2010.12.04: Behind The Shades Of India

Yesterday I got introduced to a part of India that was absolutely marvelous instead of dirty and smelly or noisy. I got to tour Agra Fort. And today India became even more exciting when I visited the Taj Mahal. Ignorant of topography when I was little (actually I still am) I thought this mausoleum was the ultimate thousand-and-one-night castle and hidden somewhere in Persia. I imagined Scheherazade sitting at a window, telling her stories about Ali Baba, while she now and then glanced at her predecessors’ bloody heads, which were displayed on lances along the calm water. Nowadays I, of course, think I know better.

Now I've taught that a Mogul ruler build the tomb out of love for his deceased wife. Because he didn’t want anything else to be build as beautiful as his wife’s last resting palace, he cut of both hands of its main architect. What a cruel love that was. The Mogul ruler’s son was less mean, or maybe not. Because, after a few years, he did imprison his father in the Agra Fort and took over his reign. Being a good son though, he gave him access to a private mosque and kept him in the highest tower. From there his father could oversee the Taj Mahal and yearn for his beloved wife. But an encyclopedia will do a far better job explaining this, or you can look it up on Wikipedia if you must.

Here are a few pictures you might enjoy:

Agra Fort:

Taj Mahal:

I’ve managed to bury the cable, which connects my camera and laptop and allows them to exchange sparks of happiness, somewhere in the deep belly of my backpack. At least, that’s where I hope it is. Basically, I’ll first go to a place I cannot pronounce tonight and from there I’ll go to Dehradun. Once there I’ll allow my bag to explode on a comfy empty bed and will conduct a search for that tiny wire before I'll go to sleep.

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Found it!