April 26, 2012

• Wonder of the World

  While my last post was all about Agra, I neglected to mention or post anything about what makes it most famous.

  

  The Tah Mahal, one of the New 7 wonders of the world (along with chichen itza in mexico, christ the redeemer in brazil, the colosseum in rome, the great wall of china in freaking all of china, machu picchu in peru and petra in jordan-as of this date, i have been to 4 of them)

  

  Entrance gate to the taj mahal, the small domes on top representing each year it took to build 1632-1653, and the entire border underneath filled with passages from the koran written in ascending perspective so letters at the top and bottom look the same size

  

  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 

  -Shah Jahan, describing the Taj Mahal

  

  The base structure is essentially a large, multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners, forming an unequal octagon. On each of these sides, a huge pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped, arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building.

  

  Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that, in the event of collapse, (a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period) the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.

  

  But enough education. Just take a few moments to appreciate this truly marvelous spectacle

  

  Okay, moment’s over. Back to fun!

  

  For all you Cal Fans like short round

  

  Pinch!

  

  Short Round is gargantuan

  

  

  Tourist Bureau requires at least one yoga photo be taken by a tourist every day in India

  

  

  

  Uplifting feeling

  

  A rose by any other name smells stoned

  

  Massive ceilings

  

  Final Thoughts?

  

  Hipster Album Cover #3 (and by far the best!)

  

  Parting shot…

  Onward to Orcha and Varanasi!

  • 10:42 pm
  • 2 Comments