Visiting the Taj Mahal is one of those "bucket list" things for many. I had not necessarily dreamed of visiting, but I will admit that I was very excited about seeing this amazing site. Our guide gave us a quick history which included a few of these facts:
The Taj Mahal was commissioned by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan. It was built over thirty years to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj sits on 17 acres and is surrounded by a guest house and a Mosque. Reflecting pools mirror the beauty of the buildings. The marble is well maintained, incredibly durable and the design is intricate in awe inspiring ways. I felt like I was expected to be wowed by the romance and dedication elements of the story, but I found myself wondering about the people who toiled, suffered and died to build this awesome structure. What happened if someone made a mistake and laid a piece of marble in the wrong direction? The pieces are put together like a puzzle and surely mistakes were made. I learned a bit about the descendants of Taj workers. There is an incredible marble store in Agra and eleven families handcraft tables, dishes, elephants and more from the same marble that was used to build the Taj. We were shown the sales book or register and it appears that many famous people have purchased marble from these families. I could not walk away without a couple of pieces for my home. I chose a small white piece with blue and green inlay and a larger black piece with white and orange as the primary colors. I hope to think not of the emperor or his privileged wife when I look at them, but of the hard work and dedication of the families who toiled to create something so beautiful.
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Jane PhillipsJane Phillips is a teacher at Okemos High School in Okemos, Michigan. In the summer of 2017, she travelled to India with the U.S. State Department as part of the Teachers for Global Classrooms Program. Archives
August 2017
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