I have done quite a bit of traveling in my life. Throughout these experiences I have been woken up early by chickens, children crying, jungle parrots, and church bells. Today, I was awakened at 5 am by the call to prayer at a mosque that can be seen from our hotel. It was a fitting beginning to a day when we would visit one of the most prominent monuments built by an Islamic (or Moghul) emperor: The Taj Mahal.
If you've never been to the Taj, get out a pen and put it on your bucket list now! From the intricate red-stone inner gate (or veil of the Taj) to the immense white marble dome, from the green of the garden trees to the blues and oranges of the intricately laid stone patterns on her face, the Taj Mahal is an amazing sight. It was built by Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan as a moseleum for his wife. The monument had to be created perfect symmetry and flawless beauty to mirror that of his wife in commemoration of his love for her. His desire for the monument was that it be the most beautiful building in the world, not only a building but a picture of a woman with her own character and changing moods (as all women have). I heard one girl in our group, Whitney, say that the story of Shah Jahan, his wife, and the Taj Mahal, reminds her of Jesus' love for us in how greatly and extravagantly we are beloved. I think it is such a gift that art like this can bring us to see aspects of God in ways that we have not before and in places that are foreign to us.
After the Taj Mahal, we went to lunch at McDonalds. I know you might be thinking "that's not very Indian," but trust me, it was as Indian as anyone wanted it to be. Due to the fact that cows are sacred to Hindus and therefore not meant to be eaten, the selection of sandwiches is mostly chicken based. I got something a little more Indian than a chicken sandwich and opted for a paneer burger, a type of sandwich made with a patty of fried yoghurt cheese. It was different from any other burger I've ever had, but it was also delicious.
From lunch, we went to Agra Fort where several emperors of Indian lived over the years due to its beauty and its function as a heavily fortified citadel. Agra Fort is called a virgin forth because it has never been conquered by force. As we roamed the grounds of the fort, I was amazed to think that there were once people living in this gorgeous building, which despite the wear of time still holds an air of magnificence and opulence.
We split up after the Fort. Some went shopping, some relaxed in the hotel, and a few of us, myself included, headed to the lawn of the hotel for a session of Yoga with the hotel's instructor. Yoga is hard in that you have to stretch muscles you may not be used to using, but after traveling so much lately it was a great way to loosen up tense muscles. We also got a good laugh out of watching some of the taller guys on the trip try to tackle some of the yoga poses.
We finished the day with dinner in the hotel to the sounds of live Indian music. The experiences of this day were wonderful, in that they fill me with an ever growing sense of wonder at this country. I hope to continue growing in this as we go and experience more adventures along the way.
-Rachel
If you've never been to the Taj, get out a pen and put it on your bucket list now! From the intricate red-stone inner gate (or veil of the Taj) to the immense white marble dome, from the green of the garden trees to the blues and oranges of the intricately laid stone patterns on her face, the Taj Mahal is an amazing sight. It was built by Moghul Emperor Shah Jahan as a moseleum for his wife. The monument had to be created perfect symmetry and flawless beauty to mirror that of his wife in commemoration of his love for her. His desire for the monument was that it be the most beautiful building in the world, not only a building but a picture of a woman with her own character and changing moods (as all women have). I heard one girl in our group, Whitney, say that the story of Shah Jahan, his wife, and the Taj Mahal, reminds her of Jesus' love for us in how greatly and extravagantly we are beloved. I think it is such a gift that art like this can bring us to see aspects of God in ways that we have not before and in places that are foreign to us.
After the Taj Mahal, we went to lunch at McDonalds. I know you might be thinking "that's not very Indian," but trust me, it was as Indian as anyone wanted it to be. Due to the fact that cows are sacred to Hindus and therefore not meant to be eaten, the selection of sandwiches is mostly chicken based. I got something a little more Indian than a chicken sandwich and opted for a paneer burger, a type of sandwich made with a patty of fried yoghurt cheese. It was different from any other burger I've ever had, but it was also delicious.
From lunch, we went to Agra Fort where several emperors of Indian lived over the years due to its beauty and its function as a heavily fortified citadel. Agra Fort is called a virgin forth because it has never been conquered by force. As we roamed the grounds of the fort, I was amazed to think that there were once people living in this gorgeous building, which despite the wear of time still holds an air of magnificence and opulence.
We split up after the Fort. Some went shopping, some relaxed in the hotel, and a few of us, myself included, headed to the lawn of the hotel for a session of Yoga with the hotel's instructor. Yoga is hard in that you have to stretch muscles you may not be used to using, but after traveling so much lately it was a great way to loosen up tense muscles. We also got a good laugh out of watching some of the taller guys on the trip try to tackle some of the yoga poses.
We finished the day with dinner in the hotel to the sounds of live Indian music. The experiences of this day were wonderful, in that they fill me with an ever growing sense of wonder at this country. I hope to continue growing in this as we go and experience more adventures along the way.
-Rachel
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