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Bucket List: New 7 Wonders of the World

T

he sun has set. The last glow of daylight reflects on the Taj Mahal before it slowly turns pearl gray as if being covered for the night. This is my first glimpse of the mausoleum, one of the publicly chosen New

7 Wonders of the World. My view from the Oberoi Amarvilas Hotel in Agra, India, allows me to marvel at its beauty, making me eager to get a closer look. The next morning, I wait in line for just under a half hour to gain entry.

Past security, a grand gate with Thuluth script calligraphy reads: O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you. Pausing to photograph the Taj Mahal reflected in a still pool of water, I lis-

ten as my guide explains Shah Jahan built and dedicated the masterpiece of Mughal architecture to his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died giving birth to the couple’s 14th child. It took 20,000 artisans nearly 22 years, from 1632 to 1653, to build the memorial. As hundreds of visitors vie for the best way to get a photograph, it’s hard

to take my eyes from the building’s symmetrical and serene beauty. Intricate inlaid designs made of semiprecious stones (yel- low jasper, black onyx, reddish brown carnelian, dark green jade, blue lapis, light blue Indian turquoise, smoky agate, and iridescent mother of pearl) alternate with cool marble on its surface. As I leave, I turn one

last time to admire a symbol of undying love, a monument to beauty, art, and passion.

— Marilyn Jones

Editor’s note: Each des- tination in the new Bucket List series is part of a larg- er checklist of places to see before you kick the bucket.

Taj Mahal

Christ the Redeemer

Machu Picchu

Chichen Itza

Colosseum

Petra

Great Wall of China