Who wouldn’t be thrilled with Taj Mahal? Accounts from the past tell of stories about Taj artisans whose fingers were cut off, so that the beauty of the monument will not be replicated. Others say that Shah Jahan was set to build a duplicate Taj Mahal in black marble for himself, to stand beside that of his beloved–but he was imprisoned by his son Aurangzeb, and spent his last days locked in a balcony gazing longingly at the Taj Mahal.

I admit I am slightly cynical about love, and tend to shun affection that lean towards the maudlin and sentimental. My visit to Taj Mahal taught me to be more conciliatory–for it weren’t for a maudlin and sentimental man, this enchanting vision of marble wouldn’t be standing in our midst.

It’s like your first taste, love, of vindaloo
That sets your heart on fire
And if you let her stuff get into you
It will be all that you desire

–Taste of India, Aerosmith

All images were taken using 35mm film.

Retrato and Travel Hub NZ love adventure as much as you do are keen to help you plan your trips (no matter how crazy or far-fetched they are). The journey doesn’t begin when you get there – it starts when you have a chat with us. For more info, contact me or email: travel@retratonz.com

Like my page on Facebook Retrato