Wednesday, March 22nd, Agra, India

Greetings!

Agra is the home of the Taj Mahal.  It's also in the center of the most populated of India's 28 states - Uttar Pradesh (UPD).  The state is about the size of California, and has as many people as we have in our entire country.  

After a morning in our bus, we settled into our hotel.  Preparing for a visit tomorrow to the Taj, we decided to visit a smaller version of the Taj Mahal this afternoon.  It's the tomb of the grandfather of the guy who built the Taj, and was the first use of white marble in an Indian structure.    The mosaic tiling and incisions are truly amazing.

Afterward, we decided to go to a viewpoint across the river from the Taj Mahal.  As we sat on the stone benches, I wondered what Shah Jahan must have felt as he watched the 11 year construction from the same site of his monumental memorial to his wife Mumtaz Mahal.  Called by UNESCO  "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage",  it is truly magnificent.  Stay tuned to tomorrow's post to see if I can convey its beauty.

To see all of the photos taken today, click on Wednesday, March 22nd, Agra, India.