What can one say about the Taj?

We arrived in Agra yesterday, and everyone in the group was anticipating the Taj Mahal, one of India's, if not the world's, most famous landmarks. We have all seen the classic shots of it in magazines and on travel shows. What were we to do to capture this place?

Several of us had seen a couple of famous new photos taken "around the back" of the Taj. We decided to seek out that vantage point at sunset, and were not disappointed. There is no admission to be paid at the back, you just have to make your way across the river to a site near the "Baby Taj". You walk out onto a partially dried up riverbed, which is extremely polluted, as is everything in India. You can see all the crowds at the Taj, yet there was hardly anyone here. It was a very hazy afternoon, with sunset approaching. We hopped among the filth and garbage, and were rewarded with some wonderful shots. I must admit, I am particularly proud of this shot taken on my little Nikon Coolpix. What do you think, Laurie?















As I said, we wandered among the garbage and scum on the river, and I realized it was kind of a metaphor for India. The next photo does not include the Taj, but was taken just behind it. It is extremely polluted water and garbage, with green scum drying around the edge. The sky is equally polluted with smoke and fog that always seems to choke Agra this time of year.

On the surface, it appears there is nothing nice to see, just a big mess. But like India, if you look a little deeper, you will see a beauty that may not be apparent to the casual observer. The ugliness fades, and something wonderful comes to the surface.

This is a very special place.