Majestic - Magnificant the Taj Mahal

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The impact of this picture is amazing

Rajasthan, episode 4

Leaving Delhi for Agra, we were on our way to see the Taj Mahal. Whilst I have seen many pictures of the Taj Mahal in books and magazines, none of them can do justice to seeing this monument for the first time. It is stunning.

We visited late in the afternoon to get that soft warm glow that works so well on any number of subjects. Wherever you stood, there seemed to be a glow radiating from the structure. This is the most amazing building I have ever seen. There is something very special about this place that it is difficult to describe. I list a few facts if only to remind me when it was built and how long it took:

• The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum. It was commissioned by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his favourite wife, Empress Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. So great was the Shah Jahan’s love for his wife Mumtaz, that he ordered the building of the most beautiful mausoleum on Earth for her, The Taj Mahal.

• Construction of the tomb started in 1632, and was completed in 1648. It took 22 years to complete, and an extra 5 years for the garden, with the help of 20,000 workers.

• The Taj Mahal is built from precious white marble with delicate mosiac, with inlaid precious stones. Almost every surface of the entire building has been decorated, and every detail is symmetrical. The mosaic designs are based on three decorative elements - calligraphy, abstract geometric and vegetative motifs. The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest to be found in Mughal architecture of any period.

I took a number of pictures at different locations and angles. On reviewing them, I was surprised with the quality and impact of the images. I consider these pictures as ‘snapshots’, hand-held and often jockeying for position due to the vast number of people at the tomb. However, I put this down to the majesty and mystique of the Taj Mahal, where whoever takes a picture is sure to get a cracking shot – in spite of the photographer!

I trust you will enjoy the pictures:

The first view of the Taj Mahal as you walk through the gate to the gardens

One of the traditional shots of the fountain in front of the Taj Mahal

From whatever angle, the impact is fantastic

A view of the main structure taken with a Nikkor 20-35 mm lens at 22mm showing the impact of diverging verticals from ground level. Sometimes images with diverging vertical work – as in this shot.

A rear view of the Taj Mahal from across the Yamuna River on a misty foggy morning

Rajasthan, episode 3: Soup Kitchen Extravaganza

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