FEB 14, 13 .. CAN YOU DEAL WITH TWO MORE TAJ PHOTOS ?

HERE ARE YOUR TRADITIONAL .. POST CARD .. STRAIGHT ON.. PHOTOS OF THE TAJ MAHAL ..

 
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE THE SMOG IN THE SKY AND IN THE AIR ABOVE..
 
 THIS IS A REAL CONCERN FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA.. IT IS ACIDIC AND IT IS AFFECTING THE SURFACE OF THE TAJ MAHAL.. THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA HAS INSTITUTED AIR-QUALITY-RESTRICTIONS ON LOCAL MANUFACTURING COMPANIES IN ITS EFFORTS TO PRESERVE MUMTAZ'S BURIAL VAULT..

FEB 14, 13 .. MY ABSOLUTE PERSONAL FAVORITE VIEW OF THE TAJ MAHAL !

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY MY PERSONAL FAVORITE VIEW OF THE TAJ MAHAL..

AS YOU HAVE WORKED YOUR WAY THROUGH THE MANY PHOTOS I HAVE TAKEN  OF THE TAJ MAHAL AND OF HER SURROUNDNG GROUNDS.. and read the writings I put up with the photos.. I mentioned the lines .. I did not say too much about the 'touts' and the hassle they can be ! A 'tout' is an un-licensed person who wants you to pay them to show you around the Taj Mahal .. they can be exceptionally persistent and a nuisance !

In all fairness.. I MUST NOW MENTION the EXCEPTIONALLY EXCELLENT and very highly trained and FULLY PROFESSIONAL GUIDES you will find once you have finally entered into the grounds in which THE TAJ MAHAL actually resides.  On my first ever trip to see THE TAJ.. I employeed a PROFESSIONAL GUIDE.. he showed me this view.. it is a famous photo on many many postcards.  HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THIS PROFESSIONAL GUIDE .. I WOULD NEVER HAVE .. ON MY OWN .. DISCOVERED THIS VIEW ! 

" IF THE ONLY PRAYER YOU EVER SAY IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE IS THANK YOU.. IT WILL BE ENOUGH " ..   quote from MEISTER ECKHART..

THANK YOU OH GOD OF ABRAHAM..  GOD OF MUMTAZ AND SHAH JAHAN..  GOD OF THE MUSLIM.. THE JEW.. AND THE CHRISTIAN.. THANK YOU IN THIS.. MY DOXOLOGY TO YOU.. FOR THE JOY OF THE TAJ MAHAL.. 

FEB 14, 13 .. MUSLIM MOSQUES WITH THE TAJ MAHAL ..

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER BUILDINGS ON THE GROUNDS WITH THE TAJ MAHAL.. TO HER LEFT AND TO HER RIGHT.. ARE TWO VERY LARGE MUSLIM MOSQUES.. THE PHOTO BELOW SHOWS ONE OF THEM.. BOTH ARE .. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL.. IDENTICAL TO ONE ANOTHER..

 
NOW.. TURN 180 DEGREES AROUND FROM THE ABOVE PHOTO.. AND IN THE BELOW PHOTO.. YOU LOOK SQUARELY AT ONE SIDE OF THE TAJ.. IF YOU LOOK REAL CLOSELY.. YOU CAN SEE THE OTHER MOSQUE ON HER FAR SIDE.. LOOK TO HER LEFT SIDE..  CAN YOU SEE THE OTHER MOSQUE 'PEEKING' AT YOU..
 
THE TAJ MAHAL IS ON THE YAMUNA RIVER.. LOOKING ABOVE AT THE TAJ.. TURN TO YOUR LEFT AND SEE THE RIVER AS YOU DO IN THE PHOTO BELOW.. YOU CAN ORIENT THE TWO PHOTOS BY LOOKING AT THE TWO MEN AND THE BENCH ABOVE AND AGAIN BELOW.. IT IS A NICE RIVER.. WHAT A SITE FOR THE TAJ MAHAL..

WHEW  HUH  ? !
THE ENTIRE EXPERIENCE IS JUST TOO MUCH TO CONVEY IN MERE WORDS..

FEB 14, 13 .. SOME TINY TAJ CRITTERS FOR YOU !

I LOVE CHIPMUNKS AND THE TAJ HAS PLENTY OF THEM !

THERE ARE A LOT OF THE LITTLE RASCALS SCAMPERING ALL ABOUT THE TAJ GROUNDS !

