Después de explicar las reglas a los nuevos, empezó la partida. Esta vez tenía claro que no iba a construir tantos palacios como en la partida anterior, es una estrategia demasiado arriesgada, cualquiera puede bloquearte. Sí, sí, ya sé que para evitarlo están los mogules, pero es que no consigo ganar nunca con ellos, me tienen manía. Traté de enlazar cinco regiones pero fracasé... los mogules, los jodidos mogules no estaban por la labor (y quizás mi tendencia a arriesgar demasiado, no sé). A media partida creo que iba primero, había conseguido las mercancías de tres regiones, pero sabía que la cosa se estaba poniendo muy fea. Fran estaba remontando, había conseguido todas las mercancías por las que yo no podía luchar, seguramente porque yo no tenía cartas, seguramente porque tenía una enorme manada de elefantes blancos en sus manos. Creo que mi error principal es que me meto donde no me llaman, pero es que no puedo evitarlo, me arriesgo cuando no tengo que hacerlo. De todas formas, todavía tenía una pequeña esperanza, ganar las mercancías de las dos últimas regiones y a ver qué pasa. Acumulé todos los elefantes que pude en dos colores diferentes, pero no fue suficiente, primero Quico y luego mi sentido común me impidieron ganar las mercancías de ninguna de las dos regiones. Quico me aplastó con un millón de elefantes cuando no me lo esperaba, ya no tenía sentido luchar por las mercancías de la última región, me salía más a cuenta guardar cartas e intentar colocar rápido algún palacio. Ganó Fran con casi 20 puntos de diferencia sobre el segundo, y menos mal que tampoco consiguió las mercancías de la última región, porque tenía muuuuuchas mercancías. Sergi, que durante toda la partida fue último, quedó segundo, tenía media baraja en las manos. Yo quedé tercero y gracias. Quico quedó cuarto, seguramente por preocuparse más de que los demás no consiguiéramos puntos que de conseguirlos él mismo.

El juego me sigue pareciendo muy bueno, pese a mis más que discretos terceros puestos. Voy a tener que arriesgar mucho si quiero ganar el campeonato, Fran me saca 30 puntos y sólo me quedan dos partidas. Veremos que se me ocurre, porque hasta ahora lo de arriesgar no se me ha dado muy bien que digamos. Por cierto, la próxima semana no me toca partida de campeonato, aunque intentaré engañar a alguien para que juegue conmigo un Agricola.

Outras muitas podem ser vistas no Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/michael_hughes/sets/346406/

Fonte: BBCBrasil.

Artist: Taj Mahal
Album: Global GOA Trance Network - Compiled By DJ Mikadho (2CD)

Tracklist :

• Do I Care

El juego elegido fue el Taj Mahal, ninguno había jugado antes, ni siquiera yo, así que ninguno tendría ventaja previa. Después de la primera partida creo que ha sido un gran acierto, ya que pocos juegos pueden ser tan tensos.

La primera partida la jugamos Abel, Fran, Iván y yo; Quico y Sergi tendrán que esperar a la próxima semana. Expliqué las reglas sin demasiados problemas, es un juego bastante sencillo "baja una o dos cartas o retírate". En la primera ronda nos quedó bastante claro que ser el primero en retirarse es bueno porque permite escoger cartas y que retirarse sin haber bajado ninguna carta es una opción a tener en cuenta. En la segunda ronda nos dimos cuenta de lo importantes que son las cartas blancas y que no siempre merece la pena construir un palacio en una fortaleza (donde te dan cosas). En la tercera ronda nos dimos cuenta que desgastarse demasiado no es una buena opción y que enlazar regiones con palacios es más complicado de lo que parece. En la cuarta y quinta ronda comprobamos la importancia de las cartas especiales que se ganan con dos marcadores iguales y que el Gran Mogul es importante si pretendes hacer una buena red de palacios. Etc. El juego tiene mucha más miga de lo que parece, hay distintas formas de ganar puntos y todas parecen buenas. Es un juego más táctico que estratégico, en el que yo creo que la clave es saberse retirar a tiempo. Ganó Fran, que empezó realmente mal, pero supo recuperarse a tiempo, se retiró sin jugar cartas dos rondas seguidas y luego consiguió la carta de +2 que conservó hasta el final. Abel quedó segundo con una estrategia puramente mercantil, creo que si hubiera colocado mejor los palacios hubiera puesto en apuros a Fran. Quedé tercero, seguramente por aquello de que la avaricia rompe el saco. Iván quedó último, seguramente por aquello de que el que mucho abarca poco aprieta. Me encantó la partida y el juego, algo que no me suele pasar con los juegos de Reiner Knizia.

காலமும் காற்றடைத்தவையாம்
சொன்னவன் யார்
ஆஸ்துமா நோயாளியா?

 
காலம் ஒரு கணக்கு
மாணவனுக்கு கஷ்டம்
கடைக்கரனுக்கு கஸ்டமர்
வக்கீலுக்கு வாய்தா
உருவம் தான் உதைக்கிறது.
 

காதலுக்கு தாஜ்மஹால் கட்டச்செய்யும்.
ஆண்டு 350 ஆ இருந்தது போதும் அங்கே
மந்திரியை மாடி வீடு கட்டசொல்லும்.

 
கட்டியவனுக்கு காலம் பொய்;
காலத்துக்கு அவன் பொய்.

 
உண்மை/பொய்
அதற்கு பொய்.
நிமிடம் பொய்;
வினாடி பொய்;
மாதம் பொய்;
சம்பளம் பொய்;
போனஸ் பொய்;
தான் மட்டும் மெய்.

 
வேதம் பொய்;
காதல் பொய்;
காமம் பொய்;
கல்வி பொய்;
ஊழல் பொய்;
எழுதி வைய்க்க நினைத்தால்
பேனா மையும் பொய்.

 
பூமி தான் காலமோ?
எரி கல் விழுந்தால்
பூமியும் பாழாகும்.

 
பெளதிகதில் காலம்=தூரம்/செயல்
தூரம் சென்றால் காலமா?
முழிப்பான் விஞ்ஞானி.
முடியமால் முடிப்பான்
அவன் மகனும் முழித்து முடிப்பான்
அவன் தான் காலமோ?

 
இது பரபஞ்ச காகிதத்தின்
முற்றுப் புள்ளி வரிகள்
குருடர் புத்தகம்
இதில் புள்ளிகளை தேடுவதற்க்கு
முற்றுப்புள்ளி இல்லை.

 
நாளையும் விடியும்
நீ களவு கொள்ளலாம்
காதல் கொள்ளலாம்
கனவு காணலாம்
அத்தனையும் காலம்.
உணர்.

 
காலம் எவ்வளவு நிதர்சனம்
பேனா மை முடிந்தது.

-பேரின்பா

Anberlin - New Surrender
The Archies - The Archies Christmas Album featuring Betty & Veronica
Joseph Arthur & the Lonely Astronauts - Temporary People
Bayside - Shudder
Beaujolais - Love at Thirty
Rory Block - Blues Walkin' Like a Man: A Tribute to Son House
Wade Bowen - If We Ever Make it Home
Mary Chapin Carpenter - Come Darkness, Come Light: Twelve Songs of Christmas
Cherryholmes - Cherryholmes III: Don't Believe
Dear and the Headlights - Drunk Like Bible Times
Ani DiFranco - Red Letter Year
Dion - Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock
Enigma - Seven Lives Many Faces
Melissa Etheridge - A New Thought For Christmas
Dan Evans - Goin' All Out
Béla Fleck & the Flecktones - Jingle All the Way
Ben Folds - Way to Normal
Faith Hill - Joy to the World
Jennifer Hudson - Jennifer Hudson
The Iguanas - If You Should Ever Fall on Hard Times
In This Moment - The Dream
Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger
Les Paul & Friends: A Tribute to a Legend
Look Daggers - Suffer in Style
Jeff Lorber - Heard That
Taj Mahal - Maestro
Mercury Rev - Snowflake Midnight
Jason Miles - 2 Grover, With Love
Tom Morello: The Nightwatchman - The Fabled City
James Morrison - Songs for You, Truths for Me
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist soundtrack
Outerspace - God's Fury
Kellie Pickler - Kellie Pickler
Polysics - We Ate the Machine
Joshua Radin - Simple Times
Rock N Rolla soundtrack
Lesley Roy - Unbeautiful
XX Teens - Welcome to Goon Island
Todd Rundgren - Arena
Pete Seeger - At 89
Semi Precious Weapons - We Love You
Stack$ - Crazee and Confuzed
James Taylor - Covers
Robin Thicke - Something Else
T.I. - Paper Trail
Trivium - Shogun
Brian Vander Ark - Brian Vander Ark

In Agra ajung in cea mai importanta zi religioasa pentru orasul cu Taj Mahal. Iubitorii de Shiva sarbatoresc dragostea pentru zeul lor inconjurand orasul. In aceasta noapte, oameni, camile, vaci si elefanti parcurg 65 kilometri pentru a trece pe la cele 4 mari temple ale lui Shiva. De la 3 la 90 ani, toata lumea este desculta. Tinerii alearga si danseaza dezantuiti pe strazi pe ritmuri de muzici religioase. "Muzica religioasa" se traduce aici prin ritmuri alerte de tobe si cantareti cu bucurie in voce. Multimea curge in continuu. Pe drum sunt asteptati cu mancare si apa, pe care le consuma din mers. Muzica ii insoteste pe tot parcursul si se opresc uneori in locuri special amenajate, care dpdv al calitatii si volumului sunetului pot concura multe cluburi. Danseaza pasional si se pierd pe ritmurile salbatice. Probabil ca din India a plecat stilul "jungle dance". Desigur ca manifestarile se datoreaza si drogurilor, Shiva fiind cunoscut si ca patron al produselor din canabis.

 "Om Namoh Shivay" este cea mai cunoscuta mantra hindusa si pt tinerii indieni inseamna "ne inchinam zeului Shiva"(in sanscrita OM inseamna spirit, Namoh este salut, iar Shivay- zeu).

Alaturi de alti spectatori indieni stau pe un postament aflat de-a lungul strazii. Nu e usor sa fiu alb in noaptea asta. Cei mai extatici sar din mers si vor sa se agate de mine. Insa imediat apar cei care ma protejeaza. Vreau neaparat muzica si ma incumet sa traversez strada. La DJ - multi dj. II zic unuia de muzica, nu intelege, vine al doilea, il cheama pe al treilea care imi pune microfonul la gura. " Te rog sa imi dai muzica, nu vreau la microfon" se aude pe toata strada. Si f draguti, in 3 min mi-au dat 50 piese :)

Marsul se incheie abia dimineata la ora 10, cand ii intalnesc din nou, indreptandu-se spre case. Obositi si cu picioarele zdrelite, patimasii dansatori isi pastreaza zambetele inocente.

