Dream Trip 2009

Great Travel Moment

What we tourists know of the Taj Mahal is the magnificent building, photographed many times over and distributed around the world. What we don't see in most professional shots are the people processes that this mausoleum invites. On the balcony winding around the back, friends and family gather. It's clear they don't come for a quick walk-through. They seem to visit to take in the experience; they sit down in groups, stretch out their hands on the marble, lean in toward each other exchanging stories, and share the memorial as a symbol of bonding. For this reason, the Taj Mahal is a living monument. It lives because of the Indians and foreigners alike whose very presence claims it, honors it, respects it, appreciates it, guards it, and tightens the ties that count.