Taj Mahal - a monument of immeasurable beauty and the epitome of love. The beauty of this monument is such that it is beyond the scope of words.
Emperor Shah Jahan himself described the Taj in these words:
"Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory."
I have always dreamed on capturing Taj Mahal with minimal crowd. So, I planned for a night stay in a lodge near the western gate.
Here is a collection of photographs :
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| Simply sitting and viewing Taj amidst the morning mist is a serene experience |
"Should guilty seek asylum here,
Like one pardoned, he becomes free from sin.
Should a sinner make his way to this mansion,
All his past sins are to be washed away.
The sight of this mansion creates sorrowing sighs;
And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.
In this world this edifice has been made;
To display thereby the creator's glory."
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| Symbol of Eternal Love - view from Meghtab Bagh |
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| The Sign post inside the Taj complex |
I went to the Taj Mahal complex in the early hours on a chill foggy weather day immediately after the gates were opened. I was lucky enough to get some of the breathtaking shots since the crowd was very less.
Here is a collection of photographs :
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| Tree in front of the Darwaza covered by fog |
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| Ornamental Lamp post |
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| A physically challenged worker starts his cleaning duty in the early morning itself! |
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| Taj is completely covered with Fog - a view from Reflecting Pool & Pathways in the Garden |
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| A view of the marble seating platform |
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| Diana's Seat |
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| a Perspective view of the minarate from the walkways |
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| Children posing for a jump in the Gleaming view of the Taj as the early sunrays blend with fog |
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| Fog slowly clears and the beauty unfolds |
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| Many tourists take photos with jumping poses in front of the Taj. I captured one such moment of 'Jumping in Joy' |
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| Geometrical Pattern of pathways in redstone and marble inlays along the river front Terrace |
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| Riverside Terrace |
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| View of the Tomb Enrance from the pathway |
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| A Diagonal Close up of the Architectural Elegance |
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| The Tomb - symmetrically designed with yellow marble, jasper and jade inlay stones polished and levelled to the surface of the walls with Calligraphy |
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| Intricately carved / pierced Jolly |
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| The lower walls of the tomb are enriched with realistic sculptures of flowers, vines and motifs |
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| The minarets were purposely constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that in event of collapse the tower would tend to fall away from the tomb |
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| The minarate is 130 feet tall and is divided into three equal parts with two balconies each built with doors and ventilation jollies in marble |
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| The chhattris with decorative elements of lotus design and a crescent on the apex |
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| The curved marble blocks are lined with black stones in decoration of the balconies that ring the tower |
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| Taj thru the Trees |
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| A tree Obstructing view of the Taj |
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| The Taj shows its exotic moods through its varied shades during different hours of the day and different seasons in a year |
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| The fog covered tomb framed by the gateway entrance |
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| Fog Clears and Taj Appears |
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| North side view of Taj across the Yamuna river |
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| “The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time.” - Rabindranath Tagore |
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