At the Taj Mahal

From the mosque on the left, Jeremy kept telling me to "back-up."  Gives some perspective to the height of the Taj Mahal:

We had to wear protective foot coverings and walk up steps.  The memorial/monument sits on a base (that is not a wall):

This is the mosque on the left, the side that faces the Taj:

This is a view of the gateway we came through to see the Taj from within the complex, also facing the Taj:

The entrance itself of the Taj Mahal:

Once you enter the doors, you are not allowed to take any pictures.  Upon entering, you are in what would be best described as a large foyer.  One would continue straight ahead to the main cenotaph chamber.  This is an extremely large room similar to standing inside one of the popular Washington D.C. monuments where the statues are.  This particular room has a marble fence in an octagonal shape surrounding the two cenotaphs (think marble coffins atop marble bases).  This is the only place where balance is purposely disproportionate.  The cenotaph for Mumtaz Mahal is directly in the center of the fence and the room and the cenotaph for Shah Jahan is set to the left (from the entrance facing to the river).  The actual cenotaphs, however, lie in a crypt directly below, but the ones on public display are said to be replicas.

Around the chamber are four identical rectangular rooms on both floors on all four sides and four octagonal rooms at the corners interconnected to one another.  Only the main floor is open to the public.  In the midst of numerous other people taking pictures in these rooms (with no picture taking signs still placed) I took one myself...I did come a long way, thank you very much. Plus, looking out one of the windows to the other red sandstone building (the guest house) on the right:

We exited to the rear (the river side), but remained on the base:

Then we came around the side, to the front, down the stairs, along the right side, and out the gateway and out the gate and down the road...after sitting and posing in a few places:

Yes, that's a cow and no, he's not tied up:

This was our guide (the whole day), Nittin.  He lives in Agra.  He is very knowledgeable and reputable.  You can book him, we used www.melissatravels.com to get him.  Melissa Tours is owned by a member of our church, Praveen Beesa, who lives in Delhi.  Nittin is the person that Praveen uses when the general authorities of the Church come in.  Nittin is not Mormon, but very (humbly) excited to list all of the members who has has given guides to over the years.  (Think almost all of the Quorum of the Twelve, in addition to other quorums, mission presidents, etc.)  I was impressed with his memory of their names but also of his reverence and honor of their positions.  He has built relationships with them...it was fun to see his personality come out when he spoke of Elder Anderson who'd just been there a week or two before us.