White Beauty

I usually approach the world’s great sights with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I look forward to finally seeing the place with my own eyes, on the other hand, I also know the dark sides that such popular locations possess. When I arrived in the small Indian town of Agra, where the Taj Mahal is located, my anticipation was initially severely dampened. Everything was prepared for the masses: The city had no charm whatsoever, the guesthouse was impersonally as well as the bland and expensive food. It wasn’t until I saw the white marble mausoleum in it’s full splendor through the archway of it’s Gatehouse the next morning that I knew the detour had been worth it.

Agra (India), April 2014