Leaving the bus in the parking slot, we trudged along on foot towards the ticket counter. By the time we had got the tickets and reached the entrance, it was already late afternoon. The entrance was through a majestic gate like architecture made of red stone. From here right up to the Taj Mahal, was a passage on either side of a pond lined with fountains. The monument was surrounded by lush green plants and trees, amidst which this monument stood in awesome splendor. We slowly wound our way through the milling crowd to reach the monument that was made of pure white marble, which sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight. On the four corner of the monument, were high minarets also made of marble. The main structure comprised the dome beneath which lays the graves of Emperor Shah Jahan and his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The walls of the main structure and the dome had exquisite carving done on marble with precious stones embedded in them. On seeing them closely one could not help wondering, the great mastery of the artisans who created them. Placed in the middle were the two gravestones of marble similarly decorated around which we moved. The actual graves lay beneath them in the basement.
