I seriously considered skipping the Taj, figuring it might be an overblown tourist destination. I was going to trade it for Udaipur, home of the lake palace featured in the Bond flick Octopussy, or something a little more obscure.
But the travel agency and Sodhi, my driver, made it all-to-easy to catch on my tour of the Golden Triangle (Delhi-Jaipur-Agra), so here I was.
I bounced out of bed more than an hour before dawn, gearing up my drawing pad and pencils, my guidebook, and my camera. Sodhi picked me up and took me to the outer gates. He had lined up a guide, who took me inside.
The first thing you see at the Taj are the monumental entry gates. There are four total, each one worthy of its own admiration. The intricate stonework carries images from multiple religions: flowers of Buddhism, Christian crosses, and Muslim stars. My guide explained that this was the Moghul leaders' way of appeasing the masses by accepting all religions.
Passing through the gateways, the sight of the Taj is first surreal, then settles gradually into a majestic, breathtaking reality. While postcards, photos, and maybe a fortunate choice of words can convey a beautiful image of the Taj, nothing I've seen or heard speaks convincingly of how truly awe-inspiring it is . . .
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