Last Weekend, I planned to spend my weekend with my family, as we were discussing my cousin popped up and said "Trip To Taj Mahal". Initially everybody stared at him for a few seconds then, one of my uncle exclaimed why not and that's how Trip To Taj Mahal was planned at very last moment.
The duration of the journey was exactly 4 hours from Delhi to Agra from newly built Yamuna express highway. With just one stop over for lunch and drinks we finally reached our destination. We found out a hotel to stay nearby Taj Mahal after that we were set to go to see the iconic Taj Mahal. Everbody was very excited as we were visiting the place for the first time.
When I first saw Taj Mahal as I was passing through the east entrance gate, it was an an amazing feeling. My eyes just sparked by its beauty. And when I walked toward it, the Taj Mahal started to appear bigger and bigger with each foot step taken forward. The view of Taj Mahal was stunning from this angle and everybody was trying to get a perfect shot from here. As I was capturing the Taj in my camera I overhear somebody saying "Its freaking huge" (I know overhearing is bad habit but can't help it in crowded place).
Finally, the beautiful majestic architecture appeared, it was a mesmerizing moment to watch the Taj. The structure caught everybody's eyes and people were indulged in taking beautiful shots and capturing the beauty of 372 year old structure which shine as bright as a diamond even today.
Taj Mahal is the structure which represents eternal love of emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Arzuman Bano Begum or Mumtaz Mahal. The mausoleum was created in the memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died after giving birth to their 14th child (daughter Gauhar Ara Begum). Taj Mahal signify "undying love" of the emperor and his queen.
As we turn west, we encounter the guest house built to accommodate guests coming from various places. The guest house is covered with beautiful red sandstone which was mined from the quarries in Rajasthan. And as we turn west to Taj mahal there is a similar structure of red sand stone which is the mosque. Both the structure compliment the beauty of Taj Mahal. The best hour of the day to see it is either during sunrise or during sunset as at those times the reflection of the red sandstone makes Taj even more wonderful to watch. Well any time of the day is best watch it.
Calligrapy of the verses of the holy book of "Quran" on the walls and beautiful Pietra dura work and the beautiful jalli work, a combination recipe of this masterpiece.
Closer look to the detailed work of art.
One can't forget the detail which highlighted the architecture inside out, from doors to windows, floors to ceiling, and not to forget the big huge walls everything was designed precisely and almost perfectly. Throughout the structure the walls contain calligraphy art of the verses from holy book of "Quran" and the colourful stones are embedded onto the marble. The style of work is called pietra dura. Inside the tomb, two replica graves are present as the original graves are beneath the surface of the replica graves. As the photography was prohibited inside, I just put my cameras down and was appreciating the beautiful work put together by various artist.
The mausoleum is located on the south bank of river Yamuna. Our guide mentioned that Shah Jahan wants to build a black Taj Mahal across the river and both the structure were to be connected by a bridge, but this couldn't happen. I am sure if black Taj Mahal was built it would be as beautiful as the present one. I spent around 3 hours exploring the whole structure.
It was such a unique and remarkable trip, my eyes were dazzled when I first saw the Taj. Truly one of the seven wonders of the world. Incredibly beautiful, A must visit place!!