You need to wake early to get the best out of the Taj.  I woke at 5:45am, and made my way to the East Gate.  It was already fairly busy with tourists (4 million a year come here including these two intrepid explorers) and all the people who make a living off them by various means.  I had a delicious roadside chai to warm me up, then proceeded inside for a whopping 750Rs entry fee. I walked through the main archway and saw it before me, looming in the dusk.  The Taj Mahal.  A shiver ran down my spine.  A small crowd had gathered, and were already taking pictures.   Built between 1631 and 1653, the Taj Mahal is a symbol of love in marble.  The Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan ordered it built to shelter the tomb of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal (in a crypt underneath the mausoleum), who died in childbirth during the delivery of their 14th child.  

I watched the Taj Mahal, the mausoleum seeming to float as the sun rose and it slowly came to life.  It’s the most beautiful, majestic, breath-taking man-made structure I’ve ever seen, an incredible combination of Islamic, Iranian, Persian and Indian styles.  It’s symmetry of the mausoleum in relation to the two mosques,  three Iranian-style gates, three red-brick buildings, a central fountain and four bodies of water organised in a cross is awe-inspiring.  Even more impressive than Angkor Wat and Borubodour.  As I saw it come to life, I reflected on how beautiful the world can be, and how beautiful people can be when they want to be.  

I walked around the mausoleum, marvelling at the sheer size of the structure, made of red sandstone but covered in marble.  The sun rose more, bathing the now glistening Taj Mahal in a warm light.  I hung around for over 3 hours.  I probably could have stayed all day.  It had an irresistible, spiritual pull. It was difficult to leave.  But I hadn’t eaten breakfast yet.   

I had breakfast on a rooftop restaurant, and watched the monkeys causing mischief on people’s houses.