Taj Mahal

30.09.2012

We visit the Taj Mahal in all different kind of persepctives.
This morning we are getting up really early, around 5:30 a.m., to see the Taj Mahal in nice morning sunlight.

Even though it is quite early we have to stand in a small waiting queue.



The sun is rising.



We made it through the strict security check.






Fly






We are getting cloder to THE jewel of Muslim art in India.






There it is.



The Taj Mahal






Photosession



Svana and I



I, Svana, Alex and Christian









Jump!

The Taj Mahal ("crown of palaces") is a white marble mausoleum. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal.

Calligraphy



Yamuna is the river in the north of the Taj Mahal.

The four towers around the Taj Mahal are built skewed. They bent away from the mausoleum in the middle to appear straight by a distant view on the Taj.

Christian and Alex

Everybody is suppose to take of their shoes or wear overshoes at the holy place of the mausoleum.

It is prohibited to take pictures in the inside of the mausoleum.


















The symbol of luck






Common Myna
Acridotheres tristis



Egyptian Vulture
Neophron percnopterus



Alexandrian Parrot
Psittacula eupatria






Great White Pelican
Pelecanus onocrotalus



In the Botanical Garden of Taj Mahal



Bauhinia purpurea



Azedirachia indica



An Alexandrian Parrot (Psittacula eupatria)
in a golden shower tree (Cassia fistula).



Ficus benjamina



Do you see the Parrot in the Colvillea subcordata?






Pellophorum erugineum









Flying Parrot






Gecko



Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaocto



Svana and I are leaving the Taj Mahal



and going for breakfast/lunch.



This ice tea is made with hot black tea,
water, a squashed lemon and an ice cube.
Delicious!



Tomato potato curry






Svana's dessert - Danesh farmoon five

After lunch we are going back to the hotel for a siesta.


Pigs sleeping in the sun



White donkeys



Svana: "The dog doesn't look like sleeping."



In the afternoon we visit a park for the Taj nature walk.



Christian, Alex and Svana









Hooded Crow
Corvus corone cornix






From the park we can also see the Taj Mahal.






Alex, I, Christian and Svana


















Indian Palm Squirrel
Funambulus Palmarum



Bougainvillea






Svana and I find a wall in the park with different indian birds painted on.



Hornbills



The apprentice of our riksha drivers looks for us in the park
and leads us outside again to go to the Baby Taj next.



Holy cow



The Baby Taj is on the other side of the Yamuna river.



Actually the reals name of the Baby Taj is mausoleum of I'timād-ud-Daulah.






Baboons






























For the sunset we are going to Mehtab Bagh
to have a nice look at the Taj Mahal again.








ताजमहल





Sunset



At the Taj are crowds of people.












I ♥ Taj Mahal!



Dirty feet



Amazing day!

Tomorrow we are going back to Delhi.

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