Totally agree. I've seen it only once and its fame as one of the world's biggest tourist destination prepared me to be let down. But the hoardes as good as disappeared when it first revealed itself. I've never been affected by a building in the same way. Not by anything inanimate, for that matter. An extraordinary sight. And a great picture, just to stay on topic for a moment. Gets my vote.
Yes indeed, you are correct, the Taj Mahal, built by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal is symmetrical from all sides, took 20 years to make, with 20000 workers working day and night to make this wonder. Indeed, when he was buried along with his wife after his death, it broke the symmetry but only inside this tomb, the outside still remains as spectacular as always. Have been there about 15 times myself, and every time I go there, it is even more beautiful than the last. Have sat for hours just looking at it, it has that magical power.... Vikas
Guest
28-Apr-2004 12:54
An extraordinary building very nicely captured.
The guy who built this (apologies to him for I forget his name) went to extraordinary lengths to maintain symmetry along four lines. The Taj Mahal is always photographed from this angle but many people don't realise that it looks exactly the same when viewed from behind or either side. It has four identical facades and from above it is square. The interior is also symmetrical and has the tomb of Mumtaj Mahal, the guy's wife for whom the whole edifice was erected as a memorial, at its centre. The sad thing is that when he died, before the building was completed, his tomb was put alongside hers, breaking the symmetry he had strived to achieve.
