Taj Mahal

The main entrance to the grounds
My first look at the Taj
The pictures don't show the true colors of the jeweled inlays, the building sparkles when the sun hits it and they say is even more beautiful in the moonlight.

Looking back to the main entrance from the Taj. There are 22 pillars on top, representing the 22 years it took to build the Taj.

A different angle

The gardens, they have to keep replanting them as they once were orchards and obstructed the views of the Taj. There are 16 gardens and 53 fountains representing the year of completion 1653.

Looking across the river from the back of the Taj, this is where Shah Jahan planned to build the black Taj.

Visiting the Taj Mahal was unbelievable. The building is so amazing and beautiful that you just want to sit and stare at its magnificence. At the first glimpse of the Taj I knew why people travel from the four corners to see this wonder of the world. The pictures do not do it justice. The marble is so pure when you hold a flashlight up to it the entire marble glows because of its translucence. The jeweled inlays (jewels from many countries) and immaculate stonework are so beautiful and detailed you cannot imagine how talented the master craftsman were or how it was all completed in 22 years.
We had a guide with us at the Taj who has been guiding visits there for 18 years. We couldn't have visited without him because to get there you had to walk down a road that was filled with beggars, and all ages of children trying to sell you trinkets, post cards, t-shirts, books etc. You have to walk straight down the road without making eye contact or taking anything from their hands. I don't think I would not have been able to make it down the road without the guide. He showed us all around the grounds of the Taj and all the magnificent views from each of the sides (he had us close our eyes and stand in the perfect spot for the first view of the Taj), we also were able to see some of the inside of the Taj (you are not able to take pictures)... during the entire visit he told us the story of the Taj....

The Taj Mahal story is about Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, fell in love with Muslim Persian princess, when he was 14 years old. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her.
They were married in 1612 and Shah Jahan became the Emperor in the year 1628 and entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He also bestowed her with the tile of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications.
It is said that Shah Mahal was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into morning for two years. Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument, which is also said to be the last wish of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal" and now counts amongst the Seven Wonders of the World.
Shah Jahan fell ill in September 1657 and taking advantage of this opportunity, one of his son's, Aurangzeb, took over the throne and imprisoned him. Shah Jahan died in 1666 in captivity (he was able to see the Taj from his prison cell) and was entombed, along with his favorite wife, inside the Taj Mahal. It was said that Shah Jahan was planning to build another Taj - the black Taj (out of black marble) across the river from the original Taj Mahal but he was never able to complete it.