We got up after five to meet our driver for 5:40 so we could meet our guide just before 6 and get to the Taj Mahal for the 6am opening. We were hoping to beat the rush, beat the heat and get some beautiful sunrise light. Well, we got two of the three. We did not beat the heat. We were there from 6-8 and sweat like banchies for pretty much 120 minutes straight. So hot, but so worth it. Oh my goodness. It is an incredible man-made structure. And the grounds are immaculate but their strict entrance policy (essentially can only take phone, camera, wallet and water in: no food) helps with this maintenance.
Perfect symmetry, similar to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. Incredible thought and detail. Our guide was fabulous and I learned a boatload from him. Here is what I remember at this point:
- Mahal means palace
- the Taj Mahal is a huge property. It isn't just the white building you are familiar with. The property includes the grounds which has a mosque, guesthouse, 208 rooms that were rented out to visitors in the 16-1800s and more. The whole property is symmetrical and 'perfect'
- there are 16 gardens on the property (as you can kind of see in the picture)
- there are 53 fountains
- it was completed in 1653. Fascinating, right?
- it took 20,000 workers 22 years to complete
- I'm going to let you think about that last point for a second
- and again
- that's a lot if labourers, time, money, detail and patience
- there are 22 domes on the entrance gate symbolizing the 22 years it took to complete.
- there is a bench in front of the lake in front if the Taj Mahal where female tourists are supposed to pose to reenact the queen. She would sit on that bench every morning, apparently, and look at the palace.
- she died while giving birth to her fourteenth child
- she is buried in the 'basement' of the Taj Mahal. It is blocked off now but there is a recreation on the main floor for the public to see. Her grave is exactly in line with the entrance of the mausoleum (the white building) and the entrance to the property. It's sweet to stand behind it and see the clear gate matchup.
- the Taj Mahal (white building) has four pillars. These pillars were created on a 2.5 degree slant outwards, away from the building itself so in the event if an earthquake they would not fall onto the building.
- because it is a Muslim mausoleum we had to wear shoe coverings or remove our shoes when entering the building. If it was a mosque wed have to cover our heads as well.
- the whole building is white marble and precious and semi-precious stones. The panel below is just one of the many panels covering the outside of the building. It is one big slab and is all hand carved which means if a mistake was made on this slab, the whole thing needed scrapped and restarted on a new slab. (In the picture they're the slabs at the bottom of the building, with a border, where the people are). We went to a marble shop afterwards and tried our hand and carving it: marble is hard to cut/shave. It gave me a new appreciation for the marble carving work.
- Inscripted around the entrance is the most important chapter in the Quran (you can see in the pic below). On the red entrance gate the second most important chapter is inscribed.
- one if the significant features that set the Taj Mahal apart from other magnificancies is the detailed marble work as seen in the picture with the flower. For these pieces first the design would be carved out of the marble but these carvings, especially by the stems, are not deep or wide. Then various stones were imported or gathered from India and were shaved down to precisely match up the grooves carved in the marble. The black strands, until they intersect with a colour, are all one piece of stone. Now when you rub your hand across it, it is a flush, smooth surface. In the picture these flowers are above he glass archway and they form the border around the lower panels that I spoke of earlier
- on the top of the seven domes/pillars there used to be gold. The British took that gold for 14 rupees and replaced it with the current bronze.
- at the back of the Taj Mahal is the second holiest river in India. Across the river there was going to be a black Taj Mahal created, but it was never completed.
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