Taj Mahal
Agra used to be the capital of India until the last Moghul emperor in the early 1600s.
This last Moghul emperor was also the first of his kind to marry a Hindu wife, which he dearly loved.
When she died, the emperor stricken by grief had a giant mausoleum built for her; the Taj Mahal.
This is the entrance hall, about 3/4 of a mile from the Taj Mahal itself. So be patient once you've rung the bell!
The Taj Mahal, at 6:30 AM
The Taj Mahal at 6:31 AM. Just for the fun of taking a horizontal shot as well.
The gardens and the magnitude of the place reminded me slightly of Versailles, back in oul' France.
That's the mosque left of the Taj Mahal. FYI, the Moghul emperors wer Muslims, just in case you had forgotten.
This is the guest house. Totally different style!
I guess it beats your average garden shed!
Detail of decorative pattern on the Taj:
The emperor's wife did not die without leaving him a son, who grew up to somewhat dislike his father.
The construction of the Taj Mahal ruined India financially. When the time was rife, and he was still young enough to be influenced by shrewd politicians, the young prince staged a coup and deposed his father. He moved the capital to Delhi, and imprisoned his father in Agra in the Moghul fort, 2 or 3 miles away from the Taj Mahal.
He made one concession to his father: the cell had a window from which the former emperor could see his beautiful Taj Mahal.
A rom with a view.......
That's it!
