The Agra Chronicles- I ( Taj Mahal )

I know it took a long time coming, but I finally got it together. The Agra Chronicles is a three-part series with the highlights from my weekend trip to the city of the Taj. In this first instalment, I am sharing images and impressions from my tryst with one the world's best recognised and dearly loved monuments...a monument to love itself...the magnificent Taj Mahal!!

Here's my very first view of the Taj while driving into the city of Agra ...The monument itself was still a long way off but this fleeting glimpse from the moving car had me all excited!!

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We stayed at the magnificent Amarvilas( Part 3 of the Chronicles) which boasts of a Taj-view from every single guest-room !! Here's a picture I took from the reception area soon after checking- in. For the two days that we stayed there, this view was our constant companion..We really couldn't have asked for more.

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 Since the best time to visit the Taj is either at sunrise or sunset...we set out early morning on saturday in a golf-cart, courtesy of the Amarvilas, with our very able guide. I highly recommend taking a registered guide along( since audio guides are not available here) , as there are so many details and snippets of very interesting information ( some facts and others pure legends) which one might otherwise miss out on. Soon after passing through security, the main dome of the Taj shows up over the compound wall....

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The entry  to the main Taj complex is through this Eastern Gate, a magnificent red-sandstone and white marble structure whose archway mirrors the shape of the main tomb's archway.The front and back of this grand gate are identical, conforming to the principle of symmetry so typical of mughal architecture. As one enters through this gate.....

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...the sight that meets the eye...takes the breath away. There were quite a few audible gasps( mine included) at this moment. To me, this image of the Taj truly highlights its ethereal beauty...a dream-like vision in white, floating above a sea of humanity...

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A World Heritage Site,Taj Mahal is a mausoleum built by the mughal emperor, Shahjahan, in the memory of his beloved wife, Mumtajmahal. It is the finest example of Mughal architecture, which is effectively an amalgamation of Persian, Islamic and Indian architectural styles. Shahjahan was obsessed with perfection and symmetry and this image illustrates how Taj embodies both of those, alongwith unparalleled beauty. Infact, all four sides of the main structure are identical, including all the geometric and floral motifs.

Isn't it ironical, then, that the only visible asymmetry in the entire complex lies in the position of Shahjahan's cenotaph which lies beside Mumtajmahal's centrally placed cenotaph!

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This is the view of the gateway, that we entered through, as seen from the reflecting pool ...which is this raised marble water tank for refelecting the image of the tomb. The beautifully laid out Mughal gardens flank the central avenue of fountains that runs between the main gate and the Taj.

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Here's the reflecting pool where(and I say this with complete conviction) every single visitor to the Taj, whether a commoner or a dignitary, has had his picture taken!! Taj is a little off-centre in this image, but all the good ones had atleast one of us in the frame!!

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There is more after the jump....

The things I saw .....

The high point, as ofcourse the purpose, of our weekend trip to Agra was a visit to the Taj Mahal ( I will not talk about the lure of Amarvilas here). One could do a dozen posts on that and still not be done.... I will certainly give it a go once I've have sifted through the 200+ photos of the Taj that I took...you see,I get pretty trigger-happy ( with the camera ) on a holiday!

 In the meantime let me share these two, seemingly mundane, sights that also caught my eye .

One that made me wonder....

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....do these tassels make him pretty or just plain blind? The poor animal was in the middle of an endless traffic jam and I was feeling claustrophobic just looking at him. Wish people would show a little more concern for the comfort of these animals before they make them a part of their own festivities.

The other...made me marvel...at the ingenuity of the village women who make these perfect herringbone patterned stacks of cow-dung cakes. Not only does the pattern look beautiful it also keeps the stack compact and stable.Talk about art with a purpose!

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Finally, have a look at this gorgeous cane rattle ..... does it not remind you of a spiral staircase? I bought it from a vendor in  Fatehpur Sikri. Can you guess what I paid for it.........



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All of 10 rupees ( 20 cents)!!!! Ofcourse I did not bargain...AT ALL. Since my 2-yr old doesn't really play with rattles, I will have to find another use for it.. a decor prop, perhaps!!