India – Oh, the Places We See . . .

Weekly Photo Challenge: Intricate

In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Intricate.” The Taj Mahal is known for intricate design, inlays, and details. But this stitched version seen in a tapestry shop in India caught our tour group’s attention: fine detail executed in tiny stitches in an exquisite wall hanging. Not surprisingly, there was no price on […]

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Travel theme: Arches

Creamy, aged arches greeted us at Amer Fort (also known as Amber Fort) near Jaipur, India. In the section known as Sattais Kacheri, the carefully outlined, exquisitely beautiful arches with scalloped shapes become even more interesting as we moved around them, noticing what seemed to be an endless maze. The columns stand soldier-like in just-so […]

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Silhouette

Staging a silhouette takes patience and good background lighting. But sometimes a silhouette appears unexpectedly. Like when we toured the Taj at sundown, right before closing time. We snapped a photo of the long lines waiting to snake around and up and around again on the plaza level, despairing as we noted the time remaining […]

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Travel theme: Decoration

Although constructed in the 16th century, Amer Palace (also pronounced and spelled Amber Fort) near Jaipur, India, is awash in colorful, well-preserved decoration — even today. Incredible facades and niches bear intricately painted frescoes, panels of marble inlay, and reliefs like this flowered one in the Hall of Mirrors. Ganesh Pol (or Ganesh Gate) named after the […]

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Grand

Nothing we saw on our trip to India was more grand than the grandest site of all — the Taj Mahal! Perhaps it was the anticipation as people funneled themselves through the opening in anticipation of that first view that could only be seen on tiptoe. Or perhaps it was not the massive structure that […]

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Weekly Photo Challenge: From Lines to Patterns

For the Weekly Photo Challenge: From Lines to Patterns, the art and architecture of Amer Fort (also called Amber Fort) near Jaipur, India, have stood the test of time in terms of enduring design. Since completion in the 16th century, Amer Fort’s stately columns and outlined arches have formed visually stunning geometric designs. And millions of tiny […]

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A Word a Week Challenge: Arch

This week’s A Word a Week Challenge brings up the word Arch which, in turn, brings to mind two buildings flanking the Taj Mahal that held us spellbound. These two red sandstone buildings, identical in structure, open to the Taj Mahal and allow glimpses of the iconic structure through the arched openings. We found much […]