January 7, 2024 - Sunday - The Taj Mahal
We awoke at 4:00 and were in the lobby for "coffee and" at 5:00. We then boarded bus number 2 for the short journey to the Taj Mahal. The goal was to be in line before the masses started to arrive. This meant 5:30. It was dark and foggy when we arrived at the east guest entrance after a long ride on a 12-passenger golf cart. It was a harrowing ride as we wove around security barriers and dodged the many motorbikes bringing in others. Honking horns were omnipresent. This ticket entrance is well away from the Taj and provides a queuing area and ticket scanning facility. Surprise! There were only 5 people in line ahead of us. The gate does not open until half an hour before sunrise. We stood in line until 6:35 when entrance began.
Our excellent guide gathered us together after we passed through the scanning process. He had told us to leave big bags at the hotel or on the bus because they would not be allowed in. We passed this test. In heavy fog, he led us through a garden to the East Gate. This gate is made of red sandstone with white marble panels. inlaid in the marble are verses from The Koran. Our guide explained the inlay process. The black “letters” of the verses are each a single piece of stone carved to shape. Then the white marble is chiseled out to accept the letter. The adhesive was applied and the letters were placed. This makes the setting perfectly smooth and tight. The work has survived for over 400 years.
East Gate
Marble Inlays
First Views Through the Fog
As we walked around the corner of the East Gate, there it was looming in the fog. The Taj Mahal. This was not the view we were all waiting for. The fog shrouded it yet it was still impressive. While we were disappointed we knew that we would have another opportunity to see it at sunset. We donned our shoe covers and entered the mausoleum. The entire structure is perfectly symmetrical except for the tombs. In the very center is a replica of the queen’s tomb which is well below the surface. Then the symmetry is broken by the placement of the shah’s replica to the right of hers. Aside from this, every side view is identical. Ah, but again there is an exception. The text around each entrance is a different verse from the Koran. This is the only way to know which side of the building you are looking at. The text reads from the bottom of the right side of the opening to the top, across the top, and down the left side. If you read Arabic you have the key.
Fortunately, the interior is well lit and the fog is not an issue. After we toured the inside, we went out to take as many photos as we could. Some would be clear close-ups while others show the subject through the fog. We retraced our path to our original entry and repeated a long golf cart ride to the bus parking lot. Back at the hotel, we had a very nice buffet breakfast. A busy day followed.
Entrance to the Tomb
Taken Inside
Views from the Entrance
After breakfast, we rode the bus to Agra Fort. This huge defense is built of red sandstone. This is refaced every ten years or so because the sandstone is soft and wears away in the weather. The grounds cover 55 acres with a considerable portion of that occupied by the military for barracks and training. The fort is perched high on a bank above the river and is ringed by three moats. One moat is wet and the other two are dry. The approaches to the entry gates are staggered. A normal attack would have elephants run directly into the gates, knocking them down. By staggering the access the elephants were not able to build the speed needed to accomplish this. Inside we saw the place where the Shah’s son had him imprisoned for squandering funds to build the mausoleum for his wife. The view from this “cell” included the Taj Mahal on clear days. This was further punishment to the Shah who was well cared for and lived to die a natural death.
Some Details
Agra Fort is a very impressive structure in its own right. Anyone who visits Agra and skips visiting this edifice does himself a disservice. Our bus took us back to the hotel. We were allowed time for lunch before we took a tour to the factory that produces inlaid marble objects. There we saw some of the few craftsmen left to perform this art. They are members of families who have practiced this trade for lifetimes. Some of them may trace their families to the building of the Taj. We saw how designs are created, semi-precious stones are selected, cut, and ground to the proper size. The stones are then passed to a man who arranges the design on the marble and traces the outline. Then he chisels and grinds away the marble so the stones can be cemented in place. Again this is all perfectly smooth without any gaps. The white marble is Makrana. It is found in India and is translucent without cracks.
We left the work area to visit the display area. Here we saw finished pieces of many sizes for many uses with designs of varying complexity and beauty. A small tabletop was placed on a lighted pedestal to demonstrate the translucent quality of the marble. Pieces made by apprentices and craftsmen up to masters were also on display. The show ended with the opportunity to buy. We found a piece that told us it was what we must buy in memory of our extraordinary visit to the Taj Mahal. It will arrive in Elk Grove Village shortly after we return home. Again, we returned to the hotel. We are happier with each return.
Raw Materials
Number of Pieces in Designs
Coming to Elk Grove
At 3:30 we again boarded the buses. By 4:00 we were inside the grounds of the Taj Mahal and approaching the red sandstone East Gate. There was no trace of fog. We looked through the portal and there it was. Bathed in light the Taj Mahal beckoned us. It looked even more beautiful as we walked toward it. We spent an hour viewing it from various angles. As the sun started to set and its light changed, the white marble started to take on a slightly golden hue. What a remarkable monument to love this place is. Alice will have to settle for my pictures with her in the shadow of the Taj Mahal as a testament to my love for her.
We were back at the hotel by 6:00. Alice and I were in bed by 7:00 because breakfast was scheduled for 4:00 in the morning.
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