The story of the Taj Mahal is one of the greatest love stories of all time. The Taj Mahal is one of the more awesome buildings I have seen on this trek. It is located in Agra, in Northern India. Many locals and others who have viewed it considered it worthy to be on lists of the Seven Wonders of the World.

It really is impressive. Upon seeing it, I had to wonder, "Who built this masterpiece, and why?"

Shah Jahan was the local ruler in the mid-1600's, and when his wife died, he was so heartbroken that he decided to build a huge, elaborate mausoleum to her.

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When we arrived at the palace, braving the heat of the day, we caught our first glimpse of the beauty that is the Taj Mahal. It was better than we ever could have imagined.

It took 20,000 workers, working day and night, 22 years to complete the Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan was very pleased with the results.

Unfortunately, the story of the Taj Mahal is not all a story of love and goodness. For one thing, the Taj Mahal is considered by some to be on the verge

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of falling down. Why? Well, the once pristine white marble building is now covered in cracks, and the stone has been yellowed after years of exposure to pollution. The Indian government is taking many measures now to protect and preserve the building, such as

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planting trees and limiting cars near the palace, but Agra still suffers from heavy pollution.

Every Monday the Taj is closed to the public so that master craftsmen can work on restoration and repair.

Andrew