Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his second wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to their fourteenth child in 1631. The construction of the mausoleum was completed in 1653. Many have tried to describe its beauty:

“Described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, this sublime Mughal mausoleum is India’s tourist emblem” (source: the Lonely Planet)

“Many people think it is one of the most beautiful buildings ever built.” (source: Wikipedia)

“India's most stunning monument” (source: BBC)

Monday morning 2 April, Hero and I left for the Taj Mahal in Agra. With the help of a handsome Indian man we managed to purchase a train ticket in only minutes and hop on the train just seconds before departure time. Although the journey takes at least 2,5 hours, with Hero it only seemed minutes. I should mention that we hadn’t seen each other in seven months so any opportunity to catch up was greedily taken up.

An auto-rickshaw endowed with a screaming pink interior took us to the closest Pizza hut as we believed that one cannot possibly marvel at what is called the most extravagant monument on non-disputed Indian territory, on an empty stomach.

After paying the entrance fee and equipped with shoe covers, only for foreigners as locals are supposed to go barefoot, we slowly made our way to the Taj. Thrilled about the treasure that was just ahead of us and wondering if it would indeed live up to our sky-high expectations we reached the entrance arch to the Taj.

Well, it did not. It only took my breath away as I was overwhelmed by the surprise, or should I say shock, that it did not live up to my expectations. I must admit that the Taj Mahal is surely a visit worth, and the legends and romance surrounding the Taj Mahal make it somehow unique, but it didn’t radiate the magic I expected. I wanted to be touched by the enchantment, to be left with my mouth half open absorbed by its stunning beauty. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.

I feared that my senses were satisfied and that from now on I would be totally indifferent towards all historical monuments as I have seen too many during my past journeys. Thank heaven, my next trip proved me wrong.