The TAJ!

I couldn't leave India without seeing the Taj Mahal now could I?!

I took a 4 hour car ride out from Deli to Arga to see the Taj and I have to say it was one of the coolest experiences I've had while in India. 

First, I went here to Sinkandra, the Mausoleum of Akbar

Built in the 1600s- Akbar designed it for himself before he died.

He wanted to make sure people remembered him...

And how could you not remember him?

Just look at the tile work on this building- each color is a different stone

Now on to what is often considered one of the greatest wonders of the world!

Here is the main gate to get into the Taj- there are 22 domes on top of the gate-

one for every year it took to built it.

Now there are a lot of pictures on here of one building, but it's honestly one of the most beautiful buildings I've ever seen in my life!

The Taj was built around a love story

Emperor Shah Jahan built this mausoleum for his third wife Mutaz Mahal.

They were married 19 years and had 14 children together

She died giving birth to their last child and he loved her so much he never married again.

He built the Taj to show his love for her.

He described the Taj like this:

Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory.

Behind the Taj there is a river.

No buildings are allowed to be built behind the Taj to obstruct the view 

300 year old trees

The emperor was planning on building a mausoleum for himself across the river out of black stone that mirrored the Taj, 

but his son (who had become the emperor at this point) thought his dad was spending too much money

and banished him to Agra Fort 

The designs look painted- but each flower is made of different stones

The writing is the five prayers of Islam- all written using black onyx

So there are a few funny things about these pictures:

1. My guide LOVED to take pictures- this was great because I was alone and wanted to be in a least a few pictures. Problem was- he LOVED to take pictures that he posed me for.

Therefore, I have a MILLION pictures of me in slightly awkward poses

Soo artsy- don't you think?

2. Also, I had to wear those lovely covers over my shoes while there so that's why my feet look funny

Like I said...he loved to get pictures of me looking off into the distance

After the Taj I popped on over to the Agra Fort

You know- where the king was banished when his son thought he was too spendy.

Isn't it the parents who are supposed to banished the kids for spending too much?

The fort was more of a palace really

and the detail in the carvings 

and the paintings was amazing- even after 400 years!

That's the Taj in the distance

L.O.V.E.

With love,

A