The first time I saw the Taj Mahal it was raining. A cold heavy rain was falling when my group scurried from the tour coach through the entrance gate and peered disappointingly at the large white edifice at the far end of what was anything but a reflecting pool on this day. We had all heard so much about the famous Taj Mahal, it was to be a highlight of our trip, but as I looked through the rain, at some hardy umbrella-toting souls as they splashed their way towards the Taj, I was not disappointed. It would be another nine & a half years and under much better conditions before I saw the Taj, that supreme token of one man's love for his wife, again. It was truly magnificent. A sight that has inspired poets & writers for centuries: "The eye of the sun overflows with tears from looking at it; its shadow is like moonlight to the earth." And to the Indian writer Rabindranath Tagore it was "a teardrop on the cheek of time."
Sheltering beneath umbrellas, hardy souls make their was in the cold rain
towards the magnificent structure of the Taj Mahal.
The second time I saw the Taj was under much better conditions - the sun
was shining, the sky was blue, there was no wind,school children in their
red uniforms were excitedly making the most of this perfect day.
Resplendent against a blue sky, the beauty of the Taj Mahal lies in the
exquisite marble work. Delicately sculpted panels, many inlaid with
semi-precious stone are a tribute to the artisans of so long ago.
impressive, even though it is constructed essentially from the local
red sandstone.
The reflecting pools are designed to duplicate this magnificent
building.
Also in Agra, & a few years older than the Taj, is the Tomb of the
Itmad-ud Daulah, a Persian official whose daughter married the
Moghul Emperor Jahangir. He was also the grandfather of Mumtaz,
the lady of the Taj.
delicate & interesting marble work, as this panel shows.
In the tradition of the Taj marble work, other palaces in Moghul
India have equally delicate inlay, as this marble insect attests.
In the early 1980s I met master craftsman Naqi Uddin, a descendant
of the craftsman who worked on the inlay work on the Taj. Then in
his late 80s, Naqi Uddin was often called in the replace or repair
inlay work in the Taj that had been damaged by thoughtless visitors.
Naqi's own work was exquisite, be it a table or marble plate.
A marble inlay plate by Naqi Uddin is richly decorated with
lapis lazuli, malachite, carnelian, jasper, & mother-of-pearl.
Hopefully Naqi has been able to pass on his skills to a new generation.
© Neil Rawlins text & photography
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