Observing the rich marigold trade was a first for me.

This is India.

Arriving at the outskirts of the Taj, you have no indication of the glorious structure that waits beyond. The little stone ticket booth where you pay your admission could have easily been missed in the mayhem of the tiny streets surrounding this magnificent mausoleum. The first hint that you are about to experience something extraordinary comes on the walk up to the gateway that guards the entrance to the actual Taj grounds.

The great gateway to the Taj.

The line-ups to get through the gateway are astronomical. Men and women enter separately, and everyone is searched for weapons, paint, etc. When you emerge on the other side, miraculously, it is there. The Taj Mahal. The most awe-inspiring structure I have ever seen in my life.

The Taj Mahal.

It is absolutely breathtaking. At the perimeter of the grounds, from where it first comes into view, you are still a good 400 metres from touching it and the sheer enormity sets it. I was baffled and silenced at once. The form and the majesty of the place to my eyes was enough, then the feeling set in. The spirit element beholding the Taj as I approached the centre mosque was as palpable as the visible wonder itself. I could not tear my eyes from it. It was actually magnetic. As I got closer and closer the impact became greater and greater. As I slipped off my sandals to walk upon the cool marble I became utterly convinced that I was in a fairy tale. Built by Emperor Shahjehan as an expression of his deep love for his wife, it actually took 20,000 workers over 22 years to complete.