[Indo-BG Article Competition] My Greatest Adventure [Edited]

Day 2,288, 19:36 • Published in India India • by Broken1

Last Summer was the Summer before my senior year in college 🙂 and it was definitely the best Summer ever. That year we went to India for my cousins wedding. And of course as all Indian weddings are...













It was very enjoyable but that was just the leading event into the best part. The next few days after the wedding buzz died off, we went on a long road trip to Delhi and then to Agra!!!

We visited the Red Fort





We also went to the India Gate, a spectacular monument as well.



After we had finished touring Delhi, we took the Yamuna Expressway all the way to Agra.

And soon we encountered the True Jewel of the East! The Taj Mahal!!! 🙂









I have no reasonable explanation for this, but I remember this part the most, as if it were only yesterday

My Family and I got ready to tour the Taj Mahal the next day. The walk up to the monument was lined with handicraft stalls and we met artisans who claimed to be descendants of the laborers involved in the very first construction of the Taj. These artisans have lived in close proximity to the monument for generations and earn their living by crafting souvenirs and other gift items.



Once we got past the gates, it was like being transported into a different era. We were surrounded by lush green gardens and magnificent Mughal architecture. Even the air seemed majestic. Everything was so grandiose. It was simply breath-taking as the white marble gleaming against the clear blue sky.



The Taj Mahal, the endless stretches of luscious gardens, the blue reflecting lake, the culture and artisans, and everything all together create the best experience anyone can ever have. If I had one with it would be to spend days staring at one of the 7 World Wonders while enjoying the warm weather.

But the best part of the Taj Mahal is probably the marvelous love story behind it all 😛

It starts a little like this...
Shah Jahan, initially named Prince Khurram, was born in the year 1592. He was the son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India and the grandson of Akbar the Great. In 1607 when strolling down a street, Shah Jahan caught a glimpse of a girl hawking silk and glass beads. It was love at first sight and the girl was Mumtaz Mahal, who was known as Arjumand Banu Begum at that time. He was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her and they got married in the year 1612



He bestowed her with the title of Mumtaz Mahal, meaning the "Jewel of the Palace". Though Shah Jahan had other wives, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite and accompanied him everywhere, even on military campaigns. In the year 1631, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications. While Mumtaz was on her deathbed, Shah Jahan promised her that he would never remarry and will build the richest mausoleum over her grave.



Sometime after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct the monument. When Shah Jahan died in 1666, his body was placed in a tomb next to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. This magnificent monument came to be known as "Taj Mahal"



But the Taj Mahal's beauty cannot be merely described by words and pictures... for the true experience, you need to visit it yourself

-Broken1