A dream in stone

   

Why yes, that is the Taj Mahal in Taj, Agra, India.

For some reason I just assumed that the Taj Mahal was relatively close to New Delhi.  Why wouldn't a monument be near the capital city?  I was wrong.

We found out it was going to be a 4 hour bus ride just to get to the Taj Mahal.

With traffic, it took 6 hours.

We arrived, ate McDonalds (one of two restaurants that could accommodate 47 of us), and spent 2 hours wandering around the Taj complex.  We then had a 6 hour ride home, making the hour ratio 12:2.  Crazy.

But it was worth it.  The gates and courtyard before even entering the actual Taj Mahal courtyard were stunning in and of themselves.  The Taj Mahal, which is actually a mausoleum, is so much more beautiful than I imagined it would be.

It took over 20,000 workers 22 years to complete the structure.  The man that created the design for the Taj Mahal was only 24 years old.  The 4 towers on the outside all lean slightly outwards, built that way to 1. Balance the Taj if there's an earthquake, and 2. To not fall on the structure itself in case of said earthquake.  They had never had an earthquake in that area, nor have they, but it was built as a precaution to ensure that it would last for ages.  

It is a beautiful structure, especially from the outside, and in my opinion, if you're in India, it's a must see.  Spend the time and money to visit it.  Worth it.