We arrived in Agra in the sweltering midday heat, but I wouldn't let that get me down -- I was here to see the Taj Mahal! The Taj has been one of my personal highlights of this trip since I began planning it, and it did not disappoint. It's bigger and more beautiful and more moving than you can imagine from the photographs, just like everyone says it is.
The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his favorite wife, Mumtaz, who died giving birth to their 14th child. Building began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, and employed thousands of artisans and craftsmen. Though it looks plain white in pictures, it is extraordinarily detailed, with intricate carvings and marble inlays and Islamic script around the arches. Every inch of it is exquisite.
(not pictured - hundreds of tourists around me snapping the same photo)
Checking out the Taj Mahal
Though I could have spent all day there, we only had about an hour, so the next morning I woke up before sunrise to take photos of the Taj from across the Yamuna River. Overnight there was a crazy sandstorm, which I was afraid would kick up so much dust that photos would be nasty and hazy, but instead it did the opposite -- the skies were clear and bright and a gorgeous dawn broke over the Taj. It was absolutely magical. I haven't had a chance to touch these photos up yet; these are straight out of the camera with no editing.
As I was snapping photos, a local photography enthusiast and his son passed by me as they took a morning stroll. He told me that the skies are clear like that only 15 or 20 days a year in Agra.
It was a lucky morning, and one I know I'll remember forever.
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