IndianVietnamese tourists choose to come at dawn to fully experience the beauty of the marble temple Taj Mahal - a symbol of architecture and love in India.
Reader Minh Pham, 30 years old, Hanoi, has traveled to India twice. He shared his feelings about the Taj Mahal - India's tourism symbol.
To go to the Taj Mahal in Agra city, Uttar Pradesh state, visitors will usually choose same-day tours from the capital Delhi to save time. But because we wanted to see the Taj Mahal in the sunrise, we decided to take the train to Agra city the night before. Trains from Delhi to Agra are always available to serve the needs of travelers, so there is no need to book online in advance. The ticket price is also very reasonable, 170 rupees (about 68.000 VND) for a three-hour journey. Contrary to initial concerns, the train is quite neat and clean, with no scenes of crowds jostling or jostling like images spread online.
Taj Mahal in the first rays of sunlight, one can see the special symmetrical architecture.
At 6 a.m., I joined the line of people lining up to enter the Taj Mahal, waiting for the moment of sunrise. Before entering the temple, visitors must undergo strict security checks. Bags and backpacks are checked; food, drinks, cigarettes, headphones, phone chargers, drones and tripods must be deposited at the ticket gate. In addition, visitors are also required to cover their shoes with the bags provided when visiting the main mausoleum.
The big gate opened at dawn. The first rays of the day blend into the remaining mist. Then the Taj Mahal transformed gently, starting with the golden light on the top of the dome. When the sun rises, the whole temple is bathed in pure white.
Perhaps because it was built mainly of white marble, the color of the Taj Mahal also adapts to each moment of the day: pink at dawn, pure white when the sun has risen and dyed with bright yellow light. sunset.
The Taj Mahal is a masterpiece converging the quintessence of Indian architectural art, making everyone admire and praise it without sparing words. But more than that, the Taj Mahal is also associated with a tragic love story and represents the eternal values of love left by Emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal.
In 1631, Queen Mumtaz Mahan passed away. To express his condolences to King Shah Jahan's wife, a mausoleum was built to match the love between the two. The design of the project was assigned to Ustad Tsa, the most talented architect in the northern hemisphere at that time. In addition, 32 million rupees (equivalent to 877 million USD today), more than 20.000 workers and 1.000 elephants were mobilized to complete the Taj Mahal in 20 years.
But after the Taj Mahal was completed, Shah Jahan did not care about state affairs. He was deposed by his son and imprisoned in the Agra fort across the river. There, every day the emperor kept his eyes on the white marble temple. In 1666, Shah Jahan died and was taken to the Taj Mahal, reunited with his wife.
The Mughals considered symmetry a symbol of imperial harmony, so every detail of the Taj Mahal is perfectly symmetrical. Before my eyes, the magnificent Taj Mahal reflected in the water tank along the north-south axis, surrounded by two even rows of green trees. At the corners of the mausoleum are four large towers, two red sandstone structures (cathedral and guest house) located at a proportional distance from the mausoleum. The four sides of the mausoleum are also identical with the archway and the Koran carved in stone. If you stand from below and look up, the letters around the archway seem to be the same size. But in reality, the lower letters are written smaller than the upper ones to create a balanced visual effect for the viewer's eyes.
The main part of the building is a 75 m high octagonal mausoleum with a large dome of marble and sandstone, decorated with a lotus flower to emphasize its height. The pinnacle is a gilded dome filigree, blending Persian style and Hindu elements. In the middle of the main room lie the bodies of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal, exquisitely decorated. The light - dark spaces and solid - hollow blocks are used harmoniously, making the tomb not restrictive or heavy.
Taj Mahal took me on a journey of emotions from surprise, amazement, to overwhelm and then condensation. The temple is not only an architectural masterpiece but also a symbol of eternal love. Nearly four hundred years have passed, every day millions of people still travel long distances to this place to have their own contemplations of love.
The day I arrived at the Taj Mahal, I met both couples and single people. And I believe as long as people still want to love, the Taj Mahal and the love story between Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal will remain timeless.
Some things tourists should note when coming to the Taj Mahal
To get to the Taj Mahal, tourists often choose three-hour train trips from the capital Delhi.
The best time to visit the Taj Mahal is at sunrise and sunset. The temple opens 30 minutes before sunrise, closes 30 minutes before sunset and is closed every Friday.
Visitors can buy entrance tickets at all three gates of the temple (West, East and South gates).
Entrance fee to the Taj Mahal for foreigners is 1.100 rupees (about 440.000 VND). Children under 15 years old are free. With each ticket, visitors are allowed to visit for three hours, and are given free drinks, shoe covers and maps. At the entrance there is a timer code scanner, visitors who visit after hours will be charged an additional fee.
Visitors are not allowed to take photos in the main mausoleum.
Articles and photos: Minh Pham
