The Most Magical Masterpiece

There once was a mausoleum. Far, far away in the land of spicy curries and Bollywood it was, but it wasn't just any mausoleum. It was an expensive mausoleum, made of pure white marble. Its worth translates to about $827 million U.S. dollars in today's economy. In 1983 it was named a UNESCO world heritage site and in 2007 it was named one of the 7 Wonders of the world.

The Taj Mahal.

The words Taj Mahal mean "Crown of the Palaces" and it was here, in the city of Agra, that Shah Jahan built it. Shah Jahan was the 5th Mughal emperor of India in 1632 and he built the Taj Mahal in memory of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. He loved her dearly, and was so saddened by her death that he built her this monumental jewel, and laid her tomb here. It is surrounded by pools, gardens, fountains, and Daryl, sitting at Lady Diana's seat. Every single detail has been so well thought out, right down to the last peephole, and it has been said to be the greatest ever completed masterpiece in Mughal architecture.

And also, not too far from Mumtaz's tomb, in the center of Delhi, lies a Red Fort. This was no ordinary Fort, no. This was a particularly special fort, because of the elephants carting Daryl up the stone pathway to its entrance. His gaze barely holding in all the excitement.

All the emperors of the Mughal dynasty lived here for hundreds of years, up until 1856. Built with massive red sandstone walls and home to a number of museums, the Red Fort was a center for politics and critical events when it was built back in 1639. It was also built by Shah Jahan, who probably had Daryl in mind when he was constructing the pathways with the elephant carriers.

And a more quiet location, the desert, brought yet a new set of adventures. Riding a camel out under the stars in another part of India called Rajasthan, dressed in the traditional Indian sari, we sat in the sand and watched the sun set. There was complete silence out there, except for the out of tune strokes of Daryl's bow, on what the nice man called a Sarangi.

And all the wonders of the world combined, could never begin to amount to the excitement and joy that came from that Sarangi.

Bailey Sue