An account of my experience of visiting the wonderful Taj Mahal

1. Taj MahalTaj Mahal
A Painting in the Sky

2. We have all heard about the beauty of the Taj Mahal, but we can
only understand the perfect beauty when we actually see the Taj
Mahal. Such technical excellence in those times is absolutely
astounding.
We took a trip to Agra in the month of March. The logical order
of starting the Agra trip is to start with a visit to the Agra Fort
and Taj Mahal after that.
This is the entrance to the Taj Mahal.

3. When you come close to the entrance gate, this is the first
view of the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal is right outside the
gate, right?

4. Wrong. This is the actual distance of the Taj
Mahal from the Gate.
This is an optical illusion. The Taj Mahal is full of
optical illusions like this which were created to make
it the a complete marvel.

5. When you enter the gate, the first view of the Taj Mahal made me feel
like I was looking at a painting in the sky. No construction has been
allowed behind the Taj Mahal so that the view of the Taj Mahal is not
spoilt. This picture doesn't even do 1/4th justice to the actual beauty of
the Taj Mahal. You have to see it in real. It will take your breath away.

6. When you stand facing the gate with your back towards
the Taj Mahal, you will see the gate is exactly in the same
spot as the Taj Mahal, on the other side. The entire
monument is an example of perfect symmetry.

7. The four minarets around the Taj Mahal are slightly tiliting
outwards. Look at the picture.
Do you know why this is so? It is because, if there is ever an
earthquake, the minarets will fall outwards and not on the
main building.

8. The architecture of Taj Mahal has all the influences of
Hindu, Muslim and Persian Architecture.

9. A beautiful view of the River Yamuna from behind the Taj
Mahal. This place is so serene that I just wanted to sit here and
spend the entire day.

10. There are 16 gardens in front of the Taj Mahal. There are lot of
mysteries and stories surrounding the numbers around Taj Mahal
which I am not revealing. That should be heard when you go
there. It is absolutely essential to get a Guide for first time
visitors.

11. There is a Jama Masjid(Mosque) inside the complex. It is on the
left side of the Taj Mahal. The sides of the Taj Mahal have this
design which is called the Honeycomb design. Through each
opening, you can see the entire Jama Masjid. This is an optical
illusion again.

12. Shah Jahan had built the white Taj Mahal as a tomb for his wife
Mumtaz Mahal. In the same way, he had planned to built a black
Taj Mahal as a tomb for himself opposite the white Taj Mahal near
Mehtab Bagh behind the Taj Mahal, so that his and Mumtaz Mahal's
tomb could be near each other's and they would be close even
after death. The marked circular spot that you see is where he had
planned to build the Black Taj Mahal.

13. However, by then Aurangzeb(Shah Jahan's son) had
usurped power from his father and he disapproved of
such extravagance. He had already put Shah Jahan under
house arrest. He stopped the construction of the Black
Taj Mahal. Imagine what a sight it would have been to see
the white and black Taj Mahal on the opposite sides of
the river Yamuna. We have been deprived of something
so beautiful.
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