Taj Mahal 2

Let me say, that yes the white marble building is immense and, yes, it is very beautiful. However I must say that I think it's unfortunate that to many foreigners, this is the reason to come to India, and missing it seems to mean you haven't really seen India. There are so many wonderful, amazing, beautiful, interesting things and experiences in this country, and I wouldn't have given up the many other things I have done here to see it.

Ok, that being said the marble with cut out inlays of semi-precious stone is beautiful. Even the calligraphic inscriptions in Arabic around the entry to the tomb was beautiful. Once inside the tomb, it seems quite small, and is somewhat dark for all the brightness outside. As it is a tomb, photography is prohibited, and a Muslim in a white skull cap and white kurta blew on his whistle so that you could not stand inside too long. There were tombs in the center surrounded by a head-high 'fence' with openings cut out of the marble. And the inlaid stones were even more spectacular inside. After dallying as long as I could (half of which was solely to irritate the man with the whistle and basically to assert that if I'm paying Rs. 750 to get, I won't be whistled out before I'm ready!) On either side of the main white building, are two identical red sandstone buildings. On the one side, it is a mosque, but the other side is just a building to complete the symmatry. It simply could not be a mosque because it doesn't face Mecca. These buildings have many intricate white paintings on the reddish pink background of the sandstone in the forms of plants and leaves.

For awhile I sat in the shade on a ledge of one side of the white tomb building. I was actually surprised by the few number of foreigners there that day, but it was exceedingly hot. As there weren't many foreigners, a girl of 20 saw me, and came up and introduced herself with her family. I was thankful that they first asked my permission to take a picture. Many times Indians, often young men, will surreptitiously take a photo with their camera phone. This family was quite insistent that I visit Haridwar for this religious school type place they were part of. I just nodded and wrote down the name of the place as they requested. Many people have told me about their religious sect, and I visited one in Mt. Abu which seemed very kind of new-agey type, and I didn't buy it at all.

Around the Taj is a big Moghul-style garden with long, linear pools, however the garden was unkempt and overgrown, but at least provided shade. A man came up insisting that he knew the best place to take a picture of the Taj. I first thought he was just a helpful worker at the Taj, but then he insisted on taking my camera and taking a picture of me, then of course wanted money. The pictures didn't even turn out! But I just mean that this was how the entire trip to the Delhi area was. In Gujarat no one bothers me, but you cannot get away from people trying to take your money there, and it can be very exhausting.

On the way out, I remembered promising the boy I'd come to his shop and decided that I really didn't want to pass through that street again, harrassed by all the vendors. Just as I was headed towards a different exit, the kid caught me. I was trapped and had to go to his shop. They sold many items made out of marble with the semi-precious inlaid stones as the Taj is decorated in. I really didn't want any of it, but he would not let me leave without buying something. I said I would not pay more than Rs. 150 for the little marble box, as he dropped the price down from Rs. 800, to Rs. 500, and finally to Rs. 300. If I really had wanted it, I would have paid Rs. 300, but as I walked out, he finally gave it to me for my price.