1 of 4 posts added on 14/11/19. For continuity from previous postings, start with 11th November 2019.
The Taj Mahal
We were up at the crack of dawn yesterday to drive down to Agra. We were up again at the crack of dawn today to see the sun rise over the Taj Mahal.
The Taj is one of those places that is so well known we’d half expected to be disappointed by it. Not a bit of it. It’s stunning.
The building is symmetrical on each side. There are eight rooms around a central area which houses the tombs of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, and there are some very clever architectural tricks
- The outer columns lean away from vertical so that they will fall away from the main building in the event of an earthquake.
- The chevrons on the towers make the vertical columns look multi-sided and the effect works even when you know it’s an illusion.
- The bodies are actually five meters below the tombs the public see.
- And there is a beautifully positioned bench for high impact PR shots by British princesses.
The Taj was commissioned as an Islamic mausoleum in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shaj Jahan to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
She was his third wife and the woman he truly loved. His first two wives were the result of arranged marriages and didn’t get a look in when it came to being buried.
Come to that, nor did Shah Jahan.
Mumtaz had 16 pregnancies and gave birth to four boys and two girls. After the Shah spent over $800m at current rates building the Taj for her, his youngest son saw his inheritance going down the pan.
He was even less impressed when his dad started work on a black version of the Taj Mahal on the other side of the river so he did what any right-minded person would do. He killed his three older brothers and imprisoned his dad in Agra Fort for eight years until he had the good grace to die.
Then he buried his dad alongside Mumtaz in the Taj Mahal, saving a shed load of money and creating the only non-symmetrical element in the building.
The Taj looks small through the entrance. 
But not when you go through. 
Annette on the royal bench. 
A bendy looking flat faced column 
You wonder when it’s going to get light – then it dawns on you. 
The Taj Mahal – not as big as you might think. 
Agra Fort
Agra fort is huge. Built in 1573 it covers 380,000 square meters and took 4,000 workers eight years to complete. There is a rich history to the building but the most striking feature is that parts of it are built in red sandstone and other parts are built in white marble.
On a clear day you can see the Taj Mahal which is around 2.5km away. Shah Jahan was imprisoned on the side of the fort where he could see his wife’s mausoleum – so at least his youngest son wasn’t all bad.
Look Dad, you can see our Mum from up here (but only if it’s clear).
The Mini Taj
I didn’t know it but there is a mini Taj in Agra. It was built as a 17th century mausoleum by Prince Azam Shah for his mum. Azam was Shah Jahan’s grandson.
One Taj in the family is okay. Two is just showing off.
Dave and Annette in India and Nepal 