Monument to Love
Thursday, April 18, 2024
Mumbai, India
The Taj Mahal is a spectacular pearl white marble structure in Agra, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who by the way died giving birth to her 14th child! No wonder she expired!
An enduring memorial for his beloved, it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself. The tomb is the centerpiece of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and is set in formal gardens bounded on three sides by a crenellated wall.
Seeing the famous Taj was one of the highlights of this journey. Azamara generously arranged for a single day trip to see the Taj Mahal as a bonus for world cruisers. We flew from Mumbai to Agra to see the Taj and back to the ship in one exhausting and exhilarating 22-hour whirlwind. What a fantastic gift to share with us on our 50th anniversary celebration cruise — Another Amazing Azamara adventure, expertly planned down to the special cookies on our pillows when we arrived back home.
The most impressive in the Taj Mahal next to the tomb, is the main gate which stands majestically in the centre of the southern wall of the forecourt. The gate is flanked on the north front by double arcade galleries. The garden in front of the galleries is subdivided into four quarters by two main tree-lined walk-ways. The first impression took my breath away!
The Taj Mahal is a perfect symmetrical planned building, with an emphasis of bilateral symmetry along a central axis on which the main features are placed. The building material used is brick-in-lime mortar veneered with red sandstone and marble and inlay work of precious/semi precious stones. It is stunning from a distance, and even more impressive up close to see the detailed workmanship which reportedly took 22 years and 20,000 laborers and skilled craftsmen from Persia, Turkey, France and Italy. It is truly deserving of the title of a “Wonder of the World” although for some reason it was excluded in the original list of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Now, it is among famous structures such as the Great Wall of China, the Panama Canal, Christ the Redeemer, Moai of Easter Island and the Giza Pyramids. And, in our personal list, I-70 highway in Colorado’s Glenwood Canyon ;-).
A monument that was not built to honor war or religious icons but enduring love, it really is so romantic and is the scene of many lovers’ commemorative photos. There are numerous photos of British royals including a forlorn Princess Diana and many other celebrities and dignitaries.
It is really impossible to capture the majesty of the building in photos. This truly is the case of needing to see this in person to grasp its massive size, beauty and radiance that changes in the light. Throngs of visitors — 120 of us from our ship — braved the withering heat, searing sun, and gusty parching wind that reminded me of Wyoming, to seal the sight into our memories.
