Taj Mahal from Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

Two morning views of the Taj Mahal, built by the Moghul emperor Shah Jahan as a mausoleum for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in 1631. The Taj is in the city of Agra, in the state of Uttar Pradesh, about three hours’ drive from the Indian capital, New Delhi. It is probably the most famous monument in India. The Yamuna River flows below it, so there’s often a mist in the early morning.

I’m not big on big sites and festivals. I think it’s partly because over time I’ve been caught in frightening situations in the Subcontinent, where crowds were out of control. And I’m especially not big on the Taj Mahal, because my first time in Agra, where the Taj is located, I felt so overwhelmed by touts and hawkers and hasslers that I turned around and headed back to the station to catch the first train out of town.