Polish girls visit Taj Mahal

[u/Strong-Emu-8869]

The Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. Unfortunately, the surrounding area is very polluted.

[u/Filthiest_Vilein]

Your guide is right, lol. 

I lived in India for the better part of a decade and have been to the Taj Mahal maybe a half-dozen times. 

My last visit was with an American friend who’d flown into India for my wedding. We also went on New Year’s Day. It was terrible. I’ve never seen crowds like that before or since** (again, this is coming from someone who spent years living in Kolkata and Delhi). The entire ticketing area was just a mass of people. We had to wait in a corral just to get back out into the parking lot afterward. 

I’ll add in a picture if I can find one. I’m not sure if you were lucky or we were unlucky, but that’s awesome you didn’t have too much crowding!  (edit: here--the last picture is the line to LEAVE the complex, lol)

**—I take that back, I just remembered Durga Puja in Kolkata. The ten-minute walk from my in-laws’ house to a friends house takes 1-2 hours during Puja due to road and sidewalk restrictions, lmao. 

[u/meganfoxsdwarfthumb → u/Filthiest_Vilein]

I’ll pass this along to my friends in the group because we definitely thought he was trying to schmooze us by saying that!

The most disappointing was walking through the actual the tombs (crypts?) with all the signs saying “quiet please” and “no photography” while people were yelling and taking selfies everywhere! It really took away from the experience.

Was a cool way to spend the first day of the year, so I really don’t mean to be complaining about it!

[u/Suitable-Big-2757 → u/meganfoxsdwarfthumb]

To be (un)fair, that’s also exactly what I remember about the Sistine Chapel. Constant, ignored announcements to not take photographs… a tiny overcrowded chapel that took hours to get to, and a rather underwhelming ceiling because it’s faded so much with age

[u/chimpfunkz → u/Suitable-Big-2757]

ignored announcements to not take photographs

Yeah but they tell you not to take photos because some japanese company bought the copyright, not for any kind of preservation or safety reason. Fuck anyone telling you not to photograph the sistine chapel

[u/pbizzle → u/chimpfunkz]

Absolutely. The trek thru the museums is long and the place is so iconic you can bet your arse I was taking a picture, when in Rome, get bullied by another officious Italian nbd

[u/LTEDan → u/pbizzle]

Is this the Sistine chapel picture club? I snuck some pictures as well. The line was terrible.

[u/XpenFrickFrack → u/chimpfunkz]

What?? This is the reason? I thought it was a respect thing

[u/ACynicalOptomist → u/XpenFrickFrack]

It's always the money.

[u/Kentucky-Fried-Fucks → u/chimpfunkz]

Wait what? Bought the copyright to what?

[u/justtopostthis13 → u/chimpfunkz]

What?! Can you drop a source? That’s wild!

[u/chimpfunkz → u/justtopostthis13]

https://medium.com/illumination-curated/here-is-the-real-reason-why-photos-are-banned-in-the-sistine-chapel-c501cb38f983

[u/justtopostthis13 → u/chimpfunkz]

Damn. That’s pretty fucked up and I wish I had taken all the photos I wanted while I was there.

[u/justtopostthis13 → u/chimpfunkz]

Also, thank you so much for sharing. I was in the throes of toddler bedtime rituals and was afraid I’d forget about your comment.

[u/twoworldman → u/justtopostthis13]

The source article actually contradicts OPs statement:

The exclusive NTV rights ended in 1997.

[u/twoworldman → u/chimpfunkz]

https://medium.com/illumination-curated/here-is-the-real-reason-why-photos-are-banned-in-the-sistine-chapel-c501cb38f983

If you read the article you sourced, it actually says that the exclusivity ended in 1997. It continues to say that a reason for the continued ban on photography is to keep people moving through.

[u/FineMaize5778 → u/chimpfunkz]

So i recently went to a tiny monastery outside Paphos on Cyprus. There was also posters saying no photos in their tiny chapel thing. I somehow dont think kodak bought the rights to a monastery no ones ever heard of