The Taj Mahal... it's huge, it's beautiful, it's extremely symmetric. Lots of poor people died making this thing, so when you go, you have to make sure you really enjoy it. Which is easy enough to do, the whole complex is wondrous and well-maintained.

It was built from 1631 to 1653 by Shah Jehan, the fifth Mughal emperor. It was a tomb for his much beloved second wife, Mumtaz Mahal. (Our guide said that when the English came to town, they had trouble pronouncing Mumtaz, so they shortered it to just Taj). The tomb represents the pinnacle of Mughal architecture, and is considered one of the greatest testaments to love, like, ever. If you ever speak of it in terms of love, however, do make sure to elide, or not bring up at all, the slave laborers that made it - their mention is a sure way to kill that lovely ambience you'll have worked so hard to create.




Shah Jehan was deposed by his son a few years after the completion of the Taj, and was imprisoned for eight years in the Red Fort. His son was kind enough to give him a room with a view of the Taj Mahal. Isn't that sweet?




More fun facts: The building is made out of some mighty white marble, which is inlaid with semi-precious stones. In the evenings the stones catch the moon's shine and the whole thing glimmers. Us regular tourists can never really see this; the grounds are closed at night for security reasons. In the morning light the Taj Mahal looks pink, and in the days it looks milky white.




You can get to the Taj Mahal on a daytrip from Delhi, which is what Vimal and I did. Our tour guide was Padam Sharma, a knowledgeable and jolly fellow who we are convinced is a highway robber baron. I don't recall anymore why we thought this, but we did, so it must be true. One thing I remember about Padamji: he mentioned he'd gotten a master's degree in art history, abroad. I asked him where. He said: 'university.' I said, yes, but where? I was only curious. Padamji looked perturbed, and I sense then that his bonhomie was a veneer, and that beneath it lay deep pools of villainy. 'Abroad' he said, curtly. He then was conveniently called aside by an associate.

Obviously, he did not get a master's degree in history or art, and therefore obviously he is a highway robber baron. For a man who spends his life highjacking trucks on India's interstates, however, I must say he was quite well-versed in history and art.