Taj Mahal 30 July 1971

I was looking through an old scrap book when my family did a tour of India (July 1971 only 42 years ago!) and came across this colour photo of my parents, sister and I sitting on the famous bench on the viewing platform on the approach to the Taj Mahal.

My youngest daughter is actually on holiday in India at this very moment and was visiting the 'Taj' yesterday and it looked very crowded by comparison.  I assume we asked another visitor to take our photograph?

Movie - Meeting an elephant on the way to Agra.

I am having a go at adding a small video file to my blog.  Last time I tried I failed, either it was too large a file size or of the wrong format.  It was taken around 1968 and is only of a very low quality.  That is me on the elephant. My family was driving to Agra to see the Taj Mahal and we came across a man riding his elephant on the way to a wedding.  You can see a lorry go thundering past me at one point.  Eventually we get to see the Taj Mahal. Hope you like it.

Riding on an Elephant on the Road to Agra 1967

Managed to grab a frame from a cine film from 1967 it shows me riding on an elephant on the road to Agra taken around 1967.  We were driving from Delhi (I think) to Agra and we passed a man taking his elephant to a wedding and we stopped and asked if I could have a ride.  On the cine you can see lorries driving past as I am sitting on the elephant.  Hope you like it.

G D Paulraj - Taj Mahal

My friend Kashinath has sent me a photo of this painting by G D Paulraj, it seems to be showing the TajMahal in Agra.  It seems to be a little unusual for Paul to paint a real place, most paintings appear to be imaginary or maybe slightly based on real scenes.

It certainly is a very bright painting, the minarets seem a little skinny to me but it captures the scene.  I have previously added some photos of the Taj captured from a Cine film.  I have added another family photo taken in front of the Taj taken around 1972.  I am the young man on the left.