From Taj Mahal with love
One of the most famous and iconic buildings on the planet is the Taj Mahal, located in the city of Agra, India 220 km from the capital New Delhi. This iconic structure holds both historical and cultural significance for the giant Asian nation, making it a once-in-a-lifetime bucket list experience.
Earlier this month, close to thirty journalists from 16 African countries had the unique opportunity to visit this UNESCO World Heritage site. The visit was part of an Indian Government initiative aimed at familiarizing foreign journalists with their country, which is on course to become the third-largest economy in the world. This voyage, orchestrated under the auspices of the Indian government initiative, welcomed nations such as Botswana, Eritrea, Uganda, Namibia, Rwanda, Madagascar and Comoros.
The media delegation arrived in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on December 9th. The famous Taj Mahal was the first stop on the epic familiarization tour, and the media delegation was driven almost two hours through the Indian countryside from New Delhi to Agra.
Upon arriving in Agra, the delegation encountered gritty, rich sights and sounds of a bustling city, as Agra is a sprawling metropolis with impressive road networks, hectic traffic, and busy streets. However, upon arriving in Agra, there is an immediate sense of occasion. Suddenly, one realizes the 400-year-old UNESCO heritage site is getting near. The first sign is the police escort leading the media delegation into Taj Mahal city, and traffic becomes even more dense, not with cars, but with people going up and down the street. Quickly, the media delegation was whisked into an electric-driven golf cart-styled vehicle. “We have to manage the pollution near the Taj Mahal,” one of the officers escorting the media delegation said.
It's not a long ride, and finally, the tension gets even thicker when one realizes they are stepping into a time machine that is the Taj Mahal, constructed in the 1600s. With anxiety growing, an elderly tour guide takes over and briefs the delegation on what to expect when they get closer to the iconic mausoleum that rivals the likes of the Statue of Liberty in New York, USA and Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. “We are selling 60,000 to 70,000 tickets every day, and kids under 15 are free. School kids are free, and Indians have large families, so if you calculate, you will find that we get 100,000 tourists every day. For foreigners, we charge tickets at 1300 (P210.00) rupees and Indians at 250 rupees (P40.00),” the tour guide said. Before arriving at the main show, the media delegation was met with some old relic buildings that form part of the Taj Mahal complex.
Built in reddish stone, the architecture, detail, and presentation were nothing short of amazing. For a moment, one would think they are walking around a fairy tale movie set as the sights would be reminiscent of props from the hit period shows Game of Thrones or Lord of The Rings. As the passionate guide explains the context of how the complex came into existence, one could tell that he has been doing his job for a long time. The tour guide continues to explain the significance of the site while we walking up to the Taj Mahal itself. The excitement mounts once the massive marble masterpiece is within sight. Suddenly the mobile phone camera selfie mode is activated, as some in the media delegation seek the best shots with the Taj Mahal in the background. However, there is no time for fun, and it's all business, as the Indian government hosts insist on not wasting limited time at this monument.
The number of tourists intensifies, as well as Indian government security personnel. What's impressive is that most of the tourists appear to be local. Upon a close encounter with the Taj Mahal, one quickly realizes that this protected and preserved monument is everything the Indian government claims it to be. Covered almost entirely in marble from the floor to the roof, the Taj Mahal is special, gritty, and one could almost feel a spiritual presence. For this period in history pulling off a construction undertaking of this scope was simply amazing.
The rather romantic backstory of the Taj Mahal also remains one of its best-selling points. This white-marble mausoleum, a testament to true love commissioned by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan for his wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, stands as a symbol of architectural brilliance. The intricate details, spanning over 20,000 workers and 17 years of meticulous construction, resonate with the country's rich history and devotion to heritage preservation.
According to Indian historians, Arjumand Banu Begum is the only woman in the world to have been buried three times. After her death on June 17, 1631, while giving birth to her fourteenth child, she was initially buried in the Zainabad garden in Burhanpur. The emperor, who died on January 31, 1666, now rests beside her in the mausoleum. As the saying goes: 'You haven't visited India if you have not been to the Taj Mahal,' and this has proven to be somewhat true. In more ways than one, the Taj Mahal leaves a lasting and haunting impression.