Incredible India!
- May 28, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 13, 2024
What a feeling it is to cross off one of the top items on your bucket list! For me, that was visiting the Taj Mahal. As a child, I was obsessed with the beauty of this exquisite monument--not so much about the love story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, but the sheer beauty and incredible craftsmanship it took. Yes, as a child of not yet ten years old, I saw it in my textbooks and on favorite tv shows like Carmen San Diego. I sketched it out on my drawing pads and erected 3D puzzles shaped like it. One day, some day, I always thought, I would see it in person!
May 2023 was when I had that wonderful privilege. It was a literal dream come true!
I set out to explore the infamous Golden Triangle of Northern India--the beautiful sites and monuments at Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. As a supporter of the UNESCO World Heritage conservation program, I was absolutely thrilled to be able to see eight of the 40 sites in India during this trip! Being in India alone was cause for elation. I think people make India out to be this land of enchantment, of history, customs, and culture that can be traced back countless centuries ago. As a place of great cultural diversity, people go to discover and experience new things and to break out of the mundaneness of their lives. As the birthplace of many religions and philosophies, people come in search of self-discovery.
Seeing the Taj Mahal was definitely a highlight. I probably slept two hours that night with the excitement keeping me up! Our group left the hotel at 4am to be in line when the site opened at 5am. We were excited to be the first ones there! How amazing it felt to be the first out of thousands there that day! By the time we entered past the infamous gates, dawn was breaking. The grand monument right before our eyes was still a bit hazy while the morning light was slowly but surely starting to peek through. As we moved steadfastly, the guide gave us detailed instructions on how we would organize ourselves to get our pictures on the infamous "Diana bench" where the late Princess of Wales had notoriously sat on her solo trip in 1992. After capturing that shot for each of us, we had a few moments of calm before the other visitors flooded the site. As the sun came up, the monument began to glisten, the light bouncing off its exquisitely cut marble. I was on a high and in awe the whole time!
All the monuments and sites we visited in the triangle were breathtaking--the craftsmanship unique with beauty that shone throughout the centuries. Our visit was very much focused on getting to know India's rich culture and history. We visited the places of worship of the many religions co-existing in India--from Hindu and Sikh temples to mosques and churches. We visited palaces of the Mughals rulers, who built much of the sites we visited, including the Taj Mahal.
The vibrant colors of India!
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