Good Ol' Taj

Only let this one tear drop, 

this Taj Mahal glisten spotlessly bright

On the cheek of time for ever and ever...

- Oh king, you sought to harm time

with the magic of beauty and weave a garland

that would blend formless death with deathless form...

This mausoleum stand still and unmoving in its place

Here on this dusty earth

It keeps death tenderly covered in the shroud of memory.

- Rabindranath Tagore

Today, I got to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

First I was all like...

Then I was all like...

Awwww yeah!!!

Seeing something in person that you’ve only seen in pictures is always an interesting experience.   Some things live up to the hype and others do not (I’m lookin’ at you, Niagara Falls.  Thanks for taking us anyway, Mom.).

The Taj Mahal, something I’ve seen in pictures since I was 4 (or something like that), did not disappoint.   It was sooooo cool!

You can't take pictures inside the tomb, so that's why there are so many full monument shots. 

You all know the story about how this is the ultimate memorial to love.  Not being that sappy myself, it does have a powerful pull in that direction.   I can't imagine how profound the loss must have felt to have resulted in this, but I certainly appreciated it being in its midst today.