Saturday, November 24, 2012

November 24.......2007




No matter how you look at it, the Taj Mahal is a magnificent sight. Exactly five years ago today my husband and Miss E (then 15) were at "The Taj".




I had the pleasure of visiting the Taj Mahal with my husband at the tail end of our five month stay in India in 1991, my second and most recent visit in India.  Let me share a little of this famous Indian landmark with you through my husband's photos from 2007.




Miss E is the one with the long plait and white shirt. Her hair is much longer now.




The sheer size of the Taj Mahal is hard to imagine from photos alone.







The Persian calligraphy is mostly quotes from the Qur'an. What amazed me on close inspection was that the writing and and the intricate designs are all made from precious and semi precious stones, inlaid into the white marble. The calligraphy is made from jasper or black marble.







Another thing which surprised me was that there is so much more than just the main building which is a tomb. The complete layout of the site, the gardens and other buildings are beautifully symmetrical and detailed.










 Wikipedia is a great source for further information on the Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world.




 Again the tremendous contrasts of India are clearly evident - this is the view behind the Taj Mahal.







Miss E and my husband are currently on their way back to Australia. I know they were not visiting the Taj Mahal this time. The Taj Mahal is very much "tourist India" yet certainly worth trying to see if you have the chance.


36 comments:

ally said...

Such beautiful photos - I love the ones behind almost more...as they are the ones we don't see so often
It sounds like your team are doing good work there
x

Jan said...

Thank you for sharing your photos of this amazing building and surrounds.
Wonderful Hubby and Miss E on way home, though it seems only recently they were on their way.
Hugs and Blessings.

HANS-PETER ZÜRCHER said...

Fantastische Fotoserie...

Herzlichst aus der Schweiz

Hans-Peter

Giga said...

Wcale się nie dziwię, że to jest jeden z siedmiu cudów świata, bo budowla jest niesamowita i przepiękna. *** Pewno jesteś zadowolona, że mąż z córką wracają już do domu. Pozdrawiam.
I'm not surprised that this is one of the seven wonders of the world, because the building is amazing and beautiful. Surely *** you happy that her husband and daughter are back home now. Yours.

s.c said...

Great photo,s and by the people in the pictures you get an excellent idea of the scale. Also stunning details.

Karen @ Pieces of Contentment said...

Thank you everyone. Giga, they will be home tomorrow afternoon - we are all very excited!

Tina´s PicStory said...

thanks for sharing this wonderful pics with us. it´s a place where i would really like to go one day :)

黄清华 Wong Ching Wah said...

Excellent series !

Jenni said...

Thanks for theses lovely photos... I really did not realize it was so large...when you see the classic photo in the distance, the scale is not so apparent! Glad to hear your family will be reunited again soon!
Jenni

joy said...

Wow! This place is really worth visiting. I love your pictures!

♥ Łucja-Maria ♥ said...

Oh, I thank you for the wonderful post and fantastic photographic series.
I know you're happy that your loved ones have come back home to you ...
See the temple, tomb of the Taj Mahal is a dream of every tourist.
I send warm greetings.
Lucia

Michelle said...

Such fine craftsmanship on the designs. Not something you really see in today's times. Just stunning.

Cinzia said...

Execellent photos!!!
Cinzia

flowersandhome said...

Your pictures give us a good idea of how huge the Taj Mahal must be. It must be even more overwhelming when standing in front of it. Thanks for taking us to this wonder of the world Karen.
Bye,
Marian

geanina said...

fantastic images! like it...:)

Sarah said...

Wau!! The Taj mahal must be georges!! Such a big and huge building... i would love to see that once...wonderful pictures!!! Thanks a lot!! Love Sarah

Joyful said...

It is a spectacular sight. I've never been there but so many famous and not so famous people have. I love your photo closeups because it gives a much better idea of the sheer size of the Taj Mahal. Stunning.

Unknown said...

it would be a fascinating place to visit!

Unknown said...

Incredible! wonderful photos!

Juliana said...

Oh what an epic beauty!
Thank you so much for this magnificent virtual trip!

xoxo, Juliana | PJ’ Happies :) | PJ’ Ecoproject

Gail Dixon said...

The jewels inlaid into the marble is exquisite. I also got a feel for how large the Taj Mahal is by the people in the photos. What a detailed, beautiful, intricate design on such a large scale.

Unknown said...

thank you karen for sharing your pics of one of the world's wonders!
^)^ linda

Meri said...

I've never seen close-up shots and I loved your commentary. I've not yet visited India, but think it would be a great place for photography.

Rick said...

Wow - awesome photos !! Definitely needs to be on my places-to-visit bucket list. And what a contrast to its surroundings.

Unknown said...

You have captured the emotion of the scenes beautifully. thanks again for sharing. hope you are going well.

Vilisi said...

Great images! What a fascinating place.

Anonymous said...

Wow- your shots are superb! It looks as if it's made of lace.

BlueShell said...

Oh my...This is superb!
Love
BShell

Noushka said...

In India, the contrast between such marvels and the population's poverty is quite incredible indeed!
Hopefully the money generated by such a monument might go back into the community...
Anyhow, your pictures are fabulous, and the size of the Taj is astounding.
A great reportage and a trip I wish to accomplish one day!
Thanks for sharing!

magnolia0joaska said...

Marvelous place!

Marty said...

truly gorgeous images ! I would love to visit it too !

papillon said...

This must be one of these magic places of the world. Thanks for showing us these so beautiful pictures.
J&C

Tone said...

Such beautiful photos!What a fascinating place :)

Jennifer {Studio JRU} said...

Wow! These photos are amazing. What a tremendous work of art. Such an interesting place. Precious and semi precious stone inlaid into the marble... gorgeous!

Unknown said...

What stunning photos. What a lovely place. I would love to go there someday.

Hugs~

happyone said...

It's magnificent!! What wonderful photos!! I didn't realized how truly huge the place is.

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