At the mere mention of the Taj Mahal of India it would strike a responsive chord, as it is well known to the whole world. As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal enjoys the lavish praise as the most perfect treasure of art and architecture.

 ‘You merely busy yourself for nothing if taking an Indian journey without a stop at the Taj Mahal’, as my Indian friend repeatedly stressed.

They also say that the Taj Mahal, at sunrise or sunset, offers the most spectacular scenery and exudes its ethereal charm to the maximum extent. So, be sure to seize this optimum opportunity if you want to capture its beauty into your camera. 

In order not to miss the stunning view of the Taj Mahal at daybreak, I decided to set off through the darkness from Jaipur. As the entire journey takes approximately four hours by car, I had approached the driver for the departure time one day in advance and his affirmative answer of ‘no problem’ gave me unbounded confidence, as if the dream of appreciating the marvelous wonder at sunrise had already realized ahead of time.

Upon boarding, we departed for the city of Agra. The road was shrouded in the darkness, and the crisscross of paths in fields together with scattering farmhouses was dimly visible outside the window. After more than one hour, the distant sun had begun to emerge and the morning mist also gradually dispersed. Against the falling of the morning glow, villagers heading to market from all directions drove cattleorhorse-drawn carts. There were a lot of heavily-overloaded motor vehicles swaying on the road at fast speed. The scene in front of me brought me back to the remote countryside of China in the early 70s.

The first light was upon us on our arrival at the road toll station of Agra. And, of course, the hope of appreciating the beauty of the Taj Mahal at daybreak had long been dashed. I had no alternative but only to give the drive a stare with a touch of irritation, and then received a gesture of spreading hands as a response. This time, I learnt a lesson about how irresponsible of Indians’ ‘no problem’.

0049 A view on the road

The urban area of Agra failed to impress me positively as we directed our further driving into the city. Dilapidated brick houses which were disorderly arranged, the adult and children sitting around the sewage ditch and the sand pile with no regard for others, the urban area seemed like having experienced a catastrophe. All sorts of complicated feelings welled up in my mind once I finally found that the Taj Mahal, which was highly praised by the world, settled in such a ‘broken city’.

We ran across many hawkers, tramps and beggars on the road who immediately launched a chase on seeing the first-arriving tourists, some competing for business, some for begging. My driver had to dodge his way right and left, managing to drive ahead among the crowd and a variety of vehicles.

We really made a great effort to turn into the Taj Mahal park that just opened, and no one but visitors could enter the park. So, we were able to effortlessly get into through the red-sandstone eastern gate. Access to the red-sandstone front gate as massive as a tower gate was through interlayer courtyards symmetrical on both sides and then a garden covered with a carpet of green grass and brilliantly-colored flowers. The front gate appeared like a mosque at a second look, eleven domes (a total of twelve domes) sitting respectively on the top of the front and the rear pavilions above the arched door. The inscriptions of Koranic passages are lined in black and white on the door frame, and floral and geometric patterns are inlaid on the white marble. Solemn, elegant, and graceful.

0050 Access to the eastern gate

In front of the gate of this ‘outstanding treasure’, my tour guide and driver introduced me to this flawless cemetery park. The story started from the Mughal Empire’s fifth maharaja, Shah Jahan: Shah Jahan’s beloved third wife Mumtaz Mahal followed the maharaja who engaged in warfare for years running and gave birth to 14 children. In 1631, she died of the puerperal fever, for which legend said that the ruler’s hair turned grey overnight due to his unbearable sorrow. In order to build a tomb to commemorate his beloved woman, he exhausted the strength of the entire nation by calling together more than 20,000 craftsmen from India and Central Asia and also collecting valuable marble and all kinds of gemstones carved on the mausoleum. The total construction period stretched over as long as 22 years, including 17 years to complete the main mausoleum and 5 years to build the outer gardens and the gate. It was not until 1653 that the mausoleum, known as "the most sublime art and treasure of the Hindu Muslims", was completed, and the Indians called it ‘the Monument of Love’.

Shah Jahan also built the Moon Garden across the Yamuna and often came here to stare at the mausoleum, missing his favorite wife. Rumor has it that he intended to build a black mausoleum echoing the Taj Mahal for himself. The plan had not been implemented. Only after two years, Shah Jahan was usurped by his own son and then imprisoned in the Agra Fort facing the Taj Mahal across the river, from which he was only able to cherish the memory of his beloved wife silently through the windows as the only consolation in captivity. Through my tour guide’s narration with deep feeling about the Indian monarch’s poignant love story, visitors around, including myself, were profoundly moved.

(To be continued)