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Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - Agra

The Taj Mahal

Posted on May 3, 2020May 19, 2020 by Chuck

As many of you know, our travel goal is to see the New 7 Wonders of the World, and our visit to the Taj Mahal checked off number four.

{We have previously visited The Great Wall of China, Chichen Itza in the Yucatan, and The Roman Colosseum. We (fingers crossed) are scheduled to visit Machu Picchu in Peru this coming fall.}

We wish we could travel more, but we need to work to travel, and we only have so many vacation days. We were extremely fortunate to get to see this remarkable structure considering that toward the end of our trip, we heard that India had closed all national monuments; we got in just in time. We felt terrible for all of the people who planned this vacation just to see the Taj Mahal (we did, among other things) and can’t imagine the disappointment.

About the Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal sits on a 42-acre property situated next to the Yamuna River. The ivory-white marble mausoleum was built for the wife of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. This magnificent building was to be her final resting place and later became the tomb for the Shah. Construction began in 1632 and was officially completed in 1653.

The main entrance (Darwaza) is a beautiful structure that was built primarily of marble.  The interior of this building is very crowded due to the iconic picture everyone wants to get, a shot of the Taj Mahal through the interior arches.

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India Trip - red sandstone entrance to the Taj Mahal - marble inlay - exterior buildings at the Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal Entry Gate

And here are the two classic shots everyone wants to get:

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - view of Taj Mahal though arched doorway - Taj Mahal - Seven Wonders of the World
Taj Mahal through the Entrance Gate
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - iconic view of the Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal and water feature - Agra
Taj Mahal Long Shot

And looking out from the Taj Mahal is the garden path back to the entrance.

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - gardens from the steps of the Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal
Looking Out from the Taj Mahal

We were pleasantly surprised by the crowds.  We have heard stories and have seen pictures of wall-to-wall people.  We never found it crowded other than the iconic photo spots and it felt peaceful walking the site.

It is a lot of walking for anyone with mobility issues, but there were plenty of places to stop, take a break, and get to look at the awesome wonder in front of you.

Incredible Marble Artistry

Here are a few closeups of some of the marble work throughout the mausoleum.

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - marble carving - marble inlay - Agra
Carved Marble 
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - marble inlay - Agra
Marble Inlay
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - marble - marble inlay - Taj Mahal -
Marble Inlay
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - marble - marble inlay - Taj Mahal - Arabic
Inlayed Script

 

The Women of India

We love to capture pictures of day to day people when we travel.  Sometimes their faces can reveal a lot of life experiences.  One of the things that really added to the day was the colorful and vibrant colors of the saris the women wore.

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Indian Woman - Indian woman in pink sari - Taj Mahal - Agra
Women of India 1

 

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Indian Woman - Indian woman brown sari with gold embroidery - Taj Mahal - Agra
Women of India 2

 

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Indian Woman - Indian woman in blue wrap - Taj Mahal - Agra
Women of India 3

 

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Indian Women - Indian women in brightly colored saris - Taj Mahal - Agra
Women of India 4

 

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Indian Woman - Indian woman in bright red sari - Taj Mahal - Agra
Women of India 5

A UNESCO World Heritage Site

Here are some pictures of the architecture and gardens in this world-renowned site.

Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - gardens - Agra
Taj Mahal Garden
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - gardens - flower beds - Agra
Taj Mahal Flowers
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - marble detailing - Taj Mahal dome
Taj Mahal Inlayed Marble
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - close up details of Taj Mahal dome - Agra
Taj Mahal
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - entrance to tomb at the Taj Mahal - doorway - Agra
Taj Mahal Staircase 
Mark and Chuck's Adventures - India trip - Taj Mahal - Taj Mahal dome - Agra
Taj Mahal Domes

This was an amazing day, and we are very thankful we can travel and have the opportunity to fulfill a dream. We could have spent a few more hours to really explore the grounds, but we only had a short time, so we got in what we could.  To really take it all in, I would allow for 3 hours inside. But what we saw was worth the wait.

Will we see the Tiger King in Ranthambore, only time will tell.

Travel Tips:

Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of tips on avoiding the crowds. Go early and allow more time than you think you need are about the only tips here. We were fortunate that with the growing concerns of COVID 19, there were very few crowds.

For Senior Travelers, there are not a lot of steps to climb, and plenty of places to sit with some shaded areas around the parameter. Take some water and pack your patience.

 

 

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