Agra - Taj Mahal

This post is dedicated to the Taj Mahal. I visited this amazing structure during my visit to Agra while the sun was setting. Here is a wikipedia link to learn more about this site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal

Here are my two best pics:

 

 

When visiting the Taj Mahal, you are required to take electric carts from a parking lot which is fairly far away. This is to help prevent damaging exhaust which could get in the air. A lot of damage had been done in the past due to acid rain, and they try to keep cars as far away as possible.

The electric cart stops at the entrance courtyard.

 

There is a formal entrance into the Taj Mahal courtyard.

 

When you go through the doorway you see the Taj Mahal in all it's glory.

 

It is difficult to get a feeling of how large this tomb is until you get closer.

 

Here is a closer shot of the front entrance.

 

Let's get closer to see some of the inlay work.

 

The black stone has been inlayed into the marble with great precision.

 

There is a temple to the left and right of the tomb. In the pic below there is a man sitting and a girl walking out of the temple which shows the relative size of the structure. It is of course smaller than the tomb.

 

On the back side of the Taj Mahal is a river.

 

Finally, here is a look back from the Taj Mahal entrance. The symmetry of everything is amazing.

 

I encourage you to read about the Taj Mahal and the love story around why it was built. It really is a wonder of the world.

My next stop is in New Delhi which will be my last day in India. There are still a few places I have yet to see. So, stay tuned.