After visiting the humbling resting abode of Jille-Ilahi, Shahenshah Mohammed Gayasuddin Akbar, it was time to visit the Monument of Love, The Tajmahal - one of the seven wonders of the world, built by Akbar's grandson Shahjehaan for his most beautiful and beloved wife Mumtaz after she died in her last pregnancy while bearing him his 14th child.
Shahjehaan was dethroned and imprisoned at the Agra Fort by his 5th offspring Aurangzeb, who after killing the rightful heir to the Mughal throne Dara Shikoh the eldest son ascended the throne. Shahjehaan spent his last days looking at his wife's memorial from across the river Jamuna through a diamond installed in the Fort that magnified the monument. After the British plundered India of its riches, a glass prism has been put in place of that diamond through which the magnified Tajmahal can be seen.
Varun had already told me at the commencement of the tirp to avoid Sikandra as it would be time consuming and then visitng Taj wowuld leave us with no time for the Fort. And that is how it happened. We reached Taj around 2:45.
The scores of iron foundries and tanneries, compounded by the fumes emanated from the Mathura Oil Refinery have paled the lusture of the famed Makrana marble from which the Taj has been built. It now sports a deathly yellow hue.
Many years ago, the Government in a wise decision removed the iron foundries and tanneries near the monument and banned vehicular movement within a 1 km radius. I remember, earlier when I had visited the Taj with my parents, we had parked our car right very near the entrance. Now we had to park some distance away at a designated parking from where either the battery operated vehicles or a horse carriage called tonga would take you till the gate. The tongas charge Rs.100 for to and fro and the battery vehicles Rs. 50/- per trip. So much for discount...
We took a battery vehicle and reached the East gate where there was a small que because of stringent security check. These security people have strange rules and practices. When it was my turn to pass through the metal detector, it almost cried hoarse. I had so many gadgets and metal objects on me. Let me start counting:
1. My camera with lens.
2. Flashgun
3. Two mobiles
4. Rudraksh with gold chain
5. Belt with metal bracket
6. Scorpio's 2 keys with remote
7. Pocket maglite torch
8. Sheaffer's fountain pen
The security guy checked all and then said that the pocket torch wouldn't go. I asked why and to which he said that it contained a battery. I almost choked. I was carrying several batteries - camera, flash, mobiles. Well, there was no point in arguing and I deposited the torch at the locker and walked through. Let the pictures say the rest of the story
The Entrance
How so much ever you look at the Taj, it never ceases to astound you.
The first look
The Fountains
The whole monument looks beautiful in totality. You remove one of the structures and it looks so very bare
The Bare look without the minarets
One either side of the Taj, two identical structures are constructed and one of them is a mosque. The other one is for symmetry.
If you look at the minarets straddling the Taj, they appear to be straight, but in reality it is not so. They tilt towards outside and it has been so constructed to provide balance to the monument. An engineering & architecture marvel
Tilted Minaret
The last pictures with the light fading
With this our Agra trip almost came to an end. I placed another call to Varun to ask for some good place to eat, as we had not had lunch. He directed us to the food court at the Select City Mall that barely a few kilometers away from the Taj. We went and had chinese and bid good-bye to Agra. The traffic as usual was very heavy; the NH2 is a high volume highway. Reached home by 10 pm.
I almost forgot to thak Varun for his help & guidance.......