A Postcard from Agra

I feel a bit awkward saying this.

When I visited the Taj Mahal, I didn’t experience a whole lot of wonder. I mean, it’s literally one of the (New) Seven Wonders of the World.

And it’s very impressive. Spectacular, even. But I wasn’t exactly blown away.

After spending a few hours exploring the Taj Mahal, I visited the ‘Baby Taj’. Nicknamed the ‘jewel box’, it’s widely regarded as the inspiration for the Taj Mahal itself. But unlike the majestic splendour of the Taj Mahal, the Baby Taj is more detailed, more intimate and more charming.

What they have in common is that they are both a tribute to the enduring wonder of love.

While the Taj Mahal is famously associated with love of Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Baby Taj (officially Itimad-ud-Daulah's Tomb) was commissioned by Shah Jahan’s stepmother, Empress Nur Jahan, as a mausoleum for her father.

And it was there that I happened to witness a moment of love between two strangers — in Agra, the City of Love.

🇮🇳 Agra, India, January 2023

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