India! The trip begins at the airport. Below is a sample of what awaits the visitor to Kuala Lumpur's state-of-the-art airport. |
And on the train from Delhi to Agra. It was a 6:00 a.m. departure to Agra from the bustling Delhi train station. |
To the right is the first part of the Taj Mahal complex we saw. The low red buildings were, over a period of 22 years, built to house the construction workers and artisans. Yes, that's right. 22 years. See the little white domes? One for each year of construction. The space you see is a mere 1/8th of the expanse of red buildings that form a giant square. The large red building is the entrance gate to the Taj Mahal. The red stone is used extensively in this part of India. |
It is stunning. It made me stop in my tracks (see above left picture). |
The Red Fort, below, and to the right, the view of the Taj Mahal as seen from Shah Jahan's "prison quarters" at the Red Fort after he was imprisoned by his son. |