Din nefericire nu mai am pozele. Singurele pe care le mai am din Agra sunt de la un workshop. Cum ziceam, in acest proiect sunt trainer voluntar, adica fac cu drag si nu cer nimic in schimb. Clientii se ocupa de spatiu. Locatia organizatiei Sakar are o deschidere imbietoare catre Taj Mahal.

De camino en la carretera vimos el primer Mc Donal´s en la India. ¡¡Que ilusión!! Aunque claro en la India no se come ternera ni cerdo, así que ni Bic Mac ni nada parecido. Las hamburguesas son de cordero pero tienen un sabor extraño (bautizado con “sabor india”) que debe tener alguna especia y toda la comida tiene ese mismo sabor final, bastante malo, por cierto. Así que nos tiramos a una especie de Mc Pollo que se podía comer bastante bien. Por cierto las patatas fritas si que son iguales en cualquier parte de la India y fueron el plato principal del viaje.

Aunque suene algo típico, el Taj Mahal es una pasada. Verlo al natural desmerece cualquier foto que hayáis visto. La entrada ya es muy bonita, los jardines están perfectos… si hay una palabra que lo define creo que es impresionante. Este mausoleo es enorme, mucho más de lo que pueda parecer. Y al anochecer se ven unos shining… Todo completamente simétrico de mármol blanco. Encima tiene una historia que hace todavía más romántico el sitio:

Érase una vez un príncipe llamado Kurram que había sido formado en las más selectas disciplinas del saber: astronomía, gramática, matemáticas, filosofía... y además hablaba árabe (la lengua del Corán) y persa (la lengua de la Corte).

Un día que paseaba por el bazar, entre el bullicio de mercaderes y estibadores de elefantes, sus ojos se encontraron con los de una niña de 15 años. Era la princesa Arjumand, hija del Primer Ministro de la Corte. Inmediatamente, el príncipe quedó prendado de ella.

Impresionado por la belleza de la joven, preguntó el precio del collar de cristal que ella se estaba probando. El mercader, sonriendo, le contestó que no eran cristales sino diamantes las cuentas de aquel collar. La joya valía una fortuna. El príncipe lo pagó y se lo regaló a Arjumand, que de inmediato quedó también enamorada.

Sin embargo, tuvieron que esperar cinco años para unirse en matrimonio, mucho más largos si cabe, debido a que no se vieron en todo ese tiempo. Años después de casarse, cuando el príncipe fue coronado pasó a llamarse Shah Jahan (Emperador del Mundo) y ella Mumtaz Mahal (la Elegida del Palacio).

Pero cuatro años después de ocupar el trono, el emperador sufrió la peor tragedia de su vida: su amada esposa, Mumtaz Mahal, no resistió el parto del decimocuarto hijo y falleció. Shah Jahan, transido de dolor, mandó construir el Taj Mahal para enterrarla, como mausoleo en memoria del amor que se profesaron ambos.

Una vez acabado, el emperador quiso construir otro mausoleo-tumba para él, idéntico al de su esposa pero en mármol negro, al otro lado del río Yamuna, y unir después ambos mediante un puente de oro. Y lo hubiera hecho, si no llega a ser por Aurangzeb.

Aprovechando el estado depresivo y de profunda tristeza en el que estaba sumido el emperador, Aurangzeb, tercer hijo de Shah Jahan, cegado por la ambición traicionó a toda su familia, mató a sus hermanos (excepto a dos chicas) y arrebató el poder a su padre. Después lo encarceló en una torre del Fuerte Rojo de Agra, frente al Taj Mahal, y a las dos hermanas supervivientes en otra.

Una vez en la torre donde vivió prisionero sus últimos años, pude ver lo que contemplaba el Emperador desde su balcón: el Taj Mahal. En una pared opuesta, un hueco: el lugar donde pidió que le colocaran un espejo para, desde su lecho de muerte, a los 74 años, expirar mirando a la tumba de su esposa.

Sin ningún tipo de duda la construcción más bonita que he visto en mi vida.

Por la noche nos dimos una vuelta por Agra y una familia que nos vio nos dijo que nos quedáramos un rato hablando con ellos. Gente muy maja y con un perfecto inglés. Les intentamos meter una bola de que había una leyenda que decía que había una parte del Taj Mahal que no era simétrica…pero que todavía no se había descubierto… pero no coló.

Como anécdota contar que nada más llegar al hotel de Agra preguntamos si había posibilidad de una cama supletoria para hacer una habitación triple. Nos dijeron que si y cuando les dijimos que nos la montaran nos trajeron una almohada y una manta, nos la tiraron al suelo… y a dormir. Menudo cabreo que me pillé pero no conseguimos más que nos trajeran otra manta. Eso si a la mañana siguiente Sergio se negó a pagar el suplemento de la cama y nos piramos tras discutir un pelín con el del hotel. La verdad es que te intentan timar continuamente por todos los sitios y en cualquier situación.

Menikmati eksotisme Hindustan lewat rute ‘segitiga' Agra-Delhi-Jaipur. Bonusnya ke kaki Himalaya di ketinggian 2.188 m dpl buat mendinginkan temperatur tubuh.

Chandu ke chcha ne chandu ke chachi ko chandi chandni chowk me! Ah, kalimat sepanjang itu terdengar begitu romantis di telinga. Gara-gara dibisikkan seorang pria tampan bernama Hritik Roshan!

Sayangnya, ini bukan sungguhan melainkan bagian dari adegan film Khabbie Khushi Kabhi Gham. Kalimatnya sendiri, peruntukannya mirip joke kita mencandai mereka yang sukar melafalkan huruf ‘r': "Ular melingkar di atas pagar".

Kalimat ruwet yang disebutkan Hritik Roshan tadi artinya kurang-lebih ‘Bibi pergi ke pasar, lihat sana-sini lalu jalan-jalan ke bundaran Sinar Bulan (Chandni Chowk)'. Pengucapannya dalam bahasa Hindi mesti secepat kilat dan potensial bikin lidah melintir.

(c) ukirsari

PUTRI DI ATAS RICKSHAW

Tapi gara-gara kata ‘Chandni Chowk' (dari bahasa Hindi, chandr artinya bulan dan chowk adalah roundabout) dari Hritik Roshan, saya tergelitik bertandang ke sini.
Menaiki rickshaw yang ditarik pemberi jasa dengan begitu gaya. Bak putri raja di film bersetting masa lalu!

Lewat kawasan bisnis komersial yang sibuk di Old Delhi --bagian kota lama, dulunya kondang disebut Shahjahanabad alias Kota Shah Jahan. Tempat yang menjadi ibukota kerajaan Mughal setelah dipindahkan dari Agra.

Mulai perlengkapan dapur, kurta (semacam kemeja lengan panjang buat kaum perempuan) dan kain sari, sampai barang-barang emas dan perak dipasarkan di sini. Juga aneka bumbu khas India dalam partai besar, plus pengepakan sekaligus pengirimannya ke seluruh India bahkan luar negeri.

Tak jauh dari roundabout Sinar Bulan, terdapat Jama Mosque. Mesjid terbesar di India. Juga Lahore Gate, salah satu pintu masuk ke benteng Red Fort. Serta gereja tua Saint James (1836) yang puncak kubahnya dipasangi salib Yunani.

Gereja berwarna dominan broken white dan kuning itu dibangun Kolonel James Skinner (1778-1841). Seorang putra berdarah Skotlandia dan Rajput yang ditolak masuk ketentaraan Inggris karena darahnya tidak murni.

Akhirnya ia membuat divisi kavaleri sendiri bernama Skinner's Horse dan tentaranya dijuluki ‘Yellow Boys'. Skinner wafat di Hansi, 137 km sebelah barat Delhi serta dimakamkan di bawah altar dalam gereja. Gelar kehormatannya, ‘Order of the Bath'.

Dari Old Delhi, perjalanan saya berlanjut ke Rashtrapati Bhavan. Daerah di cerukan Bukit Raisina yang menjadi tempat tinggal official kepala pemerintahan India.

Saya tidak yakin antara beruntung atau para penjaga istana sedang beristirahat, yang jelas saya bisa melenggang mendekati The Iron Gates dan memotret Jaipur Column dari balik gerbang tanpa terhalang siapapun!

Jaipur Column -yang menjadi lambang negara-- merupakan pilar bergaya Victoria setinggi 55 m dengan copula berbentuk bintang dari tembaga.

Keseluruhan gedung termasuk pagarnya tadi didesain oleh Edwin Landseer Lutyens. Sentuhan karyanya yang punya kemiripan dengan The Iron Gates juga bisa dinikmati di Chiswick, England.

(c) ukirsari

CINTA TRAGIS

Berbincang soal arsitektur, India tergolong kaya. Termasuk di ‘kawasan segitiga' Delhi-Agra-Jaipur, tempat pelancongan saya kali ini.

Banyak contoh-contoh arsitektur Mughal (abad ke-16 sampai akhir ke-18) serta British Raj --perpaduan gaya Victoria (Inggris) dengan elemen-elemen dekoratif India, marak di abad ke-19 sampai awal abad ke-20- yang demikian menawan hati.

Selain Rashtrapati Bhavan, masih ada sederet bangunan berciri kolonial di New Delhi. Seperti India Gate, yang desainnya mirip Arc de Triomphe di Paris, Prancis.

Atau katedral Church of Redemption karya Henry Alexander Medd dengan inspirasi bentuk gereja Neo Klasik di Venezia (Italia). Serta Connaught Place atau CP, pusat perbelanjaan yang buka sejak 1931.

CP dibuat oleh arsitek Robert Tor Rusell, bentuknya mengadopsi aliran Palladian, dengan pilar berderet seperti bangunan-bangunan tua di Cheltenham dan Bath, England.

Sementara gaya arsitektur Mughal bisa ditemukan di kompleks Humayun's Tomb. Peristirahatan terakhir Raja Mughal kedua ini merupakan karya arsitek Persia, Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, dibuat pada 1565.

Bangunan megah bertingkat dilengkapi kubah dan menara serta dinding berhias ragam geometris menjadi beberapa ciri khas arsitektur Mughal. Ditambah jaali, teralis dari batu kali diukir hingga membentuk lubang-lubang angin atau ventilasi. Serta char bagh atau taman simetris empat bidang di depan bangunan.

Dan contoh bangunan Mughal terindah tak lain adalah Taj Mahal di kota Agra, yang bisa ditempuh tiga jam perjalanan dengan kereta api dari New Delhi.

Sebuah bangunan pualam putih nan megah tampak samar-samar menjulang di depan Sungai Yamuna. Inilah potret yang tertangkap kamera saya saat berada di Agra Fort.

