October 31, 2024
Our day began with a visit to a sight unlike any other in the entire world: the iconic Taj Mahal. This grand edifice, built by Shah Jahan from1631 to 1653 to enshrine the remains of his Queen Mumtaz Mahal, took 20,000 workers tobuild. We walk into the inner chambers of this renowned “Monument to Love.” The semi-translucent white marble is inlaid with thousands of semi-precious stones and the building has four identical facades, a perfect exercise in symmetry. It’s truly a wonder of the world!!
Our next stop was a cozy café known as Sheroes. Whereas the Taj Mahal stands as a testamentto romantic devotion, Sheroes represents the violence that can befall women in patriarchal societies when love goes bad: The women who work at this exceptional place are all victims of acid attacks perpetrated by vengeful partners and scorned suitors. After watching a short documentary about the struggles victims face, we had the opportunity to discuss acid attacks in India with two café workers who are both survivors of acid attacks.
After lunch, we made our way to the sprawling Agra Fort on the bank of the Yamuna River. This immense fortand palace were the seat of power for four generations of Mughal emperors; they ruled allof northern India from the early 16th century until the consolidation by British colonial rule in the early 1800s.
After we returned to the hotel for a shower and rest before we headed out for the evening to celebrate Diwali.
Diwali is one of the major religious festivals in Hinduism, Jainism, and Sikhism. The name is derived from the Sanskrit term dipavali, meaning “row of lights.” The festival generally symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and is held on the darkest night of the year.
We celebrated Diwali with a local family. The celebration included a Puja (blessing) conducted by the priest then lots of food. The night ended with fireworks! Our coach was decorated by the conductor so we partied all the way home!!
