Thursday, February 20, 2014

Taj



Taj Mahal. The first glimpse.

There are places that mesmerize you. There are some that sing to you. Others listen to you, borrow your sorrows for a while, and even heal a deep-seated wound or two. Then there's the Taj - it does all of that and then, just claims a portion of your heart, a considerable size, and simply refuses to give it back. In alluring echos, it calls your name again and again till you return one day. And return I did last month.

Legend goes that if you turn and look back, just once, while leaving through the gigantic gateway, you are bound to come back one day. It was a sultry June afternoon, the kind that sticks to your skin when the monsoons are just a taunting fortnight away. A wide-eyed teenager and all of just 14, I wasn't sure of many things back then. But I do recall a feeling of sadness, one that was beyond my years or being to fathom, that had lightly touched my shoulders while leaving the place. I also remember being so overwhelmed by what I saw that I was unusually quiet for most of the day, as if to speak would break the spell.
Only this time the magic became somewhat decipherable, but not enough for me to put it into words. Not yet. Perhaps it is something about not being able to bottle the wonder, the exquisiteness and bring it back with you; for try as much you would capturing it, inch by inch, standing there in front of it and getting awed by every single detail is something else altogether. The unparalleled Mughal architecture, the poetry in every little motif, and the strange calm in the midst of a frenzied crowd - it is nothing short of a trance when they all come together. And I am still swooning in it.















Through the Great Gate, when the sky was blue for a moment or two. The cliched, postcard Taj from the entrance. The beautifully landscaped Mughal gardens. The Taj Mahal mosque and its stunning sandstone interior. Photogenic doors with years of history locked behind them. A peek of the Taj from the mosque's entrance. The eastern view of the mausoleum. One of the four minarets framed by a misty Yamuna in the backdrop. The latticed entrance to the tomb, displaying the signature 'jali' work of Islamic architecture. Its walls plastered with breathtaking Persian plant motifs with colorful 'pietra dura' on the borders. The geometrically patterned marble of the huge dome. Calligraphy of Persian poems on the arch shoulders of the tomb. A very wintry view of the Taj as a resolute fog gives way to an early dusk. Quietly flows the Yamuna.

15 comments:

  1. I hope it’s true that you are allowed to return if you look back over your shoulder, because that means I will behold this wondrous sight once more

    I had the most most wonderful experience the first time. In a small group of people, our Indian hosts and a few Europeans, long after the great tourist crush, we were allowed to spend peaceful time in the mausoleum (not the inner shrine, that was closed to us - we had to peer through the grille). We stayed until nightfall and the appearance of the full moon made the occasion entirely other-wordly. Now, years later, the memory of that magical evening is still as fresh as if it had happened yesterday.

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    1. Your memory sounds wonderful, Friko! I would love to have an evening like that some day, just the Taj and me. Sigh!
      I too hope the legend's true and you return to experience the magic once again.

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  2. Heart the glory of Taj numerous times.
    And your words on Taj were just like silk, smooth.
    Hope to be there one day:)

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    1. Thanks for dropping by and appreciating. Hope you visit the Taj soon. :-)

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  3. Utterly stunning — I would love to go there.

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    1. Yeah, absolutely. Thanks Robert; hope you get to see it soon.

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  5. My dear Suman, you described my feelings so well! Yes, "overwhelmed" is the right word! I was overwhelmed by the Taj too. I would like to come back one day.Your pictures are so beautiful!

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    1. Thank you for your lovely comment, dear Celine. Yes, it's one of those places that you keep discovering with every new visit. I too hope to see it sometime soon again.

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  6. Hello Suman,

    Your beautiful words take us right there. Yes, we can be standing in the gateway, holding our breath, hardly daring to breathe at the wonder of it all. You have such a special way of transporting us into another world and capturing the atmosphere of a moment, a place, a time. Oh, we do so hope to see the Taj Mahal ourselves one day but until then, we shall hold your description close to our hearts which, undoubtedly, will be stolen at first sight.

    We have missed your delightful posts. Thank you so much for your warmly welcoming comment. It is good to be back!

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    1. Thank you for the lovely reply, dear Jane and Lance. This place sure missed your wonderful words.
      Hope you get to see the Taj soon; it'll be a delight to experience it through your eyes. :-)

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  7. What wonderful photos Suman and what sensitive text. I had wondered whether it had become so much a place to be visited it had lost its soul, but it doesn't sound like it from your lovely post.

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    1. Thank you, Elizabeth; glad you find the soul of the place intact through my words. Yes, one could see the magic waning, but only a bit. Or may be that's just me. :-)

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  8. Hello Suman

    I know from your description of the Taj Mahal that I will be equally as moved as you were at age 14. I can also tell you that I will steal a look over my shoulder as I leave.
    I am sure you were inspired following your visit.
    Helen xx

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    1. Thank you for your beautiful comment, Helen. Yes, I came back with a world of inspiration, only that I'll have to make use of it somewhere. I'm sure if it was you, you'd have poured it all onto your canvas.
      Have a good week ahead.
      xx

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