FEB 14, 13 .. ASSORTED PHOTOS OF THE TAJ GROUNDS ..

AS I HAVE SAID MANY TIMES .. THE GROUNDS OF THE TAJ MAHAL ARE JUST ENORMOUS IN SIZE.. AND.. THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.. YOU CAN SIT AND RELAX NUMEROUS PLACES AND JUST ENJOY THE SCENERY.. AND OF COURSE.. PEOPLE WATCH.. LOTS OF PEOPLE TO SEE !

 
NOT ONLY DO YOU HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS.. YOU HAVE MANY OTHER BUILDINGS TO ENJOY EXPLORING.. IT IS SOME PHENOMENAL EXPERIENCE TO VISIT THE TAJ MAHAL.. well worth the lines and the commotion getting into the grounds..

 
THE ABOVE PHOTO IS THE VIEW OF THE ENTRANCE AS YOU STAND WITH THE TAJ BEHIND YOU..  THESE GROUNDS ALONE WOULD MAKE A NICE PARK IN AND OF ITSELF.. MANY VISITORS RUSH TO THE TAJ.. SEE THE TAJ.. AND LEAVE DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS IN THEIR TRAVEL SCHEDULES.. WHAT A SHAME TO RUSH THE TAJ..

WELL ?  DID I WEAR YOU ALL OUT WITH THIS SET OF POSTS ?  

MUCH JOY ON VALENTINE'S DAY !  Cap .. 

FEB 13, 13 .. OTHER FEATURES AT THE TAJ MAHAL !

 THE THREE BELOW POSTS I HAVE PUT UP TODAY FIT TOGETHER TO FORM A SERIES OF PHOTOS OF ONE OF THE OTHER BUILDINGS ON THE TAJ GROUNDS .. SO LOOK  DOWN AT THEM IN ORDER .. THEY FOLLOW ONE ANOTHER ..

THERE ARE MANY BUILDINGS OF INTEREST ON THE GROUNDS OF THE TAJ MAHAL.  MUMTAZ OF COURSE IS THE MAJOR FEATURE !  BUT THE ENTIRE TAJ MAHAL SITE IS PHENOMENAL !

THIS BUILDING IS THE FINAL ENTRANCE ONTO THE GROUNDS OF THE TAJ MAHAL.. WHEN YOU PASS THROUGH THIS ENTRANCE.. THE TAJ WILL BE IMMEDIATELY BEFORE YOU.. LOOK AT THE VERY LEFT EDGE OF THE BELOW PHOTO.. YOU WILL SEE A LOW BUILDING CONNECTED TO THE LARGE BUILDING.. THIS CONTINUES ONTO THE RIGHT SIDE ALSO..

 
IN THE PHOTO BELOW.. YOU HAVE PASSED INTO THE TAJ MAHAL GROUNDS PROPER.. AND.. TURNING TO YOUR LEFT AFTER YOU HAVE ENTERED..  YOU LOOK DOWN THE LOW BUILDING I MENTION ABOVE.. YOU SEE IT ON THE IMMEDIATE LEFT BELOW.. WAY DOWN AT ITS END IS ANOTHER STRUCTURE..

 
IF YOU STEP INTO THIS LONG BUILDING ON THE LEFT.. YOU WILL COME FACE TO FACE WITH A LONG CORRIDOR OF DISPLAYS SHOWING THE HISTORY OF INDIA AND ITS ARCHITECTURE.. BELOW IS ONE OF THESE DISPLAYS..

AS YOU PROCEED DOWN THE TWO BELOW POSTS .. YOU WILL SEE A GOOD NUMBER OF THESE DISPLAYS.. THEY ARE INCREDIBLE.. STUNNING..

FEB 13, 13 .. OTHER FEATURES AT THE TAJ MAHAL ! .

REFER TO THE ABOVE POST .. THIS TOP PHOTO IS OF THE OPEN AIR WING ON THE ABOVE  BUILDING FACING OUT ONTO THE TAJ GROUNDS.. THE  SERIES OF DISPLAYS ARE JUST BEYOND-THE-BEYOND .. I WANTED TO SHOW MORE PHOTOS  OF THEM TO YOU.. THEY TELL SOME OF THE HISTORY OF INDIA.. THEY ARE JUST TOO MUCH.. MY HUMBLE WORDS CAN NOT TELL YOU HOW NICE THEY ARE..

THE ENTIRE TAJ MAHAL EXPERIENCE IS JUST BEYOND THE BEYOND.