I strolled through the gardens and was
very glad that I had come at dawn.
Within a few hours, tourists had
mushroomed like well watered
weeds, pushing forward and
disrupting the serenity. The area
outside the ticket office was
now a disorderly swarm.
After entering the queue, my camera
equipment and handbag were
scanned. (Tripods are not allowed.)
Guides know the select spots for
snapping photos and mine promised
to direct me. The trick is to move
along and shoot with quick
confidence. You will be pushed out if
you take too much time.
First came a red brick building, the
gateway to the Taj. Here, you nab
the first glimmer of the majestic
marble dome through a grand arched
doorway. Whoa - the hair on my arms
rose in excitement. The sun’s rays,
just beginning to project from the
East, cast an array of pale pinkish
hues. And me... literally tickled pink
to be there.
can inspire a ruler to commission
such a luxurious shrine? Granted, the
indulgence came from an overflowing
treasury and political power of that
era, but still. A monument
representing such intense love is
emotionally gripping, especially if
you are a woman visiting alone.
Having no love at this time, I felt
true sadness and loss, but I wouldn’t
let myself stay in the bittersweet
moment.
I moved forward to the front of the
reflecting pool and felt under
pressure to capture the ethereal
light as it was changing by the
minute. All too quickly, more and
more people were entering the
property and my photos. Yikes! I
rapidly fired off my camera.
Finally, I slowed me down and
stopped myself. I needed to simply
stand still and contemplate the
renowned building with its
indefinable beauty. No high definition
photos or videos do justice. Seeing
this structure in person becomes a
moment of awe. Graceful and
delicate, clean and pure, literally
shimmering like a fiery diamond ring
- the Taj Mahal is a true wonder of
the world.
I decided to become playful instead
- opting for the touristy pic and
hamming for the camera.
The ticketed area is a complex of
structures with the white domed
marble mausoleum as its centerpiece.
The main building rises on a red
sandstone base, topped by a huge
white marble terrace flanked by four
tapering minarets. The outer dome
rises to 115 feet in height; the inner
is 80 feet, an architectural and
technical feat or its day. Within the
People react to the Taj differently,
but as I took my turn and sat on the
Princess Diana bench, I felt, as her
photo depicted, great loneliness.
What measure of l