India Day 5: Taj Mahal & Vrindivan

Morning comes early when you have a 6:00 am train to catch. We traveled to day from Delhi to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, on of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Affectionately known to the locals as Mum Taj, this awe inspiring monument was built by Shah Jahan in the 15th century as a testament of his love for this third and favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The building and grounds are truly awe inspiring and overwhelming in scale. It is a gorgeous white marble structure inlaid with semi-precious stones - it really has to be seen to be believed, the photos do not do it justice. Built on an octagonal base so that the mausoleom appears exactly the same from all sides. I managed to hobble on crutches around the upper area,  let me just say that the Taj is definitely not wheelchair accessible!    

After lunch and a well-deserved rest we drove to Vrindavan, the birthplace of Krishna, to visit the Iskcon Center for a taste of 24 hour kirtan. I had the immediate sense that "this is India!". We wound through narrow cobble stone alleys with hawkers shadowing or every step.  We came upon orange robbed Sadus calling out "Hare Krishna" and "Hare Ram" and holding out bowls as we passed. We bought floral garlands and took them into a temple to be blessed and took them to the Iskcon Center, a beautiful modern temple complex. After a brief tour the kirtan and music began. It is difficult to describe the feeling of the place but it left me feeling the full hearted openness, love and joy of the Hare Krishnas taking part in their daily worship.  Be sure to watch the video and you might just see what I mean.