Taj Mahal is the legendary monument built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for housing the tomb of his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The construction of the tomb started in 1632 and continued well beyond 1643. This UNESCO World Heritage Site employed more than twenty thousand artisans working under the famed court architect Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.
Our Visit To The Taj Mahal
It was in the summer of 2019 that I got the opportunity to visit Taj Mahal once again. While I had seen the Taj once before, this experience was very different. This was the first time I saw the Taj in the rain. The beautiful dome of the monument is already one of the most famous symbols of India, but it looks even more resplendent against the backdrop of a cloudy grey sky. The magnificent garden laid out in front of it comes even more to life and adds liveliness to the splendour of the great structure behind it. Here is a peek of Taj Mahal in the rain.
As it started raining, we took shelter in the cloister, or pillared corridor, opposite the Taj Mahal. The very structure of the whole complex is an ode to this type of weather. The breeze accompanying the rain is magnified by the trees of the garden, and roams freely through the corridors. The cooling is increased with the cooling of the sandstone and marble as well as the central water body in from the the Taj. The atmosphere was perfect. All we had to do was sit and take in the beauty surrounding us. Perhaps that is what the Mughal royalty also did when it rained? Roamed around the garden and sit in the corridor and enjoy the breeze?
To match the beauty of the surroundings was the beauty of the sound of the rain and the people around us. For no matter how much we grow up, we Indians share a special love for the rain. The moment a few drops fall on the ground, especially one as clean and lush as that of the Taj Mahal complex, we forget our umbrellas and enjoy the cool pitter-patter of the raindrops on our hands. This is the scene you will also encounter if you visit the Taj in the rain. With rain, the children immediately take off their shoes and run free. And the adults immediately shed their hesitation and breathe free.
What a way to see this magnificent monument!