Tepatnya dari sebuah paviliun di Jahangiri Mahal, di mana kedua putri Shah Jahan, Jahanara dan Roshanara pernah tinggal. Terbersit tanya saya; siapakah yang senantiasa menyaksikan siluet Taj Mahal saat matahari terbenam?

"Pemandangan Taj Mahal selalu dramatis dan mengundang decak kagum dari waktu ke waktu!" tutur Dhaval Vyas, seorang sahabat saya yang berdarah Hindustan. "Ironisnya, selain menjadi simbol eternal love, istana ini juga perlambang cinta nan tragis."

Alasan Dhaval, karena Taj Mahal dibangun Shah Jahan untuk permaisuri Mumtaz Mahal setelah istrinya itu wafat. Jadi keindahan ini tak dapat dinikmati sang istri.

Berdasar sejarah, setelah Taj Mahal berdiri, Aurangzeb -putra Shah Jahan nomor tiga dari Mumtaz Mahal- mengadakan pemberontakan ketika sang raja tengah sakit. Aurangzeb bahkan merumahkan ayahandanya di Agra Fort hingga wafat.

Pertanyaan saya seolah mendapatkan jawaban; Shah Jahan lah yang paling setia memandangi Taj Mahal dari kejauhan -termasuk saat matahari terbenam-- hingga akhir hayatnya.

Nilai Taj Mahal saat dibangun tak kurang dari 40 biliun Rupee dan perlu 500 kg emas. Lama pengerjaannya 22 tahun dan mempekerjakan perupa seni sampai 20 ribu orang!

Keindahan bangunan yang telah menjadi ikon India ini tak perlu disangsikan lagi. Saya hanya perlu waktu ‘sedetik' untuk jatuh cinta pada pietra dura. Yaitu ukir-ukiran dekoratif pada bangunan utama Taj Mahal yang inspirasinya dipetik dari taman surga versi arsitektur Mughal.

Dengan detail, para pekerja seni menatah marmer putih untuk diisi dengan bebatuan warna hijau yang menggambarkan dedaunan dan sulur, serta warna merah untuk motif bunga.

KAKI HIMALAYA

Buat menutup perjalanan historis di jalur ‘segitiga' Delhi dan Agra, saya bertolak ke Jaipur atau Kota Kemenangan.

Tempat yang kondang sebagai tempat tinggal para pangeran atau Rajput -singkatan dari Raja Putra alias putra raja bila merunut bahasa Indonesia- dari golongan ksatria dalam kasta Hindu.

Hawa Mahal (Istana Angin) merupakan landmark Jaipur, dengan gaya perpaduan arsitektur Rajput dan Mughal. Uniknya, bangunan lima lantai ini dulunya diperuntukkan untuk kaum perempuan -semacam harem- dan dari jendelanya yang berjumlah 953 buah mereka dapat mengamati kehidupan di luar istana tanpa terlihat umum.

Menutup perjalanan segitiga di jantung India Utara, saya memberi bonus diri sendiri dengan mendinginkan temperatur tubuh ke Shimla, ibukota Himachal Pradesh yang terletak di ketinggian 2.188 m dpl. Letaknya di kaki pegunungan Himalaya sebelah barat.

Shimla atau kadang ditulis sebagai ‘Simla' merupakan British Summer Capital (1864) di masa pendudukan Inggris. Namanya diambil dari Shyamala Devi atau reinkarnasi dari Dewi Kali. Uniknya, meski Dewi Kali identik dengan sesuatu yang mematikan, ibukota Himachal Pradesh ini punya karakter sebaliknya.

Ia dijuluki sebagai Queen of the Snowy Hills dan nuansanya sungguh beda dengan potret-potret negeri India nan eksotis. Areanya dipenuhi pepohonan pinus, ek dan bebungaan rhododendron. Sementara bangunannya bergaya Tudor dan Neo-Gothic sebagai warisan era kolonial Inggris.

Belum lagi jalur keretanya yang meliuk-liuk melintasi bukit. Sejak masa pemerintahan British Raj, Shimla terkenal dengan memiliki hill station. Meski berada di ketinggian ekstrem, jaringan kereta apinya bisa diandalkan. Seperti rute terkenal Kalka-Shimla yang sudah eksis sejak 1906.

Sembari menaiki Toy Train melintasi kawasan seputaran Shimla, saya mencoba melafalkan ‘mantra' Hritik Roshan, ‘Chandu ke chcha ne chandu ke chachi ko chandi chandni chowk me' . Tetap sulit dan lidah melintir, tapi justru di situlah seninya!

MAJNU-KA-TILLA

Meski kuliner India mayoritas spicy, saya tak kuasa menolak. Karena citarasanya ‘kaya' dan sedap. Tapi kadang, ada ‘partai tambahan' sesudahnya: perut melilit.

Karenanya, sebagai tindakan preventif biasanya saya memilih yang bumbunya tidak ‘menyengat'. Alternatifnya, memilih hidangan Tibet -berangkat dari sejarah Yang Mulia Dalai Lama diasingkan ke negeri Hindustan dan tiap tahunnya ada pengungsi Tibet datang.

Majnu-ka-Tilla di Aruna Nagar, Old Delhi merupakan salah satu koloni Tibet yang terkenal. Kebutuhan kuliner sampai souvenir negeri Dalai Lama tersedia lengkap. Termasuk servis angkutan umum ke Dharamsala di provinsi Himachal Pradesh. Dari Dharamsala, pelancongan bisa diteruskan ke Shimla dalam wilayah yang sama.

Menu favorit saya di Majnu-ka-Tilla adalah nasi goreng jahe serta beef chili dry. Daging sapi disayat tipis-tipis, ditumis dengan lemak yak dan potongan cabai kering. Sedap dan menghangatkan tubuh di ketinggian ekstrem, juga di musim dingin.

Unless you've been living under a rock - you know that I'm FINALLY headed to India.  I've wanted to go for awhile - since 2005!  It's been a challenge scheduling such a big trip, but I have managed to combine two of my favorite past times - travel and fitness.  I will be completing my very first yoga certification from Yogalife based out of New Delhi.  This is a 4 week Hatha Yoga program that will provide a great base for future yoga and fitness training. 

First stop - New Delhi then on to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.  (I have a "bucket list" or really "list of travel goals" that I've been working on the past couple of years and that's to see the seven wonders of the world by the time that I'm 40.  After the Taj, I'm only missing three, so not too bad!)  After about 5 days of exploring, I am headed to Mcleodganj, Dharmashala in the foothills of the Himalayans for yoga training. 

This will be an intensive four weeks, although I don't think it will be as grueling as going to Bikram Yoga training (for nine weeks), which is also something that I'd like to do.   I've been preparing with the suggested readings/videos and am looking forward to learning more about the orgins of "yoga" and what it can do.  Of course, I've been praticing for a few years, but there is so much to learn and remember.  

The homework thus far has covered many topics, but what I've found really insightful is the study of behavioral kinesiology; how our thoughts can change the cell makeup of our bodies.  I also touched on this in my A&P class over the summer, but it's amazing just how what we think about ourselves can really make us sick!  Of course, I hear this on the mat in Bikram Yoga, daily; but am I really listening?

This will prove to be an exciting and very educational trip (oh, the cultural differences) and I'm going to do my best to share the really interesting aspects with this blog.  At least I'll share what's interesting to me...haha!

To be continued.....

People adore creators , engineers, architect's,doctors,chefs,artists,writers anybody and everybody who can use the ordinary and create the extraordinary is always revered. Because somewhere during the creating of that something new the creator has played God. That power is something one cannot refuse.

Think about it a new painting, new dish, new design, new formulae,new music,new book, we adore and admire it. Come to think of it anything new is an opportunity to play God maybe for a nano second.

Every person has an ability to create something new, and if each of us could do so ,  this world would be a magical place.

Another stem to the thot why are actors such big stars::::::: Taj Mahal is a work of art/ love and can be appreciated without its creator the same does not apply to an actor and hence the art and the artist is the same, we end up adoring the artist as much as the art.

Releases for Tuesday, September 30th
Anberlin - New Surrender
Ani Difranco - Red Letter Year
Ben Folds - Way to Normal
Dream Theatre - Chaos In Motion (CD/DVD)
Echo & The Bunnymen - Songs to Learn and Sing
Enigma - Seven Lives Many Faces (2 CDs)
Faith Hill - Joy To The World
Gemma Hayes - The Hollow of Morning
Grateful Dead - Live Egypt 1978 (CD/DVD)
Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger
James Morrison - Songs for You, Truths for Me
James Taylor - Covers
Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight
Jesus & The Mary Chain - Rarities (4 CD Boxed Set)
Joseph Arthur - Temporary People
Joshua Radin - Simple Times
Kellie Pickler - Kellie Pickler
Laura Fygi - Rendez-Vous
Mary Chapin Carpenter - Come Darkness Come Light: Twelve Songs Christmas
Matt Belsante - White Christmas
Melissa Etheridge - A New Thought For Christmas
Robin Thicke - Something Else
T.I. - Paper Trail
Taj Mahal - Maestro
Tom Morello - The Fabled City
Travis - Ode to J. Smith
U2 - Red Rocks (DVD)

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.

click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a list of stores

NAME

1. The term Taj Mahal itself never occurs in any Mughal court paper or chronicle even in Aurangzeb's time. The attempt to explain it away as Taj-i-mahal is therefore, ridiculous.

2. The ending "Mahal"is never Muslim because in none of the muslim countries around the world from Afghanistan to Algeria is there a building known as "Mahal".

3.The unusual explanation of the term Taj Mahal derives from Mumtaz Mahal, who is buried in it, is illogical in at least two respects viz., firstly her name was never Mumtaj Mahal but Mumtaz-ul-Zamani and secondly one cannot omit the first three letters "Mum" from a woman's name to derive the remainder as the name of the building.

4. Since the lady's name was Mumtaz (ending with 'Z') the name of the building derived from her should have been Taz Mahal, if at all, and not Taj (spelled with a 'J').

5.Several European visitors of Shahjhan's time allude to the building as Taj-e-Mahal is almost the correct tradition, age old Sanskrit name Tej-o-Mahalaya, signifying a Shiva temple. Contrarily Shahjahan and Aurangzeb scrupulously avoid using the Sanskrit term and call it just a holy grave.

6. The tomb should be understood to signify NOT A BUILDING but only the grave or centotaph inside it. This would help people to realize that all dead muslim courtiers and royalty including Humayun, Akbar, Mumtaz, Etmad-ud-Daula and Safdarjang have been buried in capture Hindu mansions and temples.

7. Moreover, if the Taj is believed to be a burial place, how can the term Mahal, i.e., mansion apply to it?

8. Since the term Taj Mahal does not occur in Mughal courts it is absurd to search for any mogul explanation for it. Both its components namely, 'Taj' and' Mahal' are of Sanskrit origin.

TEMPLE TRADITION

9. The term Taj Mahal is a corrupt form of the Sanskrit term TejoMahalay signifying a Shiva Temple. Agreshwar Mahadev i.e., The Lord of Agra was consecrated in it.

10. The tradition of removing the shoes before climbing the marble platform originates from pre Shahjahan times when the Taj was a Shiva Temple. Had the Taj originated as a tomb, shoes need not have to be removed because shoes are a necessity in a cemetery.

11. Visitors may notice that the base slab of the centotaph is the marble basement in plain white while its superstructure and the other three centotaphs on the two floors are covered with inlaid creeper designs. This indicates that the marble pedestal of the Shiva idol is still in place and Mumtaz's centotaphs are fake.

12. The pitchers carved inside the upper border of the marble lattice plus those mounted on it number 108-a number sacred in Hindu Temple tradition.

13. There are persons who are connected with the repair and the maintainance of the Taj who have seen the ancient sacred Shiva Linga and other idols sealed in the thick walls and in chambers in the secret, sealed red stone stories below the marble basement. The Archaeological Survey of India is keeping discretely, politely and diplomatically silent about it to the point of dereliction of its own duty to probe into hidden historical evidence.

14. In India there are 12 Jyotirlinga i.e., the outstanding Shiva Temples. The Tejomahalaya alias The Taj Mahal appears to be one of them known as Nagnatheshwar since its parapet is girdled with Naga, i.e., Cobra figures. Ever since Shahjahan's capture of it the sacred temple has lost its Hindu Dom.

15.The famous Hindu treatise on architecture titled Vishwakarma Vastushastra mentions the 'Tej-Linga' amongst the Shivalingas i.e., the stone emblems of Lord Shiva, the Hindu deity. Such a Tej Linga was consecrated in the Taj Mahal, hence the term Taj Mahal alias Tejo Mahalaya.

16.Agra city, in which the Taj Mahal is located, is an ancient centre of Shiva worship. Its orthodox residents have through ages continued the tradition of worshipping at five Shiva shrines before taking the last meal every night especially during the month of Shravan. During the last few centuries the residents of Agra had to be content with worshipping at only four prominent Shiva temples viz., Balkeshwar, Prithvinath, Manakameshwar and Rajarajeshwar. They had lost track of the fifth Shiva deity which their forefathers worshipped. Apparently the fifth was Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheshwar i.e., The Lord Great God of Agra, The Deity of the King of Cobras, consecrated in the Tejomahalay alias Tajmahal.

17.The people who dominate the Agra region are Jats. Their name of Shiva is Tejaji. The Jat special issue of The Illustrated Weekly of India (June 28,1971) mentions that the Jats have the Teja Mandirs i.e., Teja Temples. This is because Teja-Linga is among the several names of the Shiva Lingas. From this it is apparent that the Taj-Mahal is Tejo-Mahalaya, The Great Abode of Tej.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE

18. Shahjahan's own court chronicle, the Badshahnama, admits (page 403, vol 1) that a grand mansion of unique splendor, capped with a dome (Imaarat-a-Alishan wa Gumbaze) was taken from the Jaipur Maharaja Jaisigh for Mumtaz's burial, and the building was known as Raja Mansingh's palace.

19. The plaque put the archealogy department outside the Tajmahal describes the edifice as a mausoleum built by Shahjahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal , over 22 years from 1631 to 1653. That plaque is a specimen of historical bungling. Firstly, the plaque sites no authority for its claim. Secondly the lady's name was Mumtaz-ulZamani and not Mumtazmahal. Thirdly, the period of 22 years is taken from some mumbo jumbo noting by an unreliable French visitor Tavernier, to the exclusion of all Muslim versions, which is an absurdity.

20. Prince Aurangzeb's letter to his father, emperor Shahjahan,is recorded in atleast three chronicles titled `Aadaab-e-Alamgiri', `Yadgarnama', and the `Muruqqa-i-Akbarabadi' (edited by Said Ahmed, Agra, 1931, page 43, footnote 2). In that letter Aurangzeb records in 1652 A.D itself that the several buildings in the fancied burial place of Mumtaz were seven storeyed and were so old that they were all leaking, while the dome had developed a crack on the northern side.Aurangzeb, therefore, ordered immediate repairs to the buildings at his own expense while recommending to the emperor that more elaborate repairs be carried out later. This is the proof that during Shahjahan's reign itself that the Taj complex was so old as to need immediate repairs.

21. The ex-Maharaja of Jaipur retains in his secret personal `KapadDwara' collection two orders from Shahjahan dated Dec 18, 1633 (bearing modern nos. R.176 and 177) requisitioning the Taj building complex. That was so blatant a usurpation that the then ruler of Jaipur was ashamed to make the document public.

22. The Rajasthan State archives at Bikaner preserve three other firmans addressed by Shahjahan to the Jaipur's ruler Jaising ordering the latter to supply marble (for Mumtaz's grave and koranic grafts) from his Makranna quarries, and stone cutters. Jai singh was apparently so enraged at the blatant seizure of the Tajmahal that he refused to oblige Shahjahan by providing marble for grafting koranic engravings and fake centotaphs for further desecration of the Tajmahal. Jaising looked at Shahjahan's demand for marble and stone cutters, as an insult added to injury. Therefore, he refused to send any marble and instead detained the stone cutters in his protective custody.

23. The three firmans demanding marble were sent to Jai singh within about two years of Mumtaz's death. Had Shahjahan really built the Tajmahal over a period of 22 years, the marble would have needed only after 15 or 20 years not immediately after Mumtaz's death.

24. Moreover, the three mention neither the Taj mahal, nor Mumtaz, nor the burial. The cost and the quantity of the stone also are not mentioned. This proves that an insignificant quantity of marble was needed just for some supercial tinkering and tampering with the Tajmahal. Even otherwise Shahjahan could never hope to build a fabulous Tajmahal by abject dependence for marble on a non cooperative Jaisingh.

EUROPEAN VISITOR'S ACCOUNTS

25. Tavernier, a French jeweller has recorded in his travel memoirs that Shahjahan purposely buried Mumtaz near the Taz-i-Makan (i.e.,`The Taj building') where foriegners used to come as they do even today so that the world may admire. He also adds that the cost of the scaffolding was more than that of the entire work. The work that Shahjahan commissioned in the Tejomahalaya Shiva temple was plundering at the costly fixtures inside it, uprooting the Shiva idols, planting the centotaphs in their place on two stories, inscribing the koran along the arches and walling up six of the seven stories of the Taj. It was this plunder, desecrating and plunderring of the rooms which took 22 years.

26. Peter Mundy, an English visitor to Agra recorded in 1632 (within only a year of Mumtaz's death) that `the places of note in and around Agra, included Taj-e-Mahal's tomb, gardens and bazaars'.He, therefore, confirms that that the Taj mahal had been a noteworthy building even before Shahjahan.

27. De Laet, a Dutch official has listed Mansingh's palace about a mile from Agra fort, as an outstanding building of pre shahjahan's time. Shahjahan's court chronicle, the Badshahnama records, Mumtaz's burial in the same Mansingh's palace.

28. Bernier, a contemporary French visitor has noted that non muslim's were barred entry into the basement (at the time when Shahjahan requisitioned Mansingh's palace) which contained a dazzling light. Obviously, he reffered to the silver doors, gold railing, the gem studded lattice and strings of pearl hanging over Shiva's idol. Shahjahan comandeered the building to grab all the wealth, making Mumtaz's death a convineant pretext.

29. Johan Albert Mandelslo, who describes life in agra in 1638 (only 7 years after mumtaz's death) in detail (in his `Voyages and Travels to West-Indies', published by John Starkey and John Basset, London), makes no mention of the Tajmahal being under constuction though it is commonly erringly asserted or assumed that the Taj was being built from 1631 to 1653.

SANSKIRT INSCRIPTION

30. A Sanskrit inscription too supports the conclusion that the Taj originated as a Shiva temple. Wrongly termed as the Bateshwar inscription (currently preserved on the top floor of the Lucknow museum), it refers to the raising of a "crystal white Shiva temple so alluring that Lord Shiva once enshrined in it decided never to return to Mount Kailash his usual abode". That inscription dated 1155 A.D. was removed from the Tajmahal garden at Shahjahan's orders. Historicians and Archeaologists have blundered in terming the insription the `Bateshwar inscription' when the record doesn't say that it was found by Bateshwar. It ought, in fact, to be called `The Tejomahalaya inscription' because it was originally installed in the Taj garden before it was uprooted and cast away at Shahjahan's command.

A clue to the tampering by Shahjahan is found on pages 216-217, vol. 4, of Archealogiical Survey of India Reports (published 1874) stating that a "great square black balistic pillar which, with the base and capital of another pillar....now in the grounds of Agra,...it is well known, once stood in the garden of Tajmahal".

MISSING ELEPHANTS

31. Far from the building of the Taj, Shahjahan disfigured it with black koranic lettering and heavily robbed it of its Sanskrit inscription, several idols and two huge stone elephants extending their trunks in a welcome arch over the gateway where visitors these days buy entry tickets. An Englishman, Thomas Twinning, records (pg.191 of his book "Travels in India A Hundred Years ago") that in November 1794 "I arrived at the high walls which enclose the Taj-e-Mahal and its circumjacent buildings. I here got out of the palanquine and.....mounted a short flight of steps leading to a beautiful portal which formed the centre of this side of the `COURT OF ELEPHANTS" as the great area was called."

KORANIC PATCHES

32. The Taj Mahal is scrawled over with 14 chapters of the Koran but nowhere is there even the slightest or the remotest allusion in that Islamic overwriting to Shahjahan's authorship of the Taj. Had Shahjahan been the builder he would have said so in so many words before beginning to quote Koran.

33. That Shahjahan, far from building the marble Taj, only disfigured it with black lettering is mentioned by the inscriber Amanat Khan Shirazi himself in an inscription on the building. A close scrutiny of the Koranic lettering reveals that they are grafts patched up with bits of variegated stone on an ancient Shiva temple.

CARBON 14 TEST

34. A wooden piece from the riverside doorway of the Taj subjected to the carbon 14 test by an American Laboratory, has revealed that the door to be 300 years older than Shahjahan,since the doors of the Taj, broken open by Muslim invaders repeatedly from the 11th century onwards, had to b replaced from time to time. The Taj edifice is much more older. It belongs to 1155 A.D, i.e., almost 500 years anterior to Shahjahan.

ARCHITECHTURAL EVIDENCE

35. Well known Western authorities on architechture like E.B.Havell, Mrs.Kenoyer and Sir W.W.Hunterhave gone on record to say that the Taj Mahal is built in the Hindu temple style. Havell points out the ground plan of the ancient Hindu Chandi Seva Temple in Java is identical with that of the Taj.

36. A central dome with cupolas at its four corners is a universal feature of Hindu temples.

37. The four marble pillars at the plinth corners are of the Hindu style. They are used as lamp towers during night and watch towers during the day. Such towers serve to demarcate the holy precincts. Hindu wedding altars and the altar set up for God Satyanarayan worship have pillars raised at the four corners.

38. The octagonal shape of the Tajmahal has a special Hindu significance because Hindus alone have special names for the eight directions, and celestial guards assigned to them. The pinnacle points to the heaven while the foundation signifies to the nether world. Hindu forts, cities, palaces and temples genrally have an octagonal layout or some octagonal features so that together with the pinnacle and the foundation they cover all the ten directions in which the king or God holds sway, according to Hindu belief.

39. The Taj mahal has a trident pinncle over the dome. A full scale of the trident pinnacle is inlaid in the red stone courtyard to the east of the Taj. The central shaft of the trident depicts a "Kalash" (sacred pot) holding two bent mango leaves and a coconut. This is a sacred Hindu motif. Identical pinnacles have been seen over Hindu and Buddhist temples in the Himalayan region. Tridents are also depicted against a red lotus background at the apex of the stately marble arched entrances on all four sides of the Taj. People fondly but mistakenly believed all these centuries that the Taj pinnacle depicts a Islamic cresent and star was a lighting conductor installed by the British rulers in India. Contrarily, the pinnacle is a marvel of Hindu metallurgy since the pinnacle made of non rusting alloy, is also perhaps a lightning deflector. That the pinnacle of the replica is drawn in the eastern courtyard is significant because the east is of special importance to the Hindus, as the direction in which the sun rises. The pinnacle on the dome has the word `Allah' on it after capture. The pinnacle figure on the ground does not have the word Allah.

INCONSISTENCIES

40. The two buildings which face the marble Taj from the east and west are identical in design, size and shape and yet the eastern building is explained away by Islamic tradition, as a community hall while the western building is claimed to be a mosque. How could buildings meant for radically different purposes be identical? This proves that the western building was put to use as a mosque after seizure of the Taj property by Shahjahan. Curiously enough the building being explained away as a mosque has no minaret. They form a pair af reception pavilions of the Tejomahalaya temple palace.

41. A few yards away from the same flank is the Nakkar Khana alias DrumHouse which is a intolerable incongruity for Islam. The proximity of the Drum House indicates that the western annex was not originally a mosque. Contrarily a drum house is a neccesity in a Hindu temple or palace because Hindu chores,in the morning and evening, begin to the sweet strains of music.

42. The embossed patterns on the marble exterior of the centotaph chamber wall are foilage of the conch shell design and the Hindu letter "OM". The octagonally laid marble lattices inside the centotaph chamber depict pink lotuses on their top railing. The Lotus, the conch and the OM are the sacred motifs associated with the Hindu deities and temples.

43. The spot occupied by Mumtaz's centotaph was formerly occupied by the Hindu Teja Linga a lithic representation of Lord Shiva. Around it are five perambulatory passages. Perambulation could be done around the marble lattice or through the spacious marble chambers surrounding the centotaph chamber, and in the open over the marble platform. It is also customary for the Hindus to have apertures along the perambulatory passage, overlooking the deity. Such apertures exist in the perambulatories in the Tajmahal.

44. The sanctom sanctorum in the Taj has silver doors and gold railings as Hindu temples have. It also had nets of pearl and gems stuffed in the marble lattices. It was the lure of this wealth which made Shahjahan commandeer the Taj from a helpless vassal Jai singh, the then ruler of Jaipur.

45. Peter Mundy, a Englishman records (in 1632, within a year of Mumtaz's death) having seen a gem studded gold railing around her tomb. Had the Taj been under construction for 22 years, a costly gold railing would not have been noticed by Peter mundy within a year of Mumtaz's death. Such costl fixtures are installed in a building only after it is ready for use. This indicates that Mumtaz's centotaph was grafted in place of the Shivalinga in the centre of the gold railings. Subsequently the gold railings, silver doors, nets of pearls, gem fillings etc. were all carried away to Shahjahan's treasury. The seizure of the Taj thus constituted an act of highhanded Moghul robery causing a big row between Shahjahan and Jai singh.

46. In the marble flooring around Mumtaz's centotaph may be seen tiny mosaic patches. Those patches indicate the spots where the support for the gold railings were embedded in the floor. They indicate a rectangular fencing.

47. Above Mumtaz's centotaph hangs a chain by which now hangs a lamp. Before capture by Shahjahan the chain used to hold a water pitcher from which water used to drip on the Shivalinga.

48. It is this earlier Hindu tradition in the Tajmahal which gave the Islamic myth of Shahjahan's love tear dropping on Mumtaz's tomb on the full moon day of the winter eve.

TREASURY WELL

49. Between the so-called mosque and the drum house is a multistoried octagonal well with a flight of stairs reaching down to the water level. This is a traditional treasury well in Hindu temple palaces. Treasure chests used to be kept in the lower apartments while treasury personnel had their offices in the upper chambers. The circular stairs made it difficult for intruders to reach down to the treasury or to escape with it undetected or unpursued. In case the premises had to be surrendered to a besieging enemy the treasure could be pushed into the well to remain hidden from the conquerer and remain safe for salvaging if the place was reconquered. Such an elaborate multistoried well is superflous for a mere mausoleum. Such a grand, gigantic well is unneccesary for a tomb.

BURIAL DATE UNKNOWN

50. Had Shahjahan really built the Taj Mahal as a wonder mausoleum, history would have recorded a specific date on which she was ceremoniously buried in the Taj Mahal. No such date is ever mentioned. This important missing detail decisively exposes the falsity of the Tajmahal legend.

51. Even the year of Mumtaz's death is unknown. It is variously speculated to be 1629, 1630, 1631 or 1632. Had she deserved a fabulous burial, as is claimed, the date of her death had not been a matter of much speculation. In an harem teeming with 5000 women it was difficult to keep track of dates of death. Apparently the date of Mumtaz's death was so insignificant an event, as not to merit any special notice. Who would then build a Taj for her burial?

BASELESS LOVE STORIES

52. Stories of Shahjahan's exclusive infatuation for Mumtaz's are concoctions. They have no basis in history nor has any book ever written on their fancied love affairs. Those stories have been invented as an afterthought to make Shahjahan's authorship of the Taj look plausible.

COST

53. The cost of the Taj is nowhere recorded in Shahjahan's court papers because Shahjahan never built the Tajmahal. That is why wild estimates of the cost by gullible writers have ranged from 4 million to 91.7 million rupees.

PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION

54. Likewise the period of construction has been guessed to be anywhere between 10 years and 22 years. There would have not been any scope for guesswork had the building construction been on record in the court papers.

ARCHITECTS

55. The designer of the Tajmahal is also variously mentioned as Essa Effendy, a Persian or Turk, or Ahmed Mehendis or a Frenchman, Austin deBordeaux, or Geronimo Veroneo, an Italian, or Shahjahan himself.

RECORDS DON'T EXIST

56. Twenty thousand labourers are supposed to have worked for 22 years during Shahjahan's reign in building the Tajmahal. Had this been true, there should have been available in Shahjahan's court papers design drawings, heaps of labour muster rolls, daily expenditure sheets, bills and receipts of material ordered, and commisioning orders. There is not even a scrap of paper of this kind.

57. It is, therefore, court flatterers,blundering historians, somnolent archeologists, fiction writers, senile poets, careless tourists officials and erring guides who are responsible for hustling the world into believing in Shahjahan's mythical authorship of the Taj.

58. Description of the gardens around the Taj of Shahjahan's time mention Ketaki, Jai, Jui, Champa, Maulashree, Harshringar and Bel. All these are plants whose flowers or leaves are used in the worship of Hindu deities. Bel leaves are exclusively used in Lord Shiva's worship. A graveyard is planted only with shady trees because the idea of using fruit and flower from plants in a cemetary is abhorrent to human conscience. The presence of Bel and other flower plants in the Taj garden is proof of its having been a Shiva temple before seizure by Shahjahan.

59. Hindu temples are often built on river banks and sea beaches. The Taj is one such built on the bank of the Yamuna river an ideal location for a Shiva temple.

60. Prophet Mohammad has ordained that the burial spot of a muslim should be inconspicous and must not be marked by even a single tombstone. In flagrant violation of this, the Tajamhal has one grave in the basement and another in the first floor chamber both ascribed to Mumtaz. Those two centotaphs were infact erected by Shahjahan to bury the two tier Shivalingas that were consecrated in the Taj. It is customary for Hindus to install two Shivalingas one over the other in two stories as may be seen in the Mahankaleshwar temple in Ujjain and the Somnath temple raised by Ahilyabai in Somnath Pattan.

61. The Taj mahal has identical entrance arches on all four sides. This is a typical Hindu building style known as Chaturmukhi, i.e.,four faced.

THE HINDU DOME

62. The Ta jmahal has a reverberating dome. Such a dome is an absurdity for a tomb which must ensure peace and silence. Contrarily reverberating domes are a neccesity in Hindu temples because they create an ecstatic dinmultiplying and magnifying the sound of bells, drums and pipes accompanying the worship of Hindu deities.

63. The Taj mahal dome bears a lotus cap. Original Islamic domes have a bald top as is exemplified by the Pakistan Embassy in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, and the domes in the Pakistan's newly built capital Islamabad.

64. The Tajmahal entrance faces south. Had the Taj been an Islamic building it should have faced the west.

TOMB IS THE GRAVE, NOT THE BUILDING

65. A widespread misunderstanding has resulted in mistaking the building for the grave.Invading Islam raised graves in captured buildings in every country it overran. Therefore, hereafter people must learn not to confound the building with the grave mounds which are grafts in conquered buildings. This is true of the Tajmahal too. One may therefore admit (for arguments sake) that Mumtaz lies buried inside the Taj. But that should not be construed to mean that the Taj was raised over Mumtaz's grave.

66. The Taj is a seven storied building. Prince Aurangzeb also mentions this in his letter to Shahjahan. The marble edifice comprises four stories including the lone, tall circular hall inside the top, and the lone chamber in the basement. In between are two floors each containing 12 to 15 palatial rooms. Below the marble plinth reaching down to the river at the rear are two more stories in red stone. They may be seen from the river bank. The seventh storey must be below the ground (river) level since every ancient Hindu building had a subterranian storey.

67. Immediately bellow the marble plinth on the river flank are 22 rooms in red stone with their ventilators all walled up by Shahjahan. Those rooms, made uninhibitably by Shahjahan, are kept locked by Archealogy Department of India. The lay visitor is kept in the dark about them. Those 22 rooms still bear ancient Hindu paint on their walls and ceilings. On their side is a nearly 33 feet long corridor. There are two door frames one at either end ofthe corridor. But those doors are intriguingly sealed with brick and lime.

68. Apparently those doorways originally sealed by Shahjahan have been since unsealed and again walled up several times. In 1934 a resident of Delhi took a peep inside from an opening in the upper part of the doorway. To his dismay he saw huge hall inside. It contained many statues huddled around a central beheaded image of Lord Shiva. It could be that, in there, are Sanskrit inscriptions too. All the seven stories of the Tajmahal need to be unsealed and scoured to ascertain what evidence they may be hiding in the form of Hindu images, Sanskrit inscriptions, scriptures, coins and utensils.

69. Apart from Hindu images hidden in the sealed stories it is also learnt that Hindu images are also stored in the massive walls of the Taj. Between 1959 and 1962 when Mr. S.R. Rao was the Archealogical Superintendent in Agra, he happened to notice a deep and wide crack in the wall of the central octagonal chamber of the Taj. When a part of the wall was dismantled to study the crack out popped two or three marble images. The matter was hushed up and the images were reburied where they had been embedded at Shahjahan's behest. Confirmation of this has been obtained from several sources. It was only when I began my investigation into the antecedents of the Taj I came across the above information which had remained a forgotten secret. What better proof is needed of the Temple origin of the Tajmahal? Its walls and sealed chambers still hide in Hindu idols that were consecrated in it before Shahjahan's seizure of the Taj.

PRE-SHAHJAHAN REFERENCES TO THE TAJ

70. Apparently the Taj as a central palace seems to have an chequered history. The Taj was perhaps desecrated and looted by every Muslim invader from Mohammad Ghazni onwards but passing into Hindu hands off and on, the sanctity of the Taj as a Shiva temple continued to be revived after every muslim onslaught. Shahjahan was the last muslim to desecrate the Taj mahal alias Tejomahalay.

71. Vincent Smith records in his book titled `Akbar the Great Moghul' that `Babur's turbulent life came to an end in his garden palace in Agra in 1630'. That palace was none other than the Tajmahal. 72. Babur's daughter Gulbadan Begum in her chronicle titled `Humayun Nama' refers to the Taj as the Mystic House.

73. Babur himself refers to the Taj in his memoirs as the palace captured by Ibrahim Lodi containing a central octagonal chamber and having pillars on the four sides. All these historical references allude to the Taj 100 years before Shahjahan.

74. The Tajmahal precincts extend to several hundred yards in all directions. Across the river are ruins of the annexes of the Taj, the bathing ghats and a jetty for the ferry boat. In the Victoria gardens outside covered with creepers is the long spur of the ancient outer wall ending in a octagonal red stone tower. Such extensive grounds all magnificently done up, are a superfluity for a grave.

75. Had the Taj been specially built to bury Mumtaz, it should not have been cluttered with other graves. But the Taj premises contain several graves atleast in its eastern and southern pavilions.

76. In the southern flank, on the other side of the Tajganj gate are buried in identical pavilions queens Sarhandi Begum, and Fatehpuri Begum and a maid Satunnisa Khanum. Such parity burial can be justified only if the queens had been demoted or the maid promoted. But since Shahjahan had commandeered (not built) the Taj, he reduced it general to a muslim cemetary as was the habit of all his Islamic predeccssors, and buried a queen in a vacant pavillion and a maid in another idenitcal pavilion.

77. Shahjahan was married to several other women before and after Mumtaz. She, therefore, deserved no special consideration in having a wonder mausoleum built for her.

78. Mumtaz was a commoner by birth and so she did not qualify for a fairyland burial.

79. Mumtaz died in Burhanpur which is about 600 miles from Agra. Her grave there is intact. Therefore ,the centotaphs raised in stories of the Taj in her name seem to be fakes hiding in Hindu Shiva emblems.

80. Shahjahan seems to have simulated Mumtaz's burial in Agra to find a pretext to surround the temple palace with his fierce and fanatic troops and remove all the costly fixtures in his treasury. This finds confirmation in the vague noting in the Badshahnama which says that the Mumtaz's (exhumed) body was brought to Agra from Burhanpur and buried `next year'. An official term would not use a nebulous term unless it is to hide some thing.

81. A pertinent consideration is that a Shahjahan who did not build any palaces for Mumtaz while she was alive, would not build a fabulous mausoleum for a corpse which was no longer kicking or clicking.

82. Another factor is that Mumtaz died within two or three years of Shahjahan becoming an emperor. Could he amass so much superflous wealth in that short span as to squander it on a wonder mausoleum?

83. While Shahjahan's special attachment to Mumtaz is nowhere recorded in history his amorous affairs with many other ladies from maids to mannequins including his own daughter Jahanara, find special attention in accounts of Shahjahan's reign. Would Shahjahan shower his hard earned wealth on Mumtaz's corpse?

84. Shahjahan was a stingy, usurious monarch. He came to throne murdering all his rivals. He was not therefore, the doting spendthrift that he is made out to be.

85. A Shahjahan disconsolate on Mumtaz's death is suddenly credited with a resolve to build the Taj. This is a psychological incongruity. Grief is a disabling, incapacitating emotion.

86. A infatuated Shahjahan is supposed to have raised the Taj over the dead Mumtaz, but carnal, physical sexual love is again a incapacitating emotion. A womaniser is ipso facto incapable of any constructive activity. When carnal love becomes uncontrollable the person either murders somebody or commits suicide. He cannot raise a Tajmahal. A building like the Taj invariably originates in an ennobling emotion like devotion to God, to one's mother and mother country or power and glory.

87. Early in the year 1973, chance digging in the garden in front of the Taj revealed another set of fountains about six feet below the present fountains. This proved two things. Firstly, the subterranean fountains were there before Shahjahan laid the surface fountains. And secondly that those fountains are aligned to the Taj that edifice too is of pre Shahjahan origin. Apparently the garden and its fountains had sunk from annual monsoon flooding and lack of maintenance for centuries during the Islamic rule.

89. The stately rooms on the upper floor of the Tajmahal have been striped of their marble mosaic by Shahjahan to obtain matching marble for raising fake tomb stones inside the Taj premises at several places. Contrasting with the rich finished marble ground floor rooms the striping of the marble mosaic covering the lower half of the walls and flooring of the upper storey have given those rooms a naked, robbed look. Since no visitors are allowed entry to the upper storey this despoilation by Shahjahan has remained a well guarded secret. There is no reason why Shahjahan's loot of the upper floor marble should continue to be hidden from the public even after 200 years of termination of Moghul rule.

90. Bernier, the French traveller has recorded that no non muslim was allowed entry into the secret nether chambers of the Taj because there are some dazzling fixtures there. Had those been installed by Shahjahan they should have been shown the public as a matter of pride. But since it was commandeered Hindu wealth which Shahjahan wanted to remove to his treasury, he didn't want the public to know about it.

91. The approach to Taj is dotted with hillocks raised with earth dugout from foundation trenches. The hillocks served as outer defences of the Taj building complex. Raising such hillocks from foundation earth, is a common Hindu device of hoary origin. Nearby Bharatpur provides a graphic parallel.

Peter Mundy has recorded that Shahjahan employed thousands of labourers to level some of those hillocks. This is a graphic proof of the Tajmahal existing before Shahjahan.

93. At the backside of the river bank is a Hindu crematorium, several palaces, Shiva temples and bathings of ancient origin. Had Shahjahan built the Tajmahal, he would have destroyed the Hindu features.

94. The story that Shahjahan wanted to build a Black marble Taj across the river, is another motivated myth. The ruins dotting the other side of the river are those of Hindu structures demolished during muslim invasions and not the plinth of another Tajmahal. Shahjahan who did not even build the white Tajmahal would hardly ever think of building a black marble Taj. He was so miserly that he forced labourers to work gratis even in the superficial tampering neccesary to make a Hindu temple serve as a Muslim tomb.

95. The marble that Shahjahan used for grafting Koranic lettering in the Taj is of a pale white shade while the rest of the Taj is built of a marble with rich yellow tint. This disparity is proof of the Koranic extracts being a superimposition.

96. Though imaginative attempts have been made by some historians to foist some fictitious name on history as the designer of the Taj others more imaginative have credited Shajahan himself with superb architechtural proficiency and artistic talent which could easily conceive and plan the Taj even in acute bereavement. Such people betray gross ignorance of history in as much as Shajahan was a cruel tyrant ,a great womaniser and a drug and drink addict.

97. Fanciful accounts about Shahjahan commisioning the Taj are all confused. Some asserted that Shahjahan ordered building drawing from all over the world and chose one from among them. Others assert that a man at hand was ordered to design a mausoleum and his design was approved. Had any of those versions been true Shahjahan's court papers should have had thousands of drawings concerning the Taj. But there is not even a single drawing. This is yet another clinching proof that Shahjahan did not commision the Taj.

98. The Tajmahal is surrounded by huge mansions which indicate that several battles have been waged around the Taj several times.

99. At the south east corner of the Taj is an ancient royal cattle house. Cows attached to the Tejomahalay temple used to reared there. A cowshed is an incongruity in an Islamic tomb.

100. Over the western flank of the Taj are several stately red stone annexes. These are superflous for a mausoleum.

101. The entire Taj complex comprises of 400 to 500 rooms. Residential accomodation on such a stupendous scale is unthinkable in a mausoleum.

102. The neighbouring Tajganj township's massive protective wall also encloses the Tajmahal temple palace complex. This is a clear indication that the Tejomahalay temple palace was part and parcel of the township. A street of that township leads straight into the Tajmahal. The Tajganj gate is aligned in a perfect straight line to the octagonal red stone garden gate and the stately entrance arch of the Tajmahal. The Tajganj gate besides being central to the Taj temple complex, is also put on a pedestal. The western gate by which the visitors enter the Taj complex is a camparatively minor gateway. It has become the entry gate for most visitors today because the railway station and the bus station are on that side.

103. The Tajmahal has pleasure pavilions which a tomb would never have.

104. A tiny mirror glass in a gallery of the Red Fort in Agra reflects the Taj mahal. Shahjahan is said to have spent his last eight years of life as a prisoner in that gallery peering at the reflected Tajmahal and sighing in the name of Mumtaz. This myth is a blend of many falsehoods. Firstly,old Shajahan was held prisoner by his son Aurangzeb in the basement storey in the Fort and not in an open,fashionable upper storey. Secondly, the glass piece was fixed in the 1930's by Insha Allah Khan, a peon of the archaelogy dept.just to illustrate to the visitors how in ancient times the entire apartment used to scintillate with tiny mirror pieces reflecting the Tejomahalay temple a thousand fold. Thirdly, a old decrepit Shahjahan with pain in his joints and cataract in his eyes, would not spend his day craning his neck at an awkward angle to peer into a tiny glass piece with bedimmed eyesight when he could as well his face around and have full,direct view of the Tjamahal itself. But the general public is so gullible as to gulp all such prattle of wily, unscrupulous guides.

105. That the Tajmahal dome has hundreds of iron rings sticking out of its exterior is a feature rarely noticed. These are made to hold Hindu earthen oil lamps for temple illumination.

106. Those putting implicit faith in Shahjahan authorship of the Taj have been imagining Shahjahan-Mumtaz to be a soft hearted romantic pair like Romeo and Juliet. But contemporary accounts speak of Shahjahan as a hard hearted ruler who was constantly egged on to acts of tyranny and cruelty, by Mumtaz.

107. School and College history carry the myth that Shahjahan reign was a golden period in which there was peace and plenty and that Shahjahan commisioned many buildings and patronized literature. This is pure fabrication. Shahjahan did not commision even a single building as we have illustrated by a detailed analysis of the Tajmahal legend. Shahjahn had to enrage in 48 military campaigns during a reign of nearly 30 years which proves that his was not a era of peace and plenty.

108. The interior of the dome rising over Mumtaz's centotaph has a representation of Sun and cobras drawn in gold. Hindu warriors trace their origin to the Sun. For an Islamic mausoleum the Sun is redundant. Cobras are always associated with Lord Shiva.

FORGED DOCUMENTS

109. The Muslim caretakers of the tomb in the Tajmahal used to possess a document which they styled as "Tarikh-i-Tajmahal". Historian H.G. Keene has branded it as `a document of doubtful authenticity'. Keene was uncannily right since we have seen that Shahjahan not being the creator of the Tajmahal any document which credits Shahjahn with the Tajmahal, must be an outright forgery. Even that forged document is reported to have been smuggled out of Pakistan. Besides such forged documents there are whole chronicles on the Taj which are pure concoctions.

110. There is lot of sophistry and casuistry or atleast confused thinking associated with the Taj even in the minds of proffesional historians, archaelogists and architects. At the outset they assert that the Taj is entirely Muslim in design. But when it is pointed out that its lotus capped dome and the four corner pillars etc. are all entirely Hindu those worthies shift ground and argue that that was probably because the workmen were Hindu and were to introduce their own patterns. Both these arguments are wrong because Muslim accounts claim the designers to be Muslim,and the workers invariably carry out the employer's dictates.

The Taj is only a typical illustration of how all historic buildings and townships from Kashmir to Cape Comorin though of Hindu origin have been ascribed to this or that Muslim ruler or courtier.

It is hoped that people the world over who study Indian history will awaken to this new finding and revise their erstwhile beliefs.

Those interested in an indepth study of the above and many other revolutionary rebuttals may read this author's other research books.

The Great Wall of China, the Tianamen Square, the Forbidden City Palace, the Summer palace, many beautiful gardens, tombs of great leaders, the sacred Lama temple and many other sights in Beijing would have attracted you and your eyes were with full of cherishing views. The world-renowned delicious Chinese cuisine and the great hospitality of the Chinese people are really appreciable. The travel in the most modern Beijing metro railways is highly admirable. I am sure you will be cherishing the memory of great Chinese trip, especially at the time of Olympics 2008.

Now you will be wondering, where to go to spend a grandeur vacation? I will just invite you to a great country, the country of non-violence, great culture and heritage, haven of arts and handicrafts. It is none other than Great Indian land.

Exotic beauty, supreme in historical value, pleasant gift of nature and the best for hospitality, India invites the visitors with red carpets. You can really experience the Unity in Diversity, the ideology of India's plural culture.

One of the seven great wonders of World Taj Mahal, the historical Jaisalmer Fort, The enchanting snow capped Himalayan Ranges, exotic beaches in Goa and Kovalam, the breathtaking Kanyakumari and the great challenges of water sports in Andaman, India has in her store great views and comforts for all kinds of Tourists. Come and visit India. Go through must see India places.

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus es un especial hecho por los Rolling Stones para la televisión británica que se filmó entre el 11 y el 12 de diciembre de 1968 en el recinto Roundhouse de Londres pero que nunca se emitió como tal.

Creado por idea de Mick Jagger y Keith Richards, el programa se produjo como un espectáculo circense. Tuvo atracciones de artistas de circo pero fundamentalmente contó con las actuaciones de, además de los Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, The Who, John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, Taj Mahal y Marianne Faithfull. Una de las actuaciones destacadas fue la de Dirty Mac, formado por John Lennon (The Beatles), Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), Eric Clapton(Cream) y Mitch Mitchell (The Jimi Hendrix Experience), interpretando el tema Yer Blues, de The Beatles.

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus fue emitido en cine en 1996 después de estar casi 30 años guardado en un granero de Inglaterra.

The Dirty Mac: Eric Clapton, John Lennon, Mitch Mitchell y Keith Richards

Jetro Tull

The Who

The Rolling Stones Rock And Roll Circus

[googlevideo=http://video.google.es/videoplay?docid=5629459655051643497&ei=hFvVSN-LKZGsiAKJv8XOAg&q=The+Rolling+Stones+Rock+and+Roll+Circus&hl=es]

Seusai dengan maksudnya, bangunan itu pun disebut sebagai Taj Mahal. Letaknya di Agra, India kawasan Uttar Paradesh. Persis di tepian Sungai Yamuna. Pembangunannya melibatkan 20.000 pekerja, arsitek paling ahli, seniman ahli kerajinan tangan, sejumlah ahli kaligrafi, pemahat, ahli batu dari seantero India, Persia, dan Turki. Dibangun dengan presisi, emosi, seni arsitektur mengagumkan.

Bangunan itu berawal dari sebuah janji. Berpangkal dari tahun 1631, saat Mumtaz Mahal terbaring sekarat di sisi suaminya Shah Jehan, setelah melahirkan anak ke-14 bagi sang raja. Perempuan itu menagih empat janji dari sang raja. Pertama memohon dibangunya sebuah Taj, kedua memintanya tidak kimpoi lagi, ketiga menuntut perlakuan baik suaminya pada anak-anak mereka, dan terakhir memintanya untuk mengunjungi makamnya secara teratur. Tak lama kemudian Mumtaz mahal pun meninggal.

Shah Jehan sangat terpukul dengan kematian istrinya, namun ia segera mewujudkan janji bagi sang istri tercinta. Maka ia memerintahkan pembangunan sebuah Taj pada 1631. Selama 2 tahun Shah Jehan mengurung diri dan berkabung. Lantas pada 1633, ia akhirnya menekankan pembangunan sebuah makam bagi istrinya di dalam bangunan yang sedang dikerjakan itu.

Lambang Cinta

Mengapa disebut lambang cinta? Mari kita mundur ke tahun yang lebih awal. Shah Jehan, awalnya bernama Khurrum Shihab-ud-din Muhammad, merupakan pangeran dari Dinasti Mughal. Ia lahir dari 1592 di Lahore, dan menjadi putra ketiga yang paling disayang kaisar Jahangir. Ia diplot sang kaisar untuk menggantikannya kelak, dan ia pun dididik secara khusus termasuk dalam bidang budaya, pengetahuan, dan seni beladiri serta kemiliteran.

Di usia 16 tahun ia mengejutkan ayahnya dengan desain markasnya di dalam benteng Kabul dan mendesain ulang benteng Agra, setelah diberi wewenang oleh sang ayah untuk memimpin sejumlah pasukan. Ia kemudian menikah dengan Akbarabadi Mahal menyusul istri kedua Kandahari Mahal. Tetapi cinta sejati justru berkembang saat ia jatuh hati pada gadis belia 14 tahun Arjumand Banu Begum, cucu bangsawan Persia.

Ia terpaksa menunggu selama lima tahun sebelum diizinkan menikahi gadis menawan itu pada 1612. Dan seusai pesta pernikahan yang megah itu, istri ketiganya itu diberi julukan Mumtaz Mahal Begum. Mumtaz Mahal justru menjadi istri yang paling disayang dan dimanjakannya. Begitupun sang istri ini selalu menemaninya dalam setiap penugasan ke luar daerah. Setia menemani di dalam istana, maupun di tenda-tenda dalam perjalanan sang pangeran. Cinta kedua anak manusia ini memang sangat romantis, intim, dan harmonis.

Dalam misi tempur dari sang ayah, pada 1617, Khurram berkat dampingan Mumtaz, berhasil menaklukkan Lodi di Decan, serta mengamankan wilayah perbatasan selatan kerjaan dinasti Mughal. Untuk itu ia dianugerahi gelar "Shah Jehan Bahadur" oleh sang ayah. Gelar yang memastikannya akan menduduki tahta dinasti kelima Mughal.

Sejak Shah Jehan masih menjadi pangeran dan panglima perang, Mumtaz Mahal memang selalu mendampinginya dalam keadaan senang maupun susah, suka dan duka. Kisah cinta mereka tersiar di kalangan prajurit dan rakyat. Sampai akhirnya ketika menggantikan posisi ayahnya sebagai raja, Mumtaz Mahal selalu setia pada Shah Jehan.

Semua kisah cinta itu tak terlupakan oleh Shah Jehan sampai akhir hayatnya. Ketika ang istri meninggal, ia pun merasa amat terpukul. Namun semua kenangan akan cinta sejatinya dituangkan dalam pembangunan Taj Mahal. Selama 22 tahun (sejak 1631) sampai 1653, keseluruhan Taj Mahal rampung dibangun.

Bangunan setinggi hampir 60 meter itu dibuat dengan basis batu marmer dan beberapa bagiannya diberi ukiran, hiasan, dan lapisan emas, perak, dan berlian. Semua mata takjub dan berdecak kagum. Melihat Taj Mahal, semua orang yakin bahwa tak ada bangunan lain yang mampu menandingi keindahannya. Benar-benar wujud cinta yang paling dalam. Hingga ajalnya di tahun 1666, Shah Jehan pun dimakamkan di samping makam istrinya di dalam Taj Mahal. Menjadi lambang cinta sejati, hingga hari ini...

Taj Mahal dalam Mitos

Taj Mahal memang mengandung nuansa berbeda. Banyak kontroversi yang melambung dari sana. Mungkin karena aura dan keindahan bangunan tersebut memang mampu memengaruhi emosi pengunjungnya.

Jean-Baptiste Travernier mungkin menjadi "turis" Eropa pertama yang mengunjungi Taj Mahal. Dari kunjungannya tahun 1665, ia menuliskan bahwa kemungkinan Shah Jehan berencana membangun Taj Mahal dengan marmer hitam. Namun Shah Jehan mungkin sudah digantikan anaknya Aurungzeb sebelum Taj Mahal dibangun. Sehingga akhirnyadibuat dengan marmer putih.

Sisa-sisa marmer hitam masih terlihat di seberang sungai di Moonlight Garden, Mahtab Bagh, yang tampaknya mendukung versi legenda ini. Namun hasil penelitian dan penggalian di sana pada 1990 menemukan bahwa marmer itu adalah marmer putih yang berubah warna menjadi hitam. Teori tersebut juga sudah diuji coba pada 2006 di lokasi tersebut dan membuktikan bahwa marmer yang digunakan adalah memang marmer putih dan bukan hitam.

Masih banyak lagi mitos dan kontroversi soal Taj Mahal. Termasuk keraguan apakah Taj Mahal memang dibangun khusus untuk mengenang kisah cinta Shah Jehan bagi sitrinya Mumtaz Mahal, atau lebih daripada itu yaitu merupakan refleksi cinta yang lebih murni dalam konsep spiritual ilahi. Atau sekadar propaganda dinasti Mughal untuk menunjukkan kajayaan mereka semata? Belum ada yang bisa memastikan.

Bangunan yang mengusung konsep simetris itu merupakan satu pertanyaan lain. Lalu penataan kolam dan refleksi langsung Taj Mahal di atas air menjadi bahan perdebatan lainnya.

Seribu satu pertanyaan masih mengantung di seputar Taj Mahal...

Keindahan Mengagumkan yang Misterius

Taj Mahal mewakili arsitektur mewah yang terbaik dari dinasti Mughal. Aslinya mencerminkan perpaduan budaya dan sejarah kekasiran Islam Mughal yang pernah menguasai India. Walau bentuknya mirip tampilan fisik bangunan masjid, namun sesungguhnya ia merupakan sebuah makam penghormatan.

Taj Mahal Mudah dikenali dari ciri kubah putih marmer, tatanan kompleksnya dan areal taman di lahan seluas 22,44 hektar. Termasuk aea makam tambahan, infrastruktur pengairan, kota kecil Taj Ganji dan taman bulan purnama di utara sungai.

Dalam catatan sejarah Taj mahal masih diliputi kabut misteri. Masih tidak diketahui secara pasti latar belakang berdirinya kompleks Taj Mahal, walau diyakini sebagai persembahan cinta Shah Jehan terhadap istrinya Mumtaz Mahal.

Begitu juga dengan arsitek utama yang merancang bangunan tersebut. Ada yang menduganya adalah arsitek India, Persia, bahkan Italia. Yang pasti bahwa pembangunannya melibatkan kolaborasi sejumlah seniman, ahli, dan perajin dari berbagai daerah.

Namun sejumlah penelitian merujuk bahwa sang arsitek utama yang misterius itu kemungkinan besar adalah seorang Italia. Seseorang yang bernama Geronimo Veroneo. Dugaan muncul berdasarkan pernyataan Father Manrique, seorang Augustinian Friar, yang berkunjung ke Agra pada 1640 dalam upaya menjemput Father Antony yang akan dibebaskan dinasti Mughal dari penjara.

Namun kesaksian ini justru sangat ditentang oleh banyak orang yang meragukan ada seniman besar Italia di abad ke 17 yang berada di India. Namun sejumlah makam Kristen Padres Santos di Agra memang menjadi satu bukti bahwa orang Eropa sudah berada di Agra saat pembangunan Taj Mahal dan masa sesudahnya.

Satu kemewahan lain dari Taj Mahal adalah pengguaan materialnya yang didatangkan dari seluruh India dan Asia. Dindingnya dibentuk dengan potongan batu marmer dan batu pasir dalam teknik konstruksi pengunci besi. Seribuan gajah digunakan sebagai pengangkut material itu.

Untuk memenuhi kebutuhan batu pasirnya, didatangkan dari tambang di dekat Fatehour Sikri, lalu marmer putihnya dari Raja Jai Singh di Makrana, Rajasthan. Permata jasper berasal dari Punjab, permata jade dan kristal dari Tiongkok. Permata pirus dari Tibet, batu lapis Lazuli dari Afghanistan, batu safir dari Srilanka dan carnelian dari Arabia. Setidaknya ada 28 jenis batu permata yang digunakan sebagai penghias Taj Mahal.

Semua informasi detail mengenai pembangunan Taj Mahal memang masih terselubung. Entah mengapa bangunan yang belakangan ini tetap menjadi satu dari tuiuh keajaiban dunia modern (yang baru) itu, masih menyimpan rahasia besar. Namun nilai seni, sejarah, budaya dan filosofinya yang memang sarat akan tafsir, tetap menjadi satu warisan perdaban manusia. Sejak 1983, Taj Mahal sudah menjadi salah satu Situs Warisan Dunia yang ditetapkan UNESCO.

Ia menjadi daya tarik wisata di India, khususnya wilayah Uttar Paradesh…

Esa imagen, sumada a la presencia constante que había en mi casa de historias de la India, convirtió al Taj Mahal en una pequeña obsesión para mí. En el año 1997, al regresar mis padres de su primera visita a la India, me trajeron un Taj Mahal en miniatura, una réplica en mármol que guardé celosamente por años hasta que tuve la chance de visitarlo en tamaño real.

Agra

Después de otra noche en tren llegué a la ciudad de Agra, en el estado de Uttar Pradesh, ahora moviéndome hacia el oeste del país.

Como ciudad, Agra no tiene grandes atractivos en general, a excepción del llamado Fuerte Rojo y, sobre todo, el mundialmente conocido Taj Mahal. De hecho, la única razón que me movía a visitar este lugar fue conocer el famoso monumento, elegido una de las siete maravillas del mundo moderno, y más oficialmente, nombrado Patrimonio de la Humanidad por la UNESCO.

Si bien, en principio, se trataba de una visita que, en medio de mi periplo espiritual, podría tildarse de turística, yo no iba a dejar pasar la oportunidad de conocer el Taj Mahal.

Estamos hablando del mausoleo que Shah Jahan, un emperador de la dinastía mogol del siglo XVII, mandó a construir para su amada, Mumtaz Mahal, luego de que ella muriera dando a luz. Esta ofrenda póstuma del emperador fue realizada enteramente en mármol blanco traído desde canteras situadas en el estadio de Rajasthan, a más de 300 km. de distancia.

Después de semejante inversión, las finanzas del reino quedaron en bancarrota, y el emperador fue destronado por su hijo, pero su homenaje de amor quedó incólume.

Patas cortas

Antes de llegar a Agra me habían comentado que para los extranjeros el precio del ingreso al predio era alto. Por otro lado, a los indios se les cobra una entrada muy barata.

De todos modos, no sólo en la India sucede esto, también en los parques y reservas de la Patagonia argentina, por ejemplo, el precio para los extranjeros es tres veces mayor que para los nacionales. Lo mismo sucede en algunas zonas de España.

Me ha sido explicado últimamente, que esta diferencia tiene que ver con el hecho de que estos sitios (reservas naturales, ruinas históricas, monumentos) son muchas veces sostenidos con la contribución fiscal pública y por ende es natural que a aquellos ciudadanos que ya están aportando para el sostenimiento, no se les cobre o se les cobre un canon mínimo.

En aquel entonces, y más allá de mi ajustado presupuesto, la diferencia de precios me irritó y atribuí toda la maniobra a la intención de sacar dinero a los turistas, que están dispuestos a gastar más.

Yo sabía que si pagaba el ingreso para turista iba a quedar ajustado de dinero, así que previsoramente me inventé un carnet falso de periodista internacional; una táctica que en el pasado me había dado buenos resultados.

Además, como yo tengo una parte de sangre “árabe” (en Argentina se diría “sirio-libanesa”), también tengo, inevitablemente, ciertos rasgos fisonómicos “árabes”. Fue así como decidí, siguiendo el “sabio” consejo de algunos amigos,  hacerme pasar por un indio.

Debo admitir que para esta metamorfosis no me esmeré en demasía, pues tendría que haberme dejado el bigote, elemento ineludible de la estética varonil india, y además tendría que haberme vestido con una camisa algo gastada y con pantalones largos color caqui. Pero bueno, un buen bigote tarda tiempo en crecer y también pensaba que a través de la taquilla, el hombre que cobraba las entradas no vería más que mi rostro.

Subestimé, es cierto, la capacidad de los indios de identificar, incluso a ciegas, a un extranjero. 

Relato los hechos:

Una vez en la puerta de entrada al monumento me puse, con poca naturalidad, en la cola de los indios y esperé mi turno; ya en la cola, una señora india y turista, inquirió sobre mi procedencia de manera ominosa.

Al llegar a la taquilla dije lo más convincentemente que pude la palabra “ek”, que en hindi, el idioma oficial de la India, quiere decir “uno”, imitando así las palabras del visitante que antes de mí había solicitado su billete.

El vendedor, que no era ingenuo, me preguntó en inglés de que país era, y como yo dije “India”, comenzó a hablarme en hindi para probarme. Por supuesto, yo me quedé mirando al infinito como si pensara, repitiendo “ek” como si fuera una fórmula mágica. Previsiblemente tuve que retirarme de la fila sin mi entrada.

Sin resignarme fui a la administración a decir que era periodista y que quería entrar, pero me dijeron que el jefe venía más tarde y que si quería me sentara a esperar.

Ahorro

A diferencia de lo que me habían comentado, el precio de la entrada para turistas al monumento costaba un poco menos de lo previsto, lo cual no era poco, pero si mucho menos que el monto original. Para los indios el precio era de menos de un dólar.

Al inicio refunfuñé un rato, después pensé que no tenía sentido resistirse a los hechos y era mejor dejar fluir el dinero y disfrutar del lugar.

Lo que estaba claro es que las dos mentiras que yo tanto había planeado habían fracasado rotundamente. Yo era consciente de que mentir era incorrecto pero me pareció válido en aquella circunstancia pues el precio de la entrada era totalmente desubicado respecto al resto de los precios de la India.

Más allá de mi quijotesca lucha en contra del provecho comercial, estaba claro que mis engaños no habían servido para nada, y pude comprobar inmediatamente aquello sobre las cortas patas de la mentira.

Por otra parte, la situación fue buena y edificante para mí, pues me obligó a gastar una suma que no quería, pero que sí tenía.

Al final del viaje mis finanzas estuvieron bien, por lo que aquel gasto no fue terrible. La enseñanza que saqué fue que el ahorro no siempre es correcto y puede transformarse en una enfermedad; en mi caso, más que ahorro, era mezquindad. 

Fin de obsesión