Taj Mahal 2020 - Morning

As I'm wont to opine, I've led a strange life. From a person who didn't have a passport until I was forty-two, I've now reached the point where I'm one of those guys who has to answer questions with lines like, "No, I don't know how many times I've been to Jordan" or "It was on one of the times I walked through the siq at Petra, but I don't know which one" or "Truthfully, the best time to see the Taj is in the morning." Wow, what a wanker. Still, the best time to see the Taj is in the morning. On this recent trip to India, which was last month but now seems years ago as we work our way through the Great Isolation, I was fortunate to visit the Taj Mahal for, I think, the fifth time. However, I had never visited it in the early morning, although I had always wanted to do so. We rallied the students very early, which led to not too much grousing, and once they arrive they were wonderfully happy to be there. I envied them and in some ways pitied them, because it was the most beautiful I'd ever seen the Taj, but I also knew if they ever came back and managed to make if there midday they would not think it as beautiful. The light was ethereal and I don't think I took a bad picture, or could take a bad picture. The beauty was almost humbling.

A shot as we walked in. I've never seen the Taj in that light, and in that amount of detail. It's always beautiful, but definitely beautiful in different ways. Something about this time of day provided much more detail.

Turning back to see the entrance gate. You can just get a sense of the extraordinary sunrise.

Looking back towards the entry gate, about halfway out to the Taj itself.

Looking over a reflecting pond. I wish I could claim that I did something amazing with my camera to get those colors, but it was just my phone.

Another shot from the same spot. The light was otherworldly.

A picture I snapped of Mellissa, Jorja and Laney, which looks photoshopped.

A closer shot of the Taj, featuring a lovely reflection. I wonder how many trillion pictures have been taken of the Taj from this spot?

A view from the side of the Taj, taken from in front of the mosque.

I took a number of pictures from inside the mosque, looking out at the Taj itself. Every one of them was indescribably beautiful.

And another one. I'm not certain which one I'm going to print off.

Jess and Aaron from my traditional favorite angle for snapping pictures of the Taj Mahal.

Front row: Laney, Jorja, Chelsey, Jess, Brittany
Second row: Morgan, Mellissa, Chris, Ana
Back row: Steve, Aidan, Aaron, Wes, Blade, Sara, some old dude, Alex, Caitlyn