Picto Diary - 03 January 2015 - Taj Mahal
Above: Cat. Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel. Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
Image by TIMDT.
Above: Drums. Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel. Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
Above: Drums at breakfast. Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel. Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
Above: Bishop. Taj Mahal. Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
Breathtaking... even after having been here two or three times before.
Shah Jahan's memorial to his beloved wife.
Mumtaz Mahal, despite well along in a pregnancy, decided to accompany Shah Jahan on a trip to Gwalior to quell an uprising or a disturbance.
She got sick... and never recovered. She lost the child she was carrying.
She made a dying wish to her beloved husband: "Remember me and take care of our six children."
Shah Jahan remembered her by constructing the Taj Mahal... the apotheosis of Islamic architecture.
Shah Jahan's youngest son, Aurangzeb, eager to become king, but not destined to be king by accident of birth, took matters into his own hands. He killed his three brothers and imprisoned his father - house arrest, as it were - in the Agra Red Fort. Shah Jahan was cared for for the rest of his life by a dutiful daughter.
Well, that's the gist of it anyway.
I'm reciting from memory the story as I remember it as being told by Ajay, our handler/guide. Ajay is a wonderful story teller. He is adept at bringing out factors of real interest as opposed to regurgitating fact based history... as though from a text book. He tells the stories with expression... with passion. Its a real delight following him in our Indian monument hopping.
Above: Cat, Drums, and K. Taj Mahal. Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
Third generation.
What will they remember about this visit when they're my age?
Will the experience of visiting the Taj Mahal shape their future lives in any way?
They're pretty young. Don't know.
My first overseas trip was at the age of 17 when I accompanied my parents to Egypt where Dad had taken a year position with Egypt's National Institute of Management Development. I had my first year of college at American University in Cairo. The experience was seminal in orienting me towards an international business career.
7 (Cat) and 9 (Drums and K) is not 17... but, one never knows how travel will impact one's future direction.
Above: B1B, Drums, FeeBee, The Bishop, Cat, GP, Obgyn, and K. Taj Mahal, Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
TIMDT decided to stay back in the hotel while we visited the Taj Mahal.
Reminds me of a time in Florence circa 2006.
I was riding a motorcycle in and around Tuscany (circa 2006) while TIMDT and Prosecutor were visiting Tuscany and Umbria on a girls trip.
On one particular night I joined the dynamic duo for dinner in Florence and spent the night with TIMDT in her room.
The next day, I expected to join the girls in seeing the sights... The Duomo... the David... you know, world heritage sites.
After breakfast, TIMDT asked me what my plans were. "I thought I'd join you guys to see the main sights of the city," I replied.
TIMDT and prosecutor looked at one another, then TIMDT turned to me and said.... "Good idea... you go see the David and the Duomo... we'll meet you for lunch."
"Well, what are you guys going to do?" I asked.
"We're going to Frette, Christophle, and Tods," was TIMDT's reply.
OK... lets be fair. TIMDT has visited Florence and Agra several times before this visit. Still, its a funny story that one could come such a distance and not visit the star attractions.
Above: TIMDT. Agra Red Fort. Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
Above: Cannon ball hole. Residence of Shah Jahan. Red Fort. Agra, India. 03 January 2015.
Another story.
Ajay pointed to a scratch mark on a stone platform near the chambers of Shah Jahan, where he lived during his house arrest. Ajay then drew our gaze from the scratch mark to the hole in the marble wall pictured here. He said the hole was caused by a cannon ball fired by the British during the Indian Mutiny in 1857. The cannon ball had hit the stone platform and ricocheted to create the hole pictured here.
Western History calls it The Indian Mutiny, Indian Rebellion ... or, the Sepoy Mutiny. Indians refer to the conflict as The First War of Indian Independence.
The proximate cause of the mutiny was the ethnic gulf between the European officers and their Indian troops. The British had issued new gunpowder cartridges that were widely believed to be greased with cow or pig fat, which insulted both Hindus and Muslims. Other than Indian units of the British East India Company's army, much of the resistance came from the old aristocracy who were seeing their power steadily eroded under the Company.
Addendum:
Great pictures of the animals. You must have a great zoom lens. Thanks for sharing
Bridge,
Palm Springs, FL
Panasonic Lumix. 30x Leica lens. $300 at Costco.
Very nice thank you for sharing.
Hand,
San Jose, CA