All Things Combined: No Words, No Photo

..... Could Ever Do It Justice

How do you spell Magnificent? It is spelled Taj Mahal. No words, no photo could do it justice nor capture the beauty of the Taj or the feeling you have as you just sit and take it in from a tiny bench on her grounds. We parked ourselves right in front of the Taj, on a bench, just as the sun was rising. The magnificence of this monument is spellbinding. It really is perfect. From its history and its beauty I could have sat there for hours, just enjoying being in her presence. We had a great time on our overland trip to Agra. We boarded a charter plane with 94 of our fellow cruisers in Cochin. Three hours later we landed at the Military base in Agra, a stones throw from the Taj. How perfect is that? Even though the original plans changed from two days in Agra to a one-day-see-it-all- in the sweltering 115 degree heat, we braved it all, did it all and can now say seen it, done it and are very very happy we did.

The trip started out with a drawing for the first class seats for the 3 hour flight. We were picked first! Then the plane style changed allowing half the number of first class seats and we were all put back into the hat for the redrawing. This time our name was chosen from the hat on the second pick, not bad. We were still winners. Meant to be.

Having our trip shortened meant we had to figure out how to best see all we wanted to see. We decided to forget the Regent tour and hire a private car with an English speaking guide so we could be whisked everywhere at our own pace and not have to worry about big buses and people holding us up to buy that last t-shirt. It was the best decision we made. We visited the Taj at sunrise, (getting up at 4:45 AM), were the first in line to get in the gate, stayed at the Taj for 3 hours, went back to the hotel for breakfast, visited the Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri, and drove through the neatest local shopping areas and country side all the while learning about India and her people from a lawyer turned tour guide born and raised in Agra. We were in love with India by the end of the day, traffic and all. I labeled it organized chaos.

First Photo-takes your breath away

First in line!

gold and precious stones glisten at sunrise

delicate calligraphy-marble- entryway

Of course everyone knows about the Taj Mahal , the most perfect architectural monument in the world EVER. It was built by emperor Shah Jahan, in memory of, and a symbol of his eternal love for his 3rd wife who died in childbirth giving birth to their 14th child. The detail up close is intricate, a true masterpiece. Construction on the Taj Mahal began in 1632 and was completed in 1653. 1,000 elephants were used and 20,000 workers were employed. Everything was cut by hand, and only the finest materials and the best artisans in every field of the time were brought in to work here. It is perfection still today. Today 2-4 million people visit the Taj each year.

Agra Fort, the Red Fort, took 8 years to build, starting in 1565. Soon after the Taj was built Shah Jahan's son decided to take his fathers power and imprisoned his dad high in these towers under house arrest. The last days of his life he could only look out his marble balcony and see the beautiful Taj from afar. Upon his death, his son was 'kind enough' to bury his father next to his beloved 3rd wife in the Taj Mahal where today his tomb is right next to hers. So this was his view. The Agra Fort is impressive. People back then enjoyed all manner of pleasures and food with grand opulence.

According to the legend Emperor Akbar, a great visionary ahead of his time, having no male heirs made a pilgrimage to the town of Sikri to seek blessings of the Saint Shaikh Salim Christi. The saint told the Emperor, not to worry, he would have three sons and when the prophecy came through the king was so happy he built this city on the very same site in Sikri where he had this little chat with the saint. This man believed in freedom of worship and in his city he wanted all religions to be represented and to get along. This is seen in artwork of the buildings of the city. This city is magnificent in its detail, finery, and masterplan. The people who lived within its walls loved to play and party. They had the best of what was offered in their time. There is a massive Parcheesi board in the middle of the court yard where women from the harem were used as the pawns to go around the board. I think the winner took all.... There is a lovely pool where flowers floated to enhance the fragrance of the air. There were pleasure rooms. This huge city existed between 1571 AD to 1585 AD, a very short time for all the work it took to build. The water system could not support its residents so all evacuated. It was untouched for over 400 years until it was rediscovered. Today it is being restored for tourists.

And to add to this perfect day was our travel through the city and countryside of Agra, India: