24. India (The Taj Mahal)
Blinding heat ricocheting off the pristine marble of the Taj.
My bare feet dance across the white-hot path as if walking across coals.
Devastated to learn that the fabled love of a man for a woman
which built this great edifice, resulted in her death:
Fourteen children in fifteen years.
jpm
50 words for 50 countries 
well said, I went to Agra this year only to get their late and the place was closed. I had a flight that night and had to go back to delhi. Anyway, it was still an adventure. How did you like the bread?
Thanks Lucas – I love ALL the food in India, and sometimes, when I have loved it just a bit too much, a terracotta pot of fresh yoghurt and a squeeze of lime juice, which you can buy on the streets, can settle things down a bit! I was so surprised to see how small (but perfectly formed) the Taj Mahal was, its beautiful setting on the river, and also the absolutely incredible parquetry detail inside the tomb itself. But as my poem says, I was so taken aback by its tragic history. But I have to admit that I was even more impressed by Fatehpur Sikri, the deserted red stoned Mughal palaces and court just outside of Agra. Don’t miss it when you get back to UP. Thanks for taking the time to comment – have just subscribed to your blog and love it – especially the current post about Chile, which is top of my wish list – to walk around the Torres del Paine in Patagonia.
– j
Beautiful. I’m yet to see it myself, but I’ve always been taken by the tale. Apparently there was to be built nearby a black Taj for the prince. It’s almost as sad that it wasn’t built – it’s like an unfinished fairytale.