When I tell people I am studying abroad in India for a year, I am pretty sure an image of the Taj Mahal pops into their heads. I will admit that unless someone specifically went searching Google for information on India, many people’s knowledge of the country that is my home for the next year is not much more than the Taj Mahal, spicy food, and unsavory memories of overseas help desk calls.
While it is frustrating to someone as enamored with the culture as I am, I try not to take it personally. After all, there is a reason the Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. All it took was a visit to understand why.
Still rubbing sleep from my eyes, I sat in a taxi at 5:30 a.m., waiting to leave for the Taj Mahal. Our guide assured us that the Taj was best viewed with the sunrise, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw.
In my opinion no matter how high tech it is, no camera can accurately capture the majesty of this mausoleum built in the 17th century to house the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, emperor Shah Jahan’s wife.
It may surprise many people to know that the Taj Mahal is not purely white. Besides the natural gray veining running through the marble, the tomb is intricately detailed with Persian semiprecious stone inlay. Ruby, emerald, sapphire, and an aptly named “Fire stone” which glows like a flame under light, among other stones adorned the archways and encrusted the tombs themselves in elaborate floral designs.
As the sun peeked further out of the clouds and peered around the corner of the flanking mosque, I understood why our guide brought us there when he did. As the rays basked the Taj it appeared to change color to mirror the sunlight’s golden hue.
What an emotionally charged place it is! Adding to the emotional presence was that fact that you had to walk barefoot to pay respect to Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan, who are both interred there.
The feel of the marble worn by millions of feet walking the same path as myself gave the Taj an intimate atmosphere. I felt more connected in some weird, spiritual way. This deep feeling of connection has become an undercurrent to my time in India—a subconscious sense that I became more aware of while in the presence of the Taj Mahal.