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Agra and the Taj Mahal
February 19, 2012
“I believe that which separates action
from inaction is not indifference. It is
distance. May it fall away.” –James
Maskalyk, Six Months in Sudan
(modified)
The quote above went through my
mind several times as we traveled from
New Delhi to Agra and the Taj Mahal.
The drive for me was very intense. To
see the volume of garbage with people,
cows, dogs, goats, chickens and pigs
living in it was a feeling I never want to
forget.
I am sharing these feelings because I
believe the drive to Agra framed both
my view of the Taj Mahal and my view
of the entire trip. The Taj Mahal is a
masterpiece and yet I could not help
but have conflicting feelings about its
beauty and the ingenuity it took to
build it with what I saw on the drive.
When we arrived at the Taj Mahal we
waited in a short line because we had
paid a premium price for our tickets,
750 rupees ($14.00 dollars). While
next to us was a long line of Indians
waiting that had paid 25 rupees (.47
cents) for their tickets. The cohort had
a lot of discussion over the next few
days of the trip about money, privilege
and how it felt to move quickly into the
Taj Mahal while the majority of Indians
had to wait.
Inside the Taj Mahal grounds a tour
guide shared with the group about its
architecture and history. The Taj Mahal
was built by Shah Jahn, the Mogul
Emperor in memory of his third wife
Mumtaz Mahal who died after giving
birth to their fourteenth child.
According to historians building the
mausoleum was the final request of his
wife. The Taj Mahal was constructed
between 1631 A.D and 1653 A.D on
the Yamsua River of white marble. It is
estimated that over 20,000 laborers
constructed the mausoleum. The
mausoleum is a part of a large complex
of buildings and gardens.
In 1658 Shah Jahn was removed from
the throne by his son and was
imprisoned as a result of the damage to
the Mogul Empire because of his
extravagant lifestyle. Shah Jahn lived the
rest of his life imprisoned in the Agra
Fort across the river from the Taj
Mahal. When he died he was buried at
the Taj Mahal next to Mumtaz Mahal.
3
The four towers, minarets, one on
each side of the Taj Mahal, appear to be
standing vertical, but they actually lean
outwards. This engineering feature also
provides protection to the Taj Mahal in
the event of an earth quake because
they are designed to fall away from the
Taj Mahal protecting the structure.
The inlay design used with precious
gems is a European technique called
pietra dura. The design uses the
principal of self replicating geography.
The interesting part of the pietra dura
is that it is still being used in Indian
architecture and many of the artists are
direct descendants of the original
labors of the Taj Mahal.
The guide also noted several optical
illusions in the architecture. The Taj
Mahal appeared to be moving further
away from us or looked smaller in size.
The Taj Mahal was built to appear as if it
was floating. The Taj Mahal was built to
face the south and so the white marble
appears to be different colors
depending on the time of day.
I feel my description cannot compare
with the incredible technology and
design used in building the Taj Mahal.
This was a once in a lifetime experience
and I was very thankful for the
opportunity.
Christy Roman, photos by Michael
McClellan