Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal was absolutely amazing. The white marble combined with a perfect love story leaves each person who walks through in an 'awe'. Water flowing through fountains and magic in the sky, I couldn't help but be happy. The totally studly tour guide, Ramish, took us for sunrise. We woke up at 5:00 am to get there as soon as we could and be inside for the sunrise. It was a bit hazy outside, but truly remarkable.

Ramish was adorable. Sometimes, he goes to the Taj Mahal about 5 times in one day. He was clearly proud of all the knowledge he had. It was so much fun though, because others might have just told us a little something and then said, "go wander." But, he knew so much and there was only a few of us that he took us to spots on the grounds to look at a place of architecture that would blow our minds. He showed unusual spots of symmetry and echoing corners, he showed us the best places to take pictures. 

My favorite fact about the Taj Mahal is that is almost completely symmetrical. It was built for Mumtaj, the wife of Mogul emperor Sajahan. It is a symbol of his love. The whole entire structure is built with her tomb in the exact middle. It is symmetrical from every way you look at it. But, sometime later, Sajahan also died. He had wanted to build a black Taj Mahal for himself on the other side of the river. This was started but never completed. So, instead, their daughter placed his tomb next to her mother's. His tomb is placed on the left side of her's, making it asymmetrical. 

I was in complete awe and kept getting a little left behind from the group. One of the people with us, Kalma, an old woman, would stay behind and call after me, "baby. Baby. Too small, too alone. You must stay with me." She would grab my hand and keep me safe. This was a morning that I will never forget. I must admit, I did consider stealing everyone's shoes or pulling some prank. Wink, wink. The rest of Agra to come.