, backs to the spectacular monument, observed, just staring at the group. Being one of the few foreigners attracted a lot of attention to our group. Danielle, especially with her bright blonde hair, was repeatedly asked for selfies. Our guide warned, if you agree to one, you’ll get five more requests, at least.
Entering the Mausoleum
In order to enter, we needed to put on little foot booties to protect the floor. That’s why everyone’s photos are from the ankle and above.
In keeping with the symmetry, there is a mosque on one side of the mausoleum with a guest house on the other offering a mirror reflection. Upon completion the Taj Mahal was perfectly symmetrical, with the tomb of Mumtaz in the center of the mausoleum. The only asymmetrical aspect of the structure is the king’s tomb added to the site after his death beside his beloved Mumtaz.
The main structure stands on a raised platform with four minarets at the corners. Standing at 43 meters (141 feet), these spires are not quite constructed at 90 degrees angles so that if they should fall, they would not fall on the monument. Interestingly these minarets were not typical of Mughal architecture and were first introduced by Shah Jahal.
The four facades of the Taj Mahal are almost identical. Verses of the Quran are engraved in the white marble exterior and speak of resting in peace and love and mercy from God.
Inside, the tombs rest inside a large octagonal opening. Lapis lazuli, jade, crystal, turquoise and other semiprecious stones decorate the tomb’s enclosure. The art inside shows vegetation and abstract designs to send messages of calm, peace, purity and beauty. No cameras are allowed inside, but google images does have a few shots of the tombs.
Walking the Gardens
Next, we strolled the areas of the gardens and reflecting pool. The entire place is inarguably stunning. Every visitor was busy taking their best selfies and family photos. I’ll admit we practiced our poses before coming.
Danielle posed with dozens of families, children and young guys as we walked around the gardens. She was such a good sport to fulfill their requests. At the same time, I documented her photo experience.
Visiting the Taj Mahal was an absolute bucket list experience. The structure was even more remarkable than I anticipated and was surrounded with this arora of awe and wonder. It seemed almost unreal to be able to visit this Wonder of the World.
Next stop, Orchha
