It was a usual picture in anyone's house that I always saw. TAJ MAHAL. People used to proudly narrate the experience of visiting Taj Mahal and shared their pictures specially framed big in their houses.
However, the photographs never impressed much! It was only ’fyi’ in my mind registered that it could be yet another usual structure but in White!
Anil Tufchi, my college mate was in Delhi and helped me make a plan. We reached Delhi and were treated like royals with awesome authentic Kashmiri dishes. Next day we left to catch a train from Delhi to Agra at 6am. Anil and his father drove us to railway station and were helping us going out of their way and ensured we were safe. Felt lucky and proud to have such friends. Was surprised to see more number of people from outside India in our train.
We reached Agra station at 8.30am and took an auto which passed through narrow roads. This further made me wonder whether this structure, really is worth being included as one the WONDERS OF THE WORLD. We got out of auto and walked in a small lane with many small shops on either sides trying to sell small white models of Taj Mahal.
After a couple of minutes of walk we reached a designer red colored old style gate and entered. BHOOM! Felt like a curtain suddenly was pulled in seconds for us and it was like someone just placed this amazing PURE WHITE MARBLE-MADE MASSIVE GEOMETRICAL STRUCTURE neatly carved kept right on the banks of river Yamuna. It was an amazing gift for eyes and it was almost impossible to take my eyes off from this astonishing marvel while I couldn't believe I was watching this soothing piece of structure. I further more than agreed and realized why TAJ MAHAL is one among the wonders of the world. The pictures I had seen all through my life did not match even half of what can be believed to have witnessed it LIVE!
One will automatically start recollecting the elements of symmetry in Geometry and from any corner, the monument looked perfectly symmetric.
Our guide briefed us about the history of this place and it goes like this in short:
’Shah Jahan son of Jehangirhad 3 wives and his third wife Mumtaz only was able to bear 14 children of his. Shah Jahan has built a monument in memory of his beloved wife spent about 4 crores in 16th Century eternal love. The fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great. It is said that Shah Jahan was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into mourning for two years. Sometime after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument. When Shah Jahan died in 1666, his body was placed in a tomb next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal’. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World.!
We also visited Agra fort and our guide took us to a basement where the queen used to bathe. The entire room was made of marbles cum mirrors within and when a small lamp was lit the entire room reflected the reflections of the light and it was all worth visiting this place in the fort!
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