The first view of the Taj Mahal is framed by the arch of the gateway through which you walk. As you approach, a visual illusion (as the size of the arch in your field of view grows faster than the size of the distant Taj) gives the appearance that the Taj is slinking away from you. Stop and back away and it appears that the Taj is getting closer.  The guide said: "You take the Taj with you when you walk away."

While the principles of visual perspective behind this illusion are simple, it still adds to the mystique of the place. Realizing that architects of three and a half centuries ago could harness such principles and apply them with such gusto was where my jaw set firmly with awe.

Next my guide took me to a side corridor of archways which framed the pre-dawn Taj nicely (above). The interior of the arches held another illusion--this one aural--that I never would have found on my own. Stand in a corner, by one of the four columns in the archway and whisper into the corner. The sound carries up the corner of the column, around the arch, and back down the opposite column, clearly audible on the other side.

Again, it was pressing my ear up to ancient stonework and participating thus in this monument that truly sets the experience apart from the photos, the drawings, or the tales. As I hear what was whispered from across the corridor, I wonder what visitors have been whispering to one another for the last three hundred years. Can such an experience ever be captured on a video, in a picture, or in virtual reality? Nope, guess you'll just have to go there!

Now my guide left me to myself, planning to meet up again in an hour. I made a loop of the Taj itself, remarkably peaceful and uncrowded. The grounds and the monument are immaculately maintained, although the ingenuity of the place means that it would still be breathtaking even in ruin.

I found a corner to sit and draw the sunrise. What you can't see from the drawing (so I snapped a photo) was the serene river off my left shoulder. The rustic boats, the wispy mist, and windless glassy water rival the balance and harmony of the Taj; beauty of two schools: one natural and earth-bound, the other a stunning example of human aesthetics. To see the two side-by-side reassured me that the Taj was not merely a masterpiece of human ingenuity, but a cooperation between us and the planet. The Taj is truly use, not abuse, of all the gifts laid out for us in this world.

As the sun rises, the marble picks up a bit of flesh tone in its charged white hue. It's less a color than a feel. It's looking at a sight like the Taj that you remember that color is light, and that light is warmth and life. This hunk of marble feels more alive than any structure I've ever seen.

The colorful patterns you see all over the Taj are hand-inlaid semi-precious stones: ruby, malachite, lapis lazuli, and more. Unlike most Indian monuments which have been looted repeatedly throughout the country's sordid history, the inlay of the Taj is still in tact. The vibrant colors of all those vines and flowers become all the more vibrant as the earth slowly makes its circle around the sun and the light works its way all through and around the gems.

As I fold up my drawing pad and stretch my legs from an hour of sitting, I gaze again at the bulbs and spires of this thing. Not military or religious, this is a monument for love. When Akbar's wife died he began the 32 year process of building her tomb--the Taj Mahal.

I know there is much more to be learned about the Taj, from historical details of Akbar's life to the political and cultural atmosphere in which it was built; from the aesthetic principles employed in its beauty to the architectural marvels behind how it was created. And yet my experience with the Taj Mahal leaves me completely satisfied: I don't thirst for more details, more photos, more stories, or anything. I think back to my visit and find contentment--a pure pleasure to be living on such a planet.

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