The Taj Mahal

Aisha is now in town. She arrived late Thursday night and immediately got annoyed at my mother. I'm really happy about this because it means that I am not making shit up about that woman being difficult. Phew.

The four of us went to the Taj Mahal together. It was trying at times and I attribute this to the heat...and the fact that our train was three hours delayed. We bought tickets for the general compartment which meant riding for three hours in a sardine can. Everyone was pretty much on top of each other. People even sat in the luggage holding areas above the seats. However, three hours of non stop sweating and feeling other peoples sweaty bodies brushing against you later, we were in Agra.

We learned a little something about carpets in Agra. For one, the Turkish import all their 'Turkish' carpets from India because labour is cheaper here. The quality is still the same. My mother was disappointed to learn that Afghan carpets are considered to be of a lesser quality than Persian (gasp) and Turkish carpets due to the density of knots. I don't remember the number of knots but it's half of the other carpets. The designs are also more tribal and less colourful. Apparently to asses the quality of a carpet you need to look at the back of it and see how dense the knots are. Also, hand-made carpets change colour in the light as you step around them while machine made stay the same colour. Walking on a carpet is good for it. The more you use it the better it looks because stepping on it compresses the fibers and gives it more sheen. I suppose that's why they go up in price the older they get. Okay, this sounds like an infomercial. Back to the main reason we came here.

We went to Agra Fort where Shah Jahan, who commissioned the Taj Mahal for Mumtaz, his wife, lived. The poor bastard was later imprisoned there by his son. The place had a nice view of the white marble mausoleum and it was strange to see it as part of the landscape. It has a huge field on one side of it with a river running past it and then a big ass highway just before the river. Cars are not allowed to drive within a few kilometers of the building and there are no factories in Agra. All these measures are taken to protect India's crowning jewel and money making machine. Tickets to enter cost 750 rupees for foreigners. It's worth every rupee.

Once I got used to the sight of the building in the distance I thought it might not be that great. Stepping through the gate into the garden before it and approaching it though I was totally blown away by its scale. It's huge! Built of white marble with a floral design inlay of semi-precious stones. As the sunsets the stones reflect the light and the building sparkles. Everything is perfectly symmetrical. A mosque was built on one side and another building that looks exactly the same on the other side. That building was used as a guesthouse for visitors from abroad and now houses quite a few beehives in its vaulted ceiling. 22 steps lead up to the gigantic raised platform upon which the building sits. They are called the steps of eternity. The number of steps reflect the number of years it took to complete the Taj. It is built to look like a crown, hence the name, Taj means crown in Hindi. I must say that it was not disappointing at all. It's an imposing structure that is awe inspiring. Sometimes the big architectual marvels of the world can let you down a bit once you get to visit them but this one sure does not. I shot three rolls of film in an hour, that's how great the place is! ;)

On the way back in the train I closed my eyes and thought about a detailed psychiatric treatment regiment for my return. After the next five weeks I will need it. Heck, I need it after the last month with you-know-who, to mend some of the mental scars.