My tour guide Sanjay said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who have seen the Taj Mahal and those who haven’t. He earnestly urged me to save my ticket with the date stamp in case I’m ever challenged to provide documentation. In addition to the iconic white marble visible from a distance, this wonder of the world also has exquisite designs inlaid with multi-colored semi-precious stones. Sanjay pointed out the significance of the number 22: 22 doors in the courtyard, 22 minarets, 22 years to build, and the height of the finial: 22 feet. I didn’t have the heart to ask him if those Persian builders used units of feet back during the Taj Mahal construction years 1631 – 1653 (do the math!). Look past the rumpled American tourist at the beautiful Indian women in their colorful saris.
A little shopping afterwards – the impossibly handsome salesguy held up one inlaid marble plate on each side of his Bollywood-star face, lit up an enormous grin, and asked, “Which of these three is your favorite?”
