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| Taj Mahal - one of the Seven Wonders of the World |
AGRA, India - On my first trip to New Delhi, India, I made sure that I can go to Taj, Mahal. Who is not excited to see one of the seven wonders of the world?
My company arranged a transportation for me going to Taj, on Saturday, 19th of June 2010. The temperature during that time was around 40-45 degrees celcius. But who really cares about the temperature? It was the only chance I had to visit this work of art so I still went by myself.
I left the hotel at 8:00 am. The travel time was about 4-5 hours depending on the skills of the driver. My driver drove very fast and I was worried that we might hit other or other cars might hit us. We reached the area half past 12:00 pm, left the car at the car park and then took another local transportation service to Taj Mahal. If I am not mistaken, the transport fee from the car park to Taj Mahal entrance was INR 20 (USD 0.40). There was a huge gap for entrance fee between foreigners and local. I paid INR 2,000 (USD 40) while locals only pay INR 200 (USD 4).
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| Entrance of Taj Mahal, India |
Taj Mahal has a charm that I cannot explain. I've been to the smaller version of this structure in Aurangabad - Bibi Ka Maqbara - but there is really a big difference. Taj Mahal is really a star on its own. Stones used are the best in its class and every angles were planned.
Wikipedia provides more information about Taj Mahal. According to the article, it was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".
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| Entrance of Taj Mahal One of the seven wonders of the world |
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian architectural styles.
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen. The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. Lahauri is generally considered to be the principal designer.
Before I went to the mausoleum, the tourist guide required me to either leave my shoes or I wrap it with plastic. I wrapped it with plastic because its quite hot to walk barefoot. After taking pictures, the tourist guide brought me to some souvenir and factory shops. I bought a small display, a replica of Taj Mahal, to remind me of coming here. We left the factory shop at 3:00 pm and reached back the hotel at 7:30 pm. This was my second wonder of the world. The first one was the Great Wall of China I visited last November 2009.
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