The Taj Mahal

March 6 - One of the main draws to the tour Jaz and I signed up for was a stop to the Taj Mahal. It was simply one of those things that you add to your "must do before I die" lists. However, I have to admit that nothing prepared me for the emotions that I felt being there. I had my first glimpse of it in the morning when visiting the Agra Fort and it wasn't until sunset that I actually saw the monument up close. For those of you who don't know the history, it was constructed between 1631 and 1653 and was commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his favourite wife, Arjumand Banu Begum, who died during childbirth (her 14th child) at the age of 39. Many people refer to is as the greatest monument built for love. It was purposely built to have the blue sky as its background, and as you move around the grounds you realize that it is like looking at a postcard.

Photos of the Taj Mahal