Day 7: Feb 5
“The Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time.” ―Rabindranath Tagore
In my opinion, the only way to see the Taj Mahal for the first time (or even the 10th time) is to wake up at dawn and watch the sun rise over this magnificent citadel--and that’s exactly what we did this morning. We've all been traveling a lot over the last few days and the idea of such an early wake up call was not remotely exiting. But no one wanted to miss this and come 5:15am we were all on the bus to the Taj. Having visited the Taj a few times now, I’m always surprised by how moved I am to witness the sun rising and casting its first rays on this magnificent symbol of love. It’s an experience like none other.
Visiting the Taj Mahal is something not to be missed. Join me in March 2015 when I return with my 11-day Meditation retreat in North India, celebrating Holi.
Built by Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial for his second wife, the Taj took some 20,000 workers from India and Central Asia to help construct this massive marble mausoleum. During the construction process there was even assistance from specialists from as far as Europe to help produce the exquisite semi-precious stone inlay work.
After our enchanting early morning at the Taj Mahal we headed back to the hotel for breakfast and to begin our journey west to the little known village of Samode in Rajasthan.
