Seeing the Taj Mahal

Before we left on our trip there were five buildings or structures that everyone wanted to see: the Coliseum, the Eiffel Tower, the pyramids, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall. On the 15th we saw the Taj. For myself, I have previously seen the first four places on this list, and would have ranked the Taj as second only to the pyramids as the top sight to see. I last saw the Taj 33 years ago, and have never forgotten it. Before that visit I worried that it had been hyped so much that it could not possibly live up to expectations, but that was not the case. It is remarkably beautiful and stately. Part of the attraction of the Taj is that it is an oasis in a world that is otherwise crowded, noisy, and dirty. You step into the grounds of the Taj, which are very large, and enter a world of peace and tranquility. It is an amazing contrast.

Built on the Yamuna River, the Taj sits within the confines of high sandstone walls which very effectively keep the noise and chaos of the outside world apart from it. The Taj was built as a memorial to the Mughal emperor’s favorite wife after she had died giving birth to their fourteenth child; truly a monument to love.

After entering through one of the Taj Mahal’s three gates, beautiful in themselves, you are met with its large gardens, lawns, and reflecting pools. Because you are still so far away, you do not initially realize how large the Taj is. Only after walking towards it for so long, does one get the sense of its sheer size, and the sense of awe grows. Large size does not make a building beautiful, but here the effect is impressive. As one gets closer, some of its beauty becomes more apparent; intricate Islamic calligraphy covers the buildings, an amazing work in itself. Once inside, though, the Taj appears very ordinary; the work done was only to impress from the outside. To enhance its beauty, everything was built with symmetry in mind, with its width equaling its length and height, and with symmetrical gardens and reflecting pools, and surrounding identical buildings. On either side of the Taj are two buildings, which would otherwise be considered beautiful buidlings in their own right, but are instead mere adornments. One is a mosque, while the other is a “guesthouse”, built to look identical to continue the sense of symmetry.

The Taj in the Morning

We visited the Taj at sunrise, wanting to see it with the early morning light. Unfortunately, India has a horrid air pollution problem, much of which is caused by the extensive open air burning which is mostly done in the early morning and evening. Thus, when we first walked in, the Taj was obscured by the haze. It was a huge letdown, as we not only did not get to enjoy the view in the beautiful light, but saw the Taj only faintly. Only later in the morning did the haze lift enough to be able to see it well, though it was still not clear. Though I was initially disappointed in the view of the Taj, by that time the haze had improved, the splendor of the Taj as I remembered it was again there. For me, it will undoubtedly be one of the best sights of the trip.

Margit thinks the people are just as pretty as the Taj

-Mitch
3/21/